Youth Ministry Magazine by Clayton King Ministries

ISSUE NO. 1 SPRING 2018

DERWIN GRAY THE NFL PLAYER-TURNED-PASTOR TALKS STUDENT MINISTRY AND PURSUING DIVERSITY IN THE CHURCH.

BEN TRUEBLOOD

TASHA MORRISON

J.D. GREEAR

Is your youth ministry truly diverse?

Talking to your students about racism is more important than ever.

Learn about his new book “Not God Enough”.

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WIT

How do you make a deeper, clearer connection to God’s Word? The Christian Standard Bible captures the Bible’s original meaning without compromising clarity, helping readers better understand God’s Word and inspiring lifelong discipleship. The CSB is for everyone. It’s a Bible pastors can preach from and a Bible you can share with your neighbor hearing God’s Word for the very first time.

Learn more at CSBible.com.

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EDITOR’S

ELCOME TO YOUTH MINISTRY MAGAZINE! If you haven’t noticed, we’ve changed our name. If you’re new here, you may not be aware that this publication has been around for thirty years under the former title “Youth Worker Journal”, and that we were given the opportunity to take the reigns recently. We hope to create a space where those who lead and influence students can find resources for reaching teenagers with the gospel and making disciples who will truly follow Christ. Our vision is to provide you with simple, practical, and biblical tools that will not only help prepare you to serve students, but also help you in your own spiritual development. We believe that if you are in thriving relationships with God, friends, and your family, you will be better equipped to handle the often daunting task of pastoring and guiding those under your care. The abundant life that Jesus promised us in John 10:10 is for His glory and our good, and we want to help you flourish in your calling and your personal faith journey. You will notice in this issue that we’re spending a big portion of our space talking about race and diversity in student ministry. Of course, we cannot cover every nuance and problem here, but we do not want to join the conversation. We wanted to give a microphone to several voices that can speak with clarity, challenge us, and hope for a better and more diverse future. Not just for our student ministries, but also for our culture and the church. Centered on the gospel, we believe the Kingdom of God is a beautiful tapestry woven together that includes every tribe, nation, language, and culture on earth. We get a vision of this Kingdom to come in Revelation 7:9-10 as John the Apostle reports what he saw in a vision of the future.

SPRING 2018 / YM

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Ran

“M “After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the lamb. They were clothed in white robes and with palm branches in their hands. And they cried out with a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” In the church, what unites us is the crucified and resurrected Son of God. The students you care for are different in so many ways; their music, their cliques, the sports they play, their tastes in clothes and entertainment, and the ways they were raised. It can seem nearly impossible to create spaces and experiences that reach across cultural divides. And yet all students speak a common tongue; they want to be noticed. They need to be loved. They desire to be led. They crave a place to belong. Student ministry is the place where they can experience these things. It’s not easy. But it’s also not impossible. This matters to me on a personal level. I grew up in a small southern town where there were two laundromats – one for white people and one for black people. One of the first sermons I preached as a teenager was in a church that still had a balcony for slaves. And even though there was so much racial residue in my surroundings as a kid, I saw diversity most clearly not in the church, but in sports. This is where I began to relate to people that were different than me culturally. I played ball with African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, and guys of multiple races. By the time I went to college, many of my closest friendships were with people of different ethnic backgrounds. It also became clearer to me as I got older just how homogeneous most churches were – regardless of the majority ethnicity. Then I went on my first mission trip at the age of eighteen and mixed concrete by hand for eight hours a day with three Jamaicans. Not long after that, I lived in Kenya for a season and was adopted into a family of Africans living in the bush who treated me with more kindness than I had ever experienced in my life. Now, thirty years into my relationship with Jesus, I want more than ever to be a helpful voice in the conversation we must continue having in this country, and in the church, about how we can experience Revelation 7 now instead of waiting until the new heaven and new earth is upon us.

