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Youth Pastor dismissed for reaching lost

Hey, DOC Posts: 76 **2/8/06 12:22 pm**

I just heard that a church just got rid of their youth pastor. I heard that he was going after the 'skaters' and the 'goths' to try to win them to Christ. But when these young people who didn't know the proper way to behave in church disrupted a service, some council men didn't like it and ultimately got rid of the youth pastor, because they didn't like what he was doing..

Sad huh? When you try to full fill the great commission and you get fired because you're trying to reach all that you can..but get fired for it...

somethings wrong with this picture. Question

daisy24

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1268 **2/8/06 12:35 pm**

That is SOOO sad. As a youth pastor, that breaks my heart. We are trying very hard in our youth ministry to attract youth that others dismiss (ie-goths, punks, skaters, etc). Even though we have a very contemporary church, we've seen some of the adults turn up their noses to this crowd on Sunday mornings because they may not sit, act or dress the way everyone else does. But you know what? The are COMING. And they are some of the most sincere, compassionate & precious kids we know. It's time the church quit being so judgmental when it comes to youth. Yes, this generation is different. Yes, the way we try to reach them may look different than it's looked before. But you know what? They are coming to church. And when they do, they see RIGHT through fakeness and appearances. That's what many adults don't understand about our youth - they are SO insightful. They just want people to be real with them. Who cares what they are wearing or how they look? Question

For goodness sake, people in the world treat people better than Christians do and I am so tired of seeing this.

Brenda

Re: Just heard something disturbing

Golf Cart Mafia Soldier Posts: 2438 **2/8/06 12:38 pm**

My Goodness!!! Crying or Very sad

What happened to the scripture that says, go out into the highways and by ways and compel them to come in..?

I had a pastor one time.. (that was enough for me) whose wife ran the people off about as soon as they came in the doors.
They would stay for awhile and as soon as they seen that spirit, they were gone.

mealone

Re: Just heard something disturbing

Acts-celerater Posts: 588 **2/8/06 12:38 pm**

This is Sad.

shaunbwilson

Re: Just heard something disturbing

Site Admin Posts: 3209 **2/8/06 12:39 pm**

I think one of my favorite lyrics of all time talks about judging by outward appearance and makes reference to haircuts that goths, sk8rs, etc, might have. That line is "If your eyes are on the Lord, you can't see nobody's hair."

If the Lord said "This is my commandment, that you love one another that your joy may be full," I have to wonder how many joyless congregations there must be. And if the joy of the Lord is our strength, how weak these churches must be.

Where has the Love gone from these churches?
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Brenda

Daisey I agree

Golf Cart Mafia Soldier Posts: 2438 **2/8/06 12:46 pm**

with you.. and I'm from the old school. (young at heart)

It does my heart good to see young people at church. I don't care what they wear or have on.
I rejoice to know they are there. They could be doing so many other things with their time. But their using it by being in the house of God.

They need to be encouraged and told, "we're so glad to have you!"
Set a place for them at the table and let them dine.

daisy24

Here's the kicker...

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1268 **2/8/06 12:54 pm**

Usually these are the youth that are less of a threat to anyone than the PK's and church kids we have!! We removed 2 youth from leadership last week for smoking weed & getting caught on camera stealing, just to name a couple things. They have been in church their WHOLE LIFE. They are the ones that dress preppy, have perfect hair, nice cars and look like they have it all together. Yet, we have much less problems with the brand new youth coming in who've never been raised in church.

It fills us with JOY when the 'outcasts' come to youth/church because it tells us they feel welcome to come. They may look scary or stand-offish from the outside, but usually these are the sweetest, most loyal teens we have. They are just going thru some sort of identity crisis like every other teen in the world and black clothes, dirty jeans, tattoos or piercings is how they are choosing to express themselves in this given moment. Give them a chance - the outer appearance means nothing. It's the heart. We are learning that our 'churchy' youth are the ones that are the most messed up, so judging by outward appearance means nothing.

