wildfrontier.org

Youth ministry question: So what are you planning on doing to help your students through Exam Season? Youth ministry involvement will come in second anyway (unless you have found a way to promote them to their next grade) so why not do something to support this Exam Season. What are you going to do?

However, "is it on the test" has more to do with youth ministry than Exam Season. It is one of those cries of youth. The approach youth choose to face many things is simply, is it on the test?

Gone are the days where youth want to learn to learn. Do they read books now? More so lately, but they tend to not sit still long enough to read an entire book. If the information won't be on the test, they don't want to know. If they did learn it, it's doubtful they would remember it a few days after the test was taken.

Gone are the days when youth save money. To put money in the bank for a rainy day or for a college education is not comprehended. It's not on the test. The amount of money that runs through their fingers in a day‑‑much less a week‑‑is incalculable. In fact, advertisers are counting on that money. They are playing right to that crowd to receive their gains.

Gone are the days to save sex for marriage. If you have a chance to talk to youth who are not a part of the church crowd, you will see this. They cannot comprehend waiting until marriage. Marriage is too distant and the girl is willing now. Why marry her? We know the answer to that question but the question is not on the test. Sad to say, but gone are the days when some of our youth believe they will live long enough to get married. They just don't believe they will live long. Mudvayne spoke this message to their fans when they accepted their MTV2 award at the MTV Video Awards. They were wearing white tuxes splattered in fake gunshots and fake blood. The message was clear.

Even with this pre‑eminence of death, we may give an altar call reminding youth that we don't know when we will die so today is the day of your salvation. Tomorrow might be too late. Yet you get blank faces. The thought of eternity in heaven or hell is too far removed in their minds to make this type of altar call effective. It is not on the test.

So how do you teach the permanency of God's truth when the life perspective of a teen goes all the way to next weekend? (Have you ever tried to get youth to commit to a church event a month or so in advance?) How does God's truth get to be on the test?

This is the same struggle many teachers face every day. How can you teach someone algebra when they haven't eaten breakfast because of what is going on at home?

So what is on the test? Basically, it is anything that gets them through today. Anything that frees them from the pain and despair of their life now? Tomorrow they can't handle yet. Tomorrow is an all‑consuming thought (many hours spent dwelling on it) but they have to get through today first. This is often why all those endlessly talked about future plans often never come to be. We need to teach on what they need and what they are coming to church for‑‑and to do it less with the stage/audience mentality.

I believe there are spots on their test we specifically can fill. It is one that introduces them to their personal Creator. It is the one where God is more than a best friend. It is God who is a rock, a fortress, a shield, a stronghold (Psalm 18:2). It is the cross. The same cross that took the life of Jesus also gave Him the power to hand the ultimate defeat to Satan. The cross brought pain and despair but it also brought victory.

This is a different cross than the flourescent‑lighted crosses on top of our churches. This is the cross that Marilyn Manson had on his cover for his album Holywood. Marilyn Manson intentionally wanted the image to show how violent the cross is. (Rolling Stone Daily, November 15, 2000) (By the way, Walmart banned the cover. They didn't like the violent message.) This is the cross that Sully Earna of Godsmack said made him uncomfortable in churches‑‑"I never felt really comfortable in churches‑‑it was eerie to me, looking at a guy nailed to a cross and bleeding." (Spin, December 2000) That is not the pretty cross around your neck. Have you ever seen the cross this way? Have you ever taught the cross this way?According to Barna's report, 53 percent of all teens think Jesus committed sins while here on earth. Forty percent of those teens who qualify for the born again classification believe that. (Barna Research Group, October 23, 2000). Of teens who went on summer work camps, 20 percent believe that. Of those leaders who went with their teens to a workcamp, 13 percent believe that. (Group, March 4, 2002)

Why is this important? If Jesus sinned just like us (have we taught that Jesus also had zits too many times?), then He is just a good man we can try to model our lives after. The cross becomes meaningless and just a symbol.

Even though we think we are teaching this stuff, the actual youth are not getting it. Perhaps it is like our view of the cross. We think we are beginning at the same starting point when in reality, it is way off. Generally, we are missing the test on this one.

Our youth are well taught on drugs, alcohol, tobacco, suicide, pre‑marital sex, racism or other such issues. They are taught these in health and science classes, from teachers, from coaches, from after school clubs. They should be getting such stuff from their parents. And they definitely get it during their one‑on‑one times with you and/or your adult leadership team. What they are not appearing to get are teachings on Jesus, the cross, and faith doctrines and how these offer hope. They offer peace. They offer security. They make the test and we fill a specific nitch in their lives.