RECE • • • • •

/ SPRING 2018

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Ranked as the #7

“Most Innovative School” by U.S. News & World Report

RECENT NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR ANDERSON UNIVERSITY •

One of the “Top Tier” Regional Universities in the South - U.S. News & World Report

•

The Princeton Review ranks AU among it’s “Best in the Southeast”

•

A “Best Christian College”

•

“One of America’s 100 Best College Buys.”(Institutional Research and Evaluation)

Anderson, SC | AndersonUniversity.edu

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

EDITOR’S LETTER

TIME MACHINE

TOP 10

10 QUESTIONS WITH JD GREEAR

ADAM’S PICKS

THREE REASONS TO TAKE YOUR STUDENTS TO SUMMER CAMP

BEST APPS FOR STUDENT PASTORS

PERSPECTIVIES: HYKENG PAUL

Why the Church Needs to Talk about

40 million people in the US visit porn sites regularly 30% of young adults ages 20–26 have shared nude content In 2016 alone, people watched 4.6 billion hours of porn

In a world overwhelmingly obsessed with sex, why is the church so silent about it? The result is generations of sexually illiterate people imprisoned by their own sin struggles. Enough is enough. Sex was God’s idea. It’s time we invited him back into the bedroom. MO ISOM is a national speaker, influential blog-ger, and the New York Times bestselling author of Wreck My Life. She, her husband Jeremiah Aiken, and their two children live in Atlanta, Georgia.

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Learn more at www.moisom.com.

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SPRING 2018

| ISSUE 1

PRACTICAL. SIMPLE. BIBLICAL.

HOW TO CONNECT STUDENTS TO THE REST OF THE CHURCH

STAND UP, BE KIND, WALK HUMBLY

PHONE: 864-328-1809 CUSTOMER SERVICE YOUTHWORKER@ANDERSONUNIVERSITY.EDU PUBLISHER EVANS WHITAKER EXECUTIVE EDITOR CLAYTON KING

THE DIFFERENCE IN WELCOMING AND INVITING

IS YOUR YOUTH MINISTRY TRULY DIVERSE?

WORSHIPPING AS ONE: A CONVERSATION WITH CHARLEE BUITRAGO

HOW TO TALK TO YOUR STUDENTS ABOUT RACISM

AN INTERVIEW WITH DERWIN GRAY

MAÑANA BEING THE PEOPLE OF TOMORROW, TODAY

MANAGING EDITOR TUCKER FICKLIN ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER MICHAEL DUDUIT ART DIRECTOR JAMES GARCIA COPY EDITOR BRITTANY VERNON ASSOCIATE EDITOR TIM MCKNIGHT PRODUCTION CONSULTANT ROSS CLUVER MARKETING DIRECTOR SAM TOTMAN OFFICE MANAGER KELLI STRICKLAND NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE CAL TARRANT 877.545.4576 CAL@54VINESMEDIA.COM YOUTHMINISTRYMAGAZINE.ORG

LAST WORD: TONY MYLES

MY DAY WITH BILLY GRAHAM BY CLAYTON KING

Copyright © 2018 by Anderson University Republication of contents without permission is forbidden. Occasionally YMM allows other Christian organizations to mail offers of their products or services to people on our subscriber list. PHOTOCOPY POLICY No written permission is necessary to make up to 20 photocopies of one article - or up to 20 photocopies of five or fewer items from the Youth Culture Update section per issue, as long as they’re for local church use only. (At the end of each article or item, add the words: Originally published in [month/year] issue of, copyright [year], by Anderson University. Reprinted/Used with permission. If you’d like to reproduce more than what’s described above - or if your copies aren’t for local church use - send your request for permission to youthworker@andersonuniversity.edu.

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TOP 10 Part of being a great youth leader is being in tune with today’s trends, but it can be exhausting. For better or for worse (looking at you, fidget spinners), here are the top ten things in teen culture right now that you should make a witty reference to in your next message.

MOVIES

MUSIC

SPORTS

SOCIAL MEDIA

APPS

FASHION TRENDS

TECHNOLOGY

LINGO

SNACKS

BLACK PANTHER This generation’s first black superhero finally got his own movie, and it tackles a variety of societal themes. The reviews have been overwhelmingly positive.