Brenda

The difference is, I think...

Golf Cart Mafia Soldier Posts: 2438 **2/8/06 1:13 pm**

these kids were in the world and have already found out, there's NOTHING out there. (their searching, looking.)

Where as the kids of the church think there's some kind of excitement out there. They've never been there.
They will eventually find out what so many others have already found out... there's nothing out there.
They will find out, if, they stay out there long enough what these kids that are just entering the church house doors are finding out. Our fulfillment is only in Christ.

True... sometimes P.K.'s are the worst. Through rebellion.

It boils down to there's a tempter and he tries to lure our kids from the church by telling them, your missing out on all the fun. Your young, go out and enjoy your self.
His not showing them the true picture of what sin does to a life.
The tempter has came to steal... kill.. and destroy. The person and the relationships.

The prodigal son thought he would go out and have some fun.. but he came back after being in the pig pen long enough.

Didn't mean to Hi-Jack the thread, if I did. Embarassed

roughridercog

A had a buddy whose wife passed away

Acts Mod Posts: 25306 **2/8/06 1:13 pm**

He married again about three years later and she was much younger than he. I remember him laughing about his first Sunday. One of the old church "biddies" walked in and wanted to know who that little "hippie girl" was up on the piano.
Someone said, "Shhhh, sister biddy, that's our new pastor's wife."
Ever since then we always thought of her as that little hippie girl. Church are like people. They don't always accept everyone the same way.

Maybe there should have been two services. One traditional and one head banging. I'm jesting a little, but a service in park keyed to some of the skaters and goths might have helped bridge the generations and cultures.

Just a musing.

Nature Boy Florida

You are right, RoughR

Acts-pert Poster Posts: 16619 **2/8/06 2:34 pm**

How about - more likely - this youth pastor was getting these goths, etc... to come in but he had not properly prepared to handle them. He was "hoping" for the best. He was "hoping" the church had been trained to understand this different culture. He was "actually" harming the current youth more than he was helping them. The youth pastor had good intentions but as the saying goes "the road to hell is paved with good intentions."

I would give that foolish, unprepared youth pastor the axe, as well. Moral of this story: Don't delve into areas that you have not properly prepared for.

In fact, don't go into ministry if you have no common sense. We have way too many "ministers" doing just that. Quit blaming the congregation or board member for their lack of preparation. If the CHURCH feels the burden to go cross-cultural, goths, spanish, alternate, etc... preparation comes first. Otherwise, stick to what you know.
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Whether you like it or not, learn to love it, because its the best thing going today!

daisy24

???????

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1268 **2/8/06 2:50 pm**

Nature Boy, not prepared for what? To love people?? Why should the church have to be 'prepared' for worldly people to come in? Shouldn't that already be expected? What do you mean the youth pastor had 'good intentions' but that's what paves the road to hell? The role of a Christian is to be a disciple of Christ - love the unlovable. If they can't be in church, where should they be? The youth pastor deserved to be fired for accepting everyone to come to church?? How DARE he!!!

That's the problem with our churches - a lot of pastors/congregations/christians think everyone has to be 'pretty' and fit a specific mold. We should ALREADY be prepared for the sinners, goth, grime to come into our churches. BTW, just because you dress like a goth, skater, biker, covered in tattoos, etc does NOT mean you don't already have a relationship with Jesus Christ! That's very stereotypical for anyone to assume. So what if 'goths' come to our church? I am just very confused about why anyone would think we have to be 'prepared' for people that don't fit into our mold to come into our churches.

wannabebishop

Re: Just heard something disturbing

Friendly Face Posts: 189 **2/8/06 3:07 pm**

Nature boy what Bible are you reading? Jesus was first a friend to the sinner before he was a savior to them.

shaunbwilson

Re: ???????

