Should I Stay or Should I Go?

I recently read a well written blog post by a young person giving three reasons why young people are abandoning the faith.  After reading the post, I was encouraged to continue fulfilling my mission of impacting others in the areas of recognizing, understanding, and achieving their vision.  The three reasons the article mentioned were multiple splits in the assembly, shunning shaming and breaking fellowship with others over beliefs, and abiding by the letter of the law instead of the spirit behind the law.  Spot on in my opinion.  I applaud the blog post and would like to add to it because I was asked earlier today what I thought about the article. 

Here goes my two cents worth as to why so many young people are leaving the faith.  Parents and the leadership of fellowships are mostly the problem!  I’m not saying every parent or fellowship leader is guilty.  I have children and have failed as a parent multiple times.  On the other hand, I don’t have this crazy idea that my children are little angels floating around on clouds or are YHVH's greatest gift to creation.  I don't think I have it all figured out either and still have a lot of work to do with my children.  When it comes to our children, a natural response as parents is to protect them.  I totally get that, but I’ve seen some negative side effects to that kind of medicine.  

We’ve tried to save a generation from the world through isolation instead of teaching a generation how to change and engage the world through integration!  When young people aren't allowed the opportunity to make mistakes because they are constantly under our supervising thumbs, the natural response when they get out from underneath us is usually go buck wild.  I think part of this is because we’ve converted young people to a certain flavor of doctrine instead of training them how to be disciples who walk like Messiah, talk like Messiah, look like Messiah, and have a ministry like Messiah out in the world.

We’ve been very successful convincing young people instead of allowing the Spirit of God to convict them.  The huge problem with convincing someone is when something else comes along and convinces them otherwise, they usually go with it.  Conviction on the other hand is different.  You know that you know and no matter how strong something tries to convince you otherwise, you stay true to your conviction.  Is it any wonder why young people are choosing the world over faith?  Especially when they’ve been given a coloring book and told go sit in the corner while the “mature in the faith grown ups” debate, argue, and some cases physically fight over what this or that color symbolizes or what this or that horn represents.  Why should we be surprised when the world with all of its bright shining lights gets their attention and "convinces" them to come out of their bored stupor.  Unfortunately it has more to offer them than most assemblies and fellowships do.  A lot of folks and leaders haven’t caught onto that idea yet. They are too busy paying attention to the "important" things they are saying and teaching instead of addressing the real problems plaguing our fellowships and homes.

Since it seems as if I’ve hit many leaders and parents directly in the mouth with a baseball bat, it would be proper for me to offer a few solutions.  I believe one solution is working with young people by developing their gifts and talents.  We as parents and leaders of fellowships should be equipping and training them to fulfill their purpose by including them in everything that we possibly can through serving.  We can no longer be lazy, happy, and content with our religious routines.  Young people have great energy, enthusiasm, and not as much responsibility as others in our assemblies.  Leaders and parents you need to take advantage of that.  Young people are many times overlooked because of their age, lack of experience, lack of ‘knowledge’, and vulnerability to make a mistake or two.  Hmm, like adults don’t make mistakes nowadays either, lol.  That is a tragedy that these guys are passed over. Could it possibly be they haven't been given opportunities to gain experience, knowledge, and learn from their mistakes?  I'm not saying, I'm just saying.  We must realize their future isn’t ahead of them ten or twenty years down the road but right here and now.

If we are going to see different results as parents and leaders of fellowships, we must make ourselves available to our young people in ways we’ve never been willing to do before.  This is going to take more time, energy, effort, responsibility, and sacrifice than ever before on parents and leaders parts.  Many people have made careers out of full time ministry traveling to and fro preaching a message here and there.  Full time ministry needs to look a lot different than it currently is.  It's easy to have a talk to folks, receive an offering, and move onto the next gig.  It's a lot of work day in and day out making ourselves available to those who truly need ministry, and the financial return isn't very promising.  I'm a person that preaches, but I firmly believe we need a whole lot less preaching and lot more doing!!!  Leaders and parents, if we don’t take the time to make ourselves available to our young people, the world is right there waiting on them with its arms wide open 24/7 365.  It continually tells them exactly what they want to hear and feel.  It says, “I’ll love you like you want to be loved.  I’ll give you what you are not getting from that crowd over there.  I’ll give you the desires of your heart.  I’ll bring about purpose in your life. I’ll make your life fun and interesting.  Etc etc.”  

That is what we are up against folks and hoping and dreaming about it going away doesn’t work.  I know there are positive stories of parents and fellowships making a difference out there.  To those I salute you.  I hate being the bearer of bad news, but I also live in reality.  I’ve asked specific questions to the teens over the past two camps in Costa Rica about their fellowships.  I wasn’t trying to be messy or get in other fellowships business.  I can't recall even hearing a fellowship's named mentioned when I asked questions.  The reason I asked questions was because I saw a pattern that had developed.  The pattern was young people knew all the Older Testament commandments by heart, but when it came to knowing their purpose in life, the overwhelming majority had absolutely no inkling to what they were supposed to be doing!!!  That is a tragedy.  

Leaders and parents can make this right.  We can stop this problem so it doesn’t cause us to bleed out thus killing off a generation.  The choice is continue going through religious routines that have no real function or start walking out our purpose and influencing all those around us to do the same.  I want to encourage you to start engaging those around you and stop waiting on someone else to do your job for you!  If you INITIATE He will PARTICIPATE!!!  Find ways to do something FOR someone instead of preaching TO them!  

We are all called to something and if what we are living for now isn’t worth dying for, we might ought to look for something else to do.  Please don’t think I penned this because I’m upset.  I’m actually very happy coming off one of the best teen camps I’ve had the privilege to serve at so far.  We have to start addressing the huge multi-colored elephant in the room.  That’s all.  For complaints, concerns, or suggestions please email my supervisor at y’shua@kingdomtruth.com. Blessings.