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN SOUNDTRACK The film came out in December, but people are streaming the soundtrack like crazy.

RIVERDALE Based on the Archie comics, but also absolutely nothing like the Archie comics.

MARCH MADNESS The odds of having a perfect bracket are literally one in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 according to the NCAA. But hey, nothing is impossible?

HATING SNAPCHAT *And all the student pastors took a deep sigh of relief.*

VENMO This app allows users to send money to each other directly from their smartphones. AKA, our grandchildren might not ever know what cash is.

ADIDAS All Day I Dream About Selling my old Superstars on eBay. Adidas is BACK!

VIRTUAL REALITY The future is now and it’s lowkey terrifying.

SAYING ‘LOWKEY’ Evidently it’s one word now?

TIDE PODS Don’t even get us started.

WHAT R U KIDS LISTENIN’ TO?!

- JOEY GLADSTONE

YMM / SPRING 2018

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Adam Hatton has served in student ministry for over ten years. He is now the Family Pastor at Biltmore Church.

Over the past thirteen years in student ministry, one of the most important things Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned is the need to be a constant learner. Educating yourself along the way is imperative to the success of your ministry. These podcasts have given me valuable insights, resources, and momentum to be the best pastor I can be.

PODCASTS THE DOWNLOAD YOUTH MINISTRY SHOW This is one of the best resources I have ever discovered as a student pastor (of course Doug Fields, the Godfather of Student Ministry, is the brain behind it). He shares extremely practical steps to improve your ministry as a whole. The DYM podcast is a must for every youth worker! EMOTIONALLY HEALTHY LEADER One thing I have learned the hard way as a pastor is that I cannot lead anyone effectively if I am not in a healthy place myself. This podcast makes me ask questions and continue to evaluate my own emotional health, which then allows me to lead others well. In a world where everything is fast-paced, this podcast helps me slow down and evaluate my own emotional and spiritual health.

emotionally HEALTHY SPIRITUALITY

THE BIBLE PROJECT Student pastors need to know the Bible if they plan on teaching it effectively to the next generation. This podcast will help you do just that! This is one of the best ways to learn about the depth of the Bible without taking more seminary classes. Pro Tip: Their YouTube channel helps map out the Bible in a unique, visual way. You have to see it for yourself.

SPRING 2018 / YM

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01 02 0303 0 8

EVERNOTE

WUNDERLIST

HOOTSUITE

This incredibly useful notes app will change the way you prep your messages forever. The way you can organize, design, and add media to your notes alone makes Evernote worth downloading - not to mention the fact that you can sync your notes across all of your devices. Have an epiphany for a sermon illustration at 2 am? Jot it down in Evernote on your phone, and it’ll be waiting for you on your desktop the next morning. What a time to be alive!

The best part about Wunderlist is how simple it makes it for you to get stuff done. It’s a to-do list app, but it allows you to organize your tasks using hashtags, folders, and notes, so you’ll never forget to pack extra toilet paper for that mission trip ever again. When camp, VBS, and mission trip season comes around, Wunderlist will be the right-hand-man or personal assistant you’ve always wanted approved in the budget.

Ahh, the age-old question: How in the world am I supposed to communicate with these teenagers and their “Gen X” parents outside of church? Well, perhaps the one thing that this smartphone generation has working in your favor is that communicating with your students isn’t really a problem anymore. Whether they’re on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, Hootsuite will allow you to schedule messages out to your group at the times that they’ll be sure to see it, without you even thinking about it. (Pro tip: If you haven’t familiarized yourself with social media as a student pastor, it’s long overdue.)

/ SPRING 2018

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Speak way to info (c pizza oppor pizza throug will st you’re witho makin daunt But fe super greatmedia ridicu try, m availa

3 04 05 06

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nagers utside e one generavor is our em on ram, schedoup at e to see g about miliardia as a rdue.)