Site Admin Posts: 3209 **2/8/06 3:17 pm**

chapstick

Re: Just heard something disturbing

Hey, DOC Posts: 76 **2/8/06 3:27 pm**

Nature Boy, This pastor had it all together. I used to go to this church. I new this pastor. It's hard for pastors of this church to get the council to let go of money to do things with. This pastor got the favor of the council to do things for the kids, update the youth building, buy arcade games, make a skate park, etc. But the want to only cater to 'in house' people. Let's not go out and try to reach the lost. Let's take care of our own people and no one else. This youth pastor was highly respected and I had respect for him as well. He loved and cared about youth. And now he's scrambling to find another job....he had no idea this was coming about...

Nature Boy Florida

All in favor of reaching everybody

Acts-pert Poster Posts: 16619 **2/8/06 3:41 pm**

However, if you are so naive to think that you can bring people in and change a complete church culture without preparation, you are going to continue to be disappointed in the results.

See the key words...PREPARATION. There is a season for everything. And in due season, if you want apples, you ought to plant apple seeds. Not expect orange trees to produce them. It is wonderful to have the churches that have apples, oranges, pecans, etc... much the way the garden of eden was. However, you can't cultivate each tree the same. It takes planning. It takes preparation. It takes everyone with the same vision. If the church doesn't have it yet - who are you going to blame? Are we to continually blame the church member? How about the shepherd ain't getting the job done.

So, let this youth pastor learn from this experience and vow to approach things differently next time.
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Whether you like it or not, learn to love it, because its the best thing going today!

shaunbwilson

Re: All in favor of reaching everybody

Site Admin Posts: 3209 **2/8/06 3:47 pm**

TarheelBishop

The key here chapstick is that "you heard" what ha

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1753 **2/8/06 3:58 pm**

Do you know for a fact that this happened?

Unless we are there to witness something first hand we don't really know the whole story. We only know what we are told and that can vary.
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God bless our troops (especially the snipers)!

daisy24

From a youth pastor's perspective....

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1268 **2/8/06 4:05 pm**

We have NO IDEA who on earth is going to show up every Wednesday night. We have NO way of preparing who will show up each Wednesday night. And that is AWESOME and just the way we want it! There would be a huge problem if we thought we could/should control/prepare for who is going to come in.

We have 180 youth under our care - there is absolutely, positively NO way to prepare for who is going to come in our doors. Let me explain why:

We have preppy kids, goth kids, skater kids, punk kids, quiet kids, obnoxious kids, American Eagle kids, tall kids, short kids, saved kids, heathen kids, older kids, younger kids, black kids, white kids, you get the point. Our job is to train & disciple each of these young people to also become disciples. In doing so, each of those different youth are going out & ministering to youth just like them. The result? A whole variety of different looks, flavors, personalities, styles & preferences Razz

How could we ever prepare for who the Holy Spirit is going to lead into our doors? We are praying for the LOST. No matter what that looks like, smells like or acts like. We are not there to change them. We pray them in & trust God to change them. We are certainly NOT going to stand at the door and turn people away because we were not 'prepared' for them....that's exactly who we are praying IN each week! God, send us the unlovable, the messed up, the unsaved. How can we possibly prepare for who God is going to send us??

That's called putting God in a box. "Being prepared" is an excuse fuddy-duddy church people use to say "we don't want them in our church." So they make up these weak excuses to keep teens who are ACTUALLY in need out of their perfectly neat & clean ministries. Exclamation

Of course, they expect the youth pastors to teach, preach, save, serve, raise funds, build amazing youth facilities, be up all hours of the night for crises, be at the hospital when their kids are sick, counsel, love, nurture....but DON'T step outside the box...... Shocked

Brenda

I'd imagine

Golf Cart Mafia Soldier Posts: 2438 **2/8/06 4:15 pm**

the prodigal son had a little stink on him.. of where he had been.

BV COG

Since When

Acts-dicted Posts: 7914 **2/8/06 4:18 pm**

Did the church have a velvet rope and a bouncer at the front door? I guess if you're name isn't on their list, you're not worth being let in?
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