We really love kids here. If you look around, you see them everywhere. When God said, “be fruitful and multiply”, it seems as if we only had one thing in mind.
As much as we love kids, we do not believe the best way to serve them is by providing extensive children’s ministries and programs. Along the same lines, we do not subscribe to the traditional paradigm of youth-ministry, which isolates the youth from the normal mission and ministry of the church. We do provide care and instruction for children up to 5-6 years old on Sunday mornings during worship so they can learn with age appropriate instruction, and so you can be equipped in the worship service.
Allow me to explain our thoughts on older children’s and youth ministry:
We can search the Bible for examples of a children’s or youth ministry and we won’t find them. Nor can we even find any prescription for either. Yes, Jesus wanted children to come to him, and we are all for that, but Jesus makes no tacit or implied suggestion for a church organized children’s or youth ministry.
Instead, what we find is the prescription for a man and his wife to raise up their family to know, follow, and serve the Lord (Duet 6. 4-7). The primary responsibility rests with the man, as the leader of his home. The whole book of Proverbs is a father teaching his son’s and daughters wisdom from the Lord. God created a covenant unit, in the husband and his wife who was created to help him in the mission of raising a family and being fruitful in all things.
The modern youth ministry is a 50 year failed experiment. The reason I say that is current statistics concerning the number of youth leaving the church by the time they go to college is nothing short of alarming. The rate at which teenagers leave the church is higher than ever and we have “focused” on them more in our churches during the past 40-50 years than at any other point in history. Ultimately, we have sought to entertain children and youth for so long that they no longer see value in the church once it can’t compete with other entertainment outlets.
A husband-wife team should take the discipleship of their children into their own hands, refusing to pass off their responsibility to the church which was not designed to fulfill their calling in relationship to their children.
I am not saying that children’s and youth ministries are evil, or that they have been wholly unhelpful. Many fine Christian men and women are around today who have fond memories of their youth groups. Some had a youth pastor who was a tremendously positive shaping influence in their lives. I was a youth pastor myself in my early 20’s and I want to think I did some good. My contention, however, is that youth ministry is not producing more disciples, but less. I believe that the family unit, led by a husband and a wife, is God’s ordained tool for the discipling of children and teenagers.
Please understand that our purpose is not to keep older kids and teens away from each other. We will have fun times for kids and teenagers to be together. Some parents might help to put some fun times together for the kids. They might get together for parties, game nights, or mission. It won’t be an effort of ours to provide continual entertainment for them or to constantly teach them how to follow Jesus in an age segregated way.
The Journey has a high calling to help equip you, resource you, encourage you, and hold you accountable in the discipling of your families. We will do everything in our power to help you to fulfill this often daunting task. I have 6 children and I often struggle with the demands of ordinary life, not to mention the more foundational task of leading my family in spiritual formation.
If you are a single parent, we will give double effort to help you in this task. We will provide, tangible, practical help to single mothers especially but also seek to be a practical help for single fathers as well. We want everyone to succeed in leading their children to Jesus.
When you can, watch this online movie chronicling the observations of one man as it regards children’s and youth ministry.
http://www.dividedthemovie.com/
We are more than happy to answer any issue-related questions that you may have on this subject. You can email me at jasonmartin1973@gmail.com
Our hope is to be a church that serves your family well, so that you might lead your children into a faith that survives the transitions they will face at various life stages.
May God bless you as you seek to fulfill your high calling as parents.
Pastor Jason