CANVA Speaking of social media, the best way to communicate important info (camp registration deadlines, pizza on Wednesday night, service opportunities, volunteer meetings, pizza again on Sunday night, etc.) is through graphics and images that will stand out on their feeds. And if you’re like most student pastors without a graphic designer handy, making those images can be a daunting and time-consuming task. But fear no more! Canva makes it super simple to create really great-looking images for all social media platforms, and it’s almost ridiculous how easy it is. Give it a try, most of the features are available for free.

1PASSWORD Fumbling around for the password for that slightly sketchy printing company that makes your mission trip tees? That can be a thing of the past! 1Password is a great, secure way to store all the passwords to your ministry’s financial, social media, email, and online ordering accounts. Unless all of your ministry’s passwords are “Jesusfreak_116”, then you probably won’t need it.

INBOX BY GMAIL We know, we know, another email app that is probably the same as all of the rest of them. But we have good news - this one is actually a lot better than the rest. Staying on top of email is more and more important as your ministry grows, but it can also suck your time (and your soul) away if you’re not careful. Inbox makes it easy to preview messages that don’t have to be responded to ASAP, organize your messages in a way that works for you, automatically add events into your calendar, and you can even set reminders to go back to emails that you didn’t have time for during the day.

SPRING 2018 /

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TIME MACHINE

TOP

CHRISTIAN

SONGS

20 YEARS

AGO

The late nineties were a pivotal moment for Christian music as we know it. Contemporary worship music was beginning to find its place in more and more churches, and artists like Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, and DC Talk were in their prime. But my, how things have changed.

IN 1998 MATT REDMAN THE HEART OF WORSHIP If you don’t agree that this one can still getcha from time to time, you need a heart check. STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN I WILL NOT GO QUIETLY In 1998, this song was the closest thing we had to “Heaven in the Real World”. AVALON TESTIFY TO LOVE Not the Toyota sedan, kids. MICHAEL W. SMITH NEVER BEEN UNLOVED 60 years old and he’s still making music. Respect. DC TALK INTO JESUS Look up the youth group music videos to this song on YouTube. We dare you.

IN 2018 CORY ASBURY RECKLESS LOVE This song will, well, “reck” you. It’s that good. CODY CARNES WHAT FREEDOM FEELS LIKE Formerly known as Kari Jobe’s husband with really great style, Cody Carnes is making a name for himself in the CCM world. HILLSONG WORSHIP WHAT A BEAUTIFUL NAME Some worship songs come and go like any other chart-topper, but this one is here to stay. LAUREN DAIGLE O’LORD This one has spent a whopping 33 weeks at the top of the Christian Billboard charts. PASSION GLORIOUS DAY A catchy chorus, Coldplay vibes, and profound lyrics. We’re fans.

ALL THINGS NEW Every once in a while, re-recordings and covers can be just as good (if not better) than the originals. Here’s three we thought you should know about. TORI KELLY SO WILL I (100 BILLION X) You can only find this version on YouTube, but we can’t stop playing it. ELEVATION COLLECTIVE DO IT AGAIN The key changes alone are worth the download. BETHEL MUSIC SYNESTHESIA This album has been out for a while, but these instrumental tracks are the perfect companion to late-night sermon prep.

-HONORABLE MENTION-

/ SPRING 2018

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HILLSONG KIDS PIANO LULLABIES, PT 2. It may be for babies, but just trust us, okay?

