Guidebook: LWF together | LWF Youth Blog

Thrilled that we have a group participating in this awesome LWF Youth program. Young adults from around the world share in youth ministry, life, faith, and justice.

Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers is Telling the American Church

Kenda Creasy Dean opens this book with these bracing words:

"Let me save you some trouble. Here is the gist of what you are about to read: American young people are, theoretically, fine with religious faith--but it does not concern them very much, and it is not durable enough to survive long after they graduate from high school.

One more thing: we're responsible." (3)

This is the book I plan to recommend that our whole congregation read this summer. I think it is the most important book to be published about faith and the church in a very long time, and I'm praying now that we will all read it carefully and take it to heart.

Dean offers some words of hope that her book details more carefully as you read it. She writes:

"The predicament described in this book--namely, that American young people are unwittingly being formed into an imposter faith that poses as Christianity, but that in fact lacks the holy desire and missional clarity necessary for Christian discipleship--will not be solved by youth ministry or by persuading teenagers to commit more wholeheartedly to lackluster faith. Most teenagers seem quite content with maintaining what the sociologist Tim Clydesdale alls a 'semireligious' position after they graduate from high school, and most churches seem happy to leave it at that. At issue is our ability, and our willingness, to remember our identity as the Body of Christ, and to heed Christ's call to love him and love others as his representatives in the world" (6).

Will you read it with me this summer?

What was I thinking?!

I had an aha! moment yesterday. It occurred to me that any time I'm talking "missional" church (and I'm almost at the point where I want to jettison the term because I think it has become vacuous), I'm thinking about reaching individuals, or nuclear families, whereas I know from study in missiology that missions often reaches whole groups or tribes, not individuals.

Is it possible that this is one of the primary reasons that even though the church is trying to be missional, by and large it's failing? We're trying to be missional in an attractional way, attracting individuals or small families, rather than converting whole tribes. We're trying to participate in God's mission, but on our terms.

What does it mean to convert a tribe? Of course, we know some of the history of how that went, and the dangers. We do well to be careful. But I think there are some authentic and faithful ways to reach tribes with the gospel, and not just individuals.

And by tribes, I simply mean groups. I know groups of people who would probably only be open to faith in Christ if it was happening with their whole group. They don't plan to leave their clan. They share faith, whatever that faith is. I probably even belong to at least a few clans or tribes like this. Just try to get me to give up my Mac. Or indie music. Even my participation in church is like this. I'm fiercely loyal, and I wouldn't leave the ELCA unless the ELCA left the ELCA, and then I would probably go with them, wherever they go.

If you want to be on God's mission and reach a people group that really hasn't experienced the benefit of faith in Christ, what group would you reach? Why? How would you do it? That's the aha! question that has me thinking this week.

How I Spent Last Week

In my first month as pastor in Fayetteville I posted a summary of a week. Then, new baby arrived, and everything went wacky and awesome. Now, post-paternity leave and three months into ministry at GSLC, I thought it might be informative and helpful to post another summary week.

Thursday- Marriage care conversation with a couple. Final preparations for Sunday worship and preaching. Wrote publicity for our Contemporary Worship Leader position that is opening up in June. Visits to two homebound members, including a nursing home and the VA, plus lunch with a Stephen's Minister who visits the nursing home.
Friday- Sabbath, family road trip to Tulsa Zoo and Siloam Spring
Saturday- Hospital visit, family time as compensation for many upcoming Saturdays full of church events, and during naps and evening finished the preaching helps for the Book of Faith Advent Year B study; also read The Lutheran, Pro Ecclesia and The Christian Century.
Sunday- Morning worship, follow-up phone calls and care calls, reading and preparation for next weekend's council/staff retreat. Published blog post on Rob Bell's book, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived.
Monday- Six hours of one-on-ones with our staff, working on alignment and vision; phone calls and notes organizing upcoming Maundy Thursday communion class.

Tuesday- Staff meeting, proofing new letterhead and logo, photo with newspaper for Faith Matters Saturday column, lunch with team from church interested in deepening our media ministry (video, web site, advertising, etc.), Memorial Committee meeting, Bible study, finished worship helps for Book of Faith, project completed!

Wednesday- Studied material for upcoming synod assembly, Stephen's Ministry coordinator summer training, and Scientists in Congregation grant and ELCA Genetics Social Statement; initial drafts of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter services; evening soup supper, Holden Evening Prayer, sermon on the Lord's Prayer, meeting with couple to plan June wedding; two nights this week prayed Compline with the St. Matthew's group on Second Life

Interspersed through here, although I can't remember precisely when, I read three books (Sticky Teams: Keeping Your Leadership Team and Staff on the Same Page; Dietrich Bonhoeffer 1906-1945: Martyr, Thinker, Man of Resistance; Marshall McLuhan: You Know Nothing of My Work!), wrote two sermons, had many impromptu conversations, wrote some thank you notes, invested prayer and conceptual energy in mission development, etc.

Hoping posting this offers insight for those curious how a pastor spends his or her week, or at least how I do; it's also helpful for me as an examen of where I'm investing time and energy.

God bless you.