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HOT TAKES

J.D. GREEAR

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1. WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ROLE IN MINISTRY? I am Pastor of the Summit Church in Durham, North Carolina, and Lord Protector of the Not-Yet-Formed Intergalactic Federation. Seriously—husband and dad first, then pastor, then author. 2. HOW MANY COUNTRIES HAVE YOU TRAVELED TO, AND WHICH ONE STANDS OUT TO YOU? I think it’s in the range of fifty. I lived in Indonesia for two years, so that will always have a special place in my heart. Singapore is my favorite global city. There is simply no comparison to Afghanistan. I just got back from the Ukraine — it’s amazing what God is doing there in the former Soviet Union. 3. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST GOAL YOU’VE VERBALIZED TO YOUR CHURCH IN REGARD TO MISSIONS AND THE CHURCH? There are a few! Plant one-thousand churches in our generation; every college student spend their first two years on one of our church plant locations; every person to “Do what you do well to the glory of God, do it somewhere strategic for the mission of God.” And, every person should have at least one person in their lives that they are pursuing evangelistically. 4. YOU USED TO BE A YOUTH SPEAKER. DO YOU HAVE ANY MEMORIES THAT STAND OUT IN YOUR TIME IN YOUTH MINISTRY? Once I was on stage and my fly was unzipped. Every time I raised my hands to make a dramatic point the audience would laugh because it raised my untucked shirt above the place where you could see it.

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5. IF YOU COULD TELL TWO THINGS TO EVERY STUDENT PASTOR IN AMERICA, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THEM? A) Talk about God and the gospel with the wonder they deserve. God is big beyond our imaginations, and the gospel is the greatest and most urgent message on Earth. B) Teach every student that they are “called to ministry”. The question is no longer “what if” but only “where” and "how". 6. WHAT IS THE VISION BEHIND YOUR STUDENT MINISTRY AT THE SUMMIT CHURCH AND HOW DO YOU DEFINE A ‘WIN’ WITH YOUR STUDENTS? What we always say we want for our student ministry is “a harvest coming in and an army going out”. We know that the student years are the most likely of times for someone to profess faith in Christ. We want to see hundreds and thousands brought to faith in Christ from that age group. We also know that the student years is when we train them to be “warriors” and emissaries for Jesus. 7. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING, AND WHAT MOVIE ARE YOU CURRENTLY WATCHING? Reading The Bible and watching “A.D.: The Bible Continues.” Just kidding! I just finished reading Ben Sasse’s The Vanishing American Adult (amazing!) and finished watching a CBS show called Salvation about a meteor set to destroy the Earth. 8. HOW MANY BOOKS HAVE YOU WRITTEN? Six: My latest is Not God Enough: Why Your Small God Leads to Big Problems. Before that, Gaining by Losing: Why the Future Belongs to Churches that Send, Stop Asking Jesus Into

Your Heart: How to Know for Sure You are Saved, Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary; Jesus, Continued: Why the Spirit Inside You is Better than Jesus Beside You; and finally, Breaking the Islam Code: Understanding the Soul Questions of Ordinary Muslims. 9. YOU’VE PICKED SOME MILDLY PROVOCATIVE TITLES FOR SOME OF YOUR BOOKS. WHY? Well, usually the most life-changing truths are both obvious and surprising at the same time. I like for my titles to represent the same. 10. WHAT IS YOUR NEWEST BOOK ABOUT? Not God Enough (NGE) demonstrates that all of our spiritual problems—doubt, apathy, insecurity, meaninglessness, dissatisfaction, bitterness, anxiety, or you name it—come from a view of God that is too small. Most Americans prefer a God who is small and manageable—a God we can understand, predict and control—a God that is basically just a slightly bigger, slightly smarter version of us. That kind of God feels easier and safer to believe in. But this is not just the God we encounter in the Bible, such a God could never sustain our faith, answer our deepest questions, or give us hope during trials. NGE is in some ways a spiritual autobiography, recounting how I discovered a root problem in many of my own struggles of faith. Even as a former missionary and current pastor with a Ph.D., I had a lot of doubts and spiritual dysfunctions. Many of them went back, quite simply, to a view of God that was too small.

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REASONS TO TAKE YOUR STUDENTS TO SUMMER CAMP

2. CAM AND A IN TH SHIPS At ca leade quali into t of tim listen life ch can e ly to t bette ships churc such mom pour

I have a confession to make: I love youth camp. God began calling me to surrender my life to Christ at a youth camp. As a camp counselor and program director, I began to sense God calling me into ministry. As a youth pastor, I saw my students’ lives transformed while they attended camp. I also began to sense God calling me into Christian higher education while taking my students to a camp hosted by a Christian university. Camps have played a pivotal role in my walk with Christ, and I also believe that camps can have a major impact on the spiritual lives of your students. Here are three reasons I believe you should take your students to camp this summer:

3. CAM YOUT COMM At ca group tions their can u their comm they His K also u they

1. CAMP HELP STUDENTS FOCUS ON THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH GOD. At camp, students leave their environment back home along with all of the distractions that go along with it. Most camps do not allow students full access to their cell phones, iPads, and other devices. They are encouraged to focus on what God is doing in their lives. This separation from potential distractions and the encouragement to focus on their relationship with God potentially places students in a better posture to hear what God has to say to them through His Word. When all the noise of their environment back home is silenced, they can better hear the “still small voice” of God as He reveals His will to them during their devotional time, group Bible studies, and worship services at camp (1 Kings 19:12).

Cam advan are ju minis

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2. CAMP HELPS YOUTH PASTORS AND ADULT LEADERS MOVE CLOSER IN THEIR DISCIPLESHIP RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR STUDENTS. At camp, youth pastors and adult leaders have more opportunities to spend quality time getting to know and pouring into their students. They can take advantage of time to hang out with students and just listen to them. These interactions can literally be life changing for students and adult leaders. They can enable adult leaders to minister more effectively to their students because they know them betterâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;their hopes, dreams, fears, challenges, relationships, families, and spiritual conditions. The pace of church life in the fall and spring make it harder to spend such quality time with students. Camp creates ample moments for youth pastors and adult leaders to listen to and pour into their students. 3. CAMP HELPS STUDENTS TO GROW CLOSER TO MEMBERS OF THEIR YOUTH GROUP AND TO CHRISTIANS FROM OUTSIDE THEIR COMMUNITIES. At camp, students spend more time with the members of their youth group and with Christian students from around the nation. These interactions have the potential for encouraging students in their faith as they see their unity with other believers in Christ. Youth pastors and adult leaders can use their time at camp to create intentional moments to foster unity in their youth group and to paint a picture of what authentic fellowship and community looks like in the body of Christ. Students can gain a vision for how they can love, support, and encourage each other in Christ as they seek to advance His Kingdom in their families, communities, schools, and churches. Adult leaders can also use camp to help their more spiritually mature students catch a vision for how they can mentor and disciple students who are younger in the faith. Camp can be a great environment to unify and empower youth groups for Kingdom advancement. So, is camp in your plans for the summer? The three reasons mentioned above are just a few of the key ways that summer camp can have a positive impact in your youth ministry and in the lives of your students. So, what are you waiting for? See you at camp! DR. TIM MCKNIGHT, the Director of the Great Commission Center and Assistant Professor of Missions and Youth Ministry at Anderson University, is also now an associate editor here at Youth Ministry Magazine. He has over twenty-one years of ministry experience from all over the southeast. Married to Angela, Dr. McKnight and his wife have four children Noah Micah, Karissa, and Mary Anna.

SPRING 2018 / YM

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PERSPECTIVES

HYKENG PAUL HYKENG was born and raised in Antreville, South Carolina. He fell in love with Jesus at an early age, and began serving at his church’s student ministry at the age of 21. This led to him coming on staff at Newspring Church in 2012, and he has been faithfully serving in student ministry ever since. This is his story.

In the second grade, I remember asking a third grade girl to be my girlfriend. “Let me go home and ask my mom” she said. I wondered, “Why her mom? It’s only a yes or no question... but okay.” She came back the next day and gave me her response in front of all our friends because everyone was excited to see her response. We all thought that it would be yes (she was honestly pretty flirty). Sadly, her response was a little different. Not because it was a no, but because of the response that came after it. “My mom said no. Because you’re black.” I will never forget how I felt. Is there something wrong with me? Is there something wrong with my family? Do I tell my parents and see if we can turn white? I just don’t want to be like this anymore.

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“As a child in the second grade, I was confused about being black and why some people thought that was a bad thing. As a child that is born again I understand, because not everyone (of any race) has the Spirit of truth living in them as I do.”

If I were to ask you what you think of when you hear “Antreville, South Carolina”, I bet I could guess your response. “Where on Earth is that? Is that really a town?” Well, that’s where I am from. It’s a real town in the great state of South Carolina - and it’s super small, as you would guess. A population of about two thousand. Out of those two thousand people, 75% of them are Caucasian, 23% are African American. You might have heard of where I went to college and currently live: Clemson, South Carolina (our college football team recently won a National Championship, and lost one, too). It’s a fun, beautiful, and friendly town with a population of about sixteen thousand people. Out of that number, 81% of them are Caucasian, 11% are African American. I’ve been a minority in every place that I’ve ever lived. But by this point, I am used to being a minority. As most of you probably know, especially in the South, people are often times judged by the color of their skin and their background. It doesn’t make sense, does it? It does when you understand that persuading people against what they have been taught since they were born is a pretty difficult thing. If I were taught as a black kid that every white person I was ever going to encounter was evil or that I couldn’t trust them, that’s what I would have believed about every white person I saw. And if they are really nice to me? That’s great, but in the back of my mind, I would still be thinking about what I was taught in the beginning. Just to be clear, I was never taught anything negative about another person or race. My parents raised me to view everyone the same and to never look down on anyone based on their skin, social status, or background. I am so thankful for that, but also understand that it isn’t the case for everyone. At least not in the two towns mentioned earlier. Like I said before, I’m still a minority in my town. Not just because of my race, but because of what I do for a living. I am a student pastor at a local church, and not only are there very few black people in Clemson, there are few Christ followers as well. And just like I experienced in the second grade, being judged because of my race, I still experience that feeling today. You should see the looks I receive when I’m in public with my family. A black man, a beautiful white woman, and two biraccial kids. Looks of disgust, hatred, and concern. And those looks aren’t only from white people. You may know exactly what I mean by “the look”. If you don’t, how would this make you feel? You may be thinking you would be angry, or thinking of all the things you would say to someone who would look down on you because of your race and background. If you’re honest with yourself, the conversations that you have with yourself never actually go that way when you talk to that “someone”. My response is never anger or bitterness. What will that fix? Nothing. It would simply add more racial division in our town, state and world. As a child in the second grade, I was confused

said. I sponse in s honestly after it.

urn white?

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“Instead of assuming that all black people (or white people, or Asians, or Latinos) are angry based on one bad interaction you’ve had or heard of, have a conversation with them and get to know them like Jesus modeled for us.”

about being black and why some people thought that was a bad thing. As a child that is born again I understand, because not everyone (of any race) has the Spirit of truth living in them as I do. Those who do welcome me and my family as I welcome them- not based on their race, but because we do not conform to the pattern of this world, but are transformed by the renewing of our mind. That is how we are able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12). Though I never pay back with anger, I would be lying if I said it doesn’t still hurt. It hurts every time, because I want to be liked by everyone. If you were being honest, you do as well. It’s just sad because I believe that if we were all the same skin tone, we wouldn’t have this issue. The question that people are afraid to ask out loud is, “Why do black people seem so angry and don’t just forgive? Most students and minorities I see seem as if they have a chip on their shoulder or something to prove.” You’re exactly right. You’ve heard a small portion of things that I have been through. Do you think I’m the only black person or minority that has had an experience like this? Absolutely not. We all choose to do what we do in every situation because of something that has or hasn’t happened to us. Example? Kids whose fathers have walked out on them and their family have a hard time trusting men. One of the people closest to them is no longer there - so why trust another? People who have been sexually abused have issues with their identity and worth. Simply because they feel

worthless by what was done to them. Some black people you see in America have issues trusting white people. Why? Simply because some of us have been penalized by white people for what a few of us have done in the past. Instead of assuming that all black people (or white people, or Asians, or Latinos) are angry based on one bad interaction you’ve had or heard of, have a conversation with them and get to know them like Jesus modeled for us. (He modeled it with Samaritans and tax collectors, but you know what I mean). Even though He was Jesus, He still cared enough to ask questions and get to know people because He knew that what they had experienced wasn’t the truth. If you don’t experience the truth, you experience a lie. No matter what, it determines how you approach life. Because God can forgive me for my past, present and future sins -- I am able to forgive those who may look down on my family and I because of our differences on the outside. No matter what I was taught when I was a kid, or what pain or hurt I’ve experienced in my young life, I have a new identity that supercedes my skin color or ethnic background. I am a child of God. This is what I teach my students. It’s how we will raise our children. It’s the truth, and as a black man, I was saved by a Jewish carpenter who said He was the Truth. I believe it. To God be the glory, forever and ever, amen. YM

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BY DARRYL NELSON

HOW TO CONNECT

STUDENTS

TO THE REST OF THE

CHURCH Tears filled my eyes as I watched members of our church embrace our students at the altar and cover them in prayer. We were finishing up a four-day revival in our church when the guest speaker challenged the church to embrace the students in our congregation and pray for them. In that moment I saw a glimpse of something that I had desired to see take place for the years that I had been serving as a youth pastor. I wish I could say that this was a turning point in our church’s history and from that moment on our culture was shifted towards a community of believers that loved the teenagers that surrounded them, but sadly that was not the case. After a few months, that moment at the altar faded into the horizon and our students felt once again disconnected from the body of believers known as The Church. About a year ago, I was asked to fill in for my pastor for our midweek service and was given free reign to speak on whatever I felt God had placed on my heart. Immediately, God placed the word community in my mind, and I knew that this was the message I needed to share with our congregation. I started out my message with a very simple statement that has stuck with me ever since I wrote it on my scratch pad, “Our students need you!” I went on to talk about how our students have a need of good, Godly community centered around their church family. After this message, I challenged myself to reevaluate what we do as a student ministry and ways that we can connect our students to the larger church body.

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1) CREATE COMMUNITY, NOT COMPETITION So often in youth ministry we put our students on what I like to call “Youth Group Island”. We meet on Wednesday nights for a midweek service, we meet with them for a Sunday School class, we offer them small group time with other students their age, we take them to camps and retreats, all just with other students that are their age. Honestly, up until recently, so many of my students rarely entered the auditorium for a regularly scheduled service because we unintentionally created this “youth group is enough” culture. We cannot blame the congregation for not connecting with the students in our ministries if they never see those students! Since then, we have made an intentional programming shift to make sure that our high school ministry offers nothing during our Sunday morning and Sunday Evening service times. We make a point to encourage our students to attend those services as well as youth group on a regular basis. It has been great to watch our students become more and more regular in their attendance and therefore connecting with the adult members of the church. Our students are becoming more visible to the congregation and it is working to build a bridge between them. I love seeing a fifteen-year-old guy stop at the door and have a conversation with one of the seventy-year-old ushers about his basketball game on Friday night. 2) CREATE CONNECTION POINTS Another programming shift we made in the past year has been something we have labeled “Community Groups”. Not a new concept for some, but for our church this was a new idea. These are basically student small groups that are being led by adults from the church that previously had no connection to the student ministry. I recruited and trained a handful of new leaders to step into this role to intentionally connect with a handful of students. We are very careful to not let this become just a Bible study or prayer group, those can be a part of the groups’ meeting times, but the main focus is to build community among the attendees of the groups. There is a special power in an adult taking time out of their week to hang out with and pour into a teenager outside of the walls of the physical church. It has been a slow process of creating this culture, but God has been doing some amazing things through the leaders and the students that they have been connecting with. We have also tried to create connection points through prayer. I have a small group of adults in the church who feel that they cannot connect with a student in a community Group, but still have a desire to see them grow. I have connected some of these adults to our students by simply having them pray for them. I provide a list of names and pictures of students that these individuals can be praying for. I am extremely intentional in letting our students know that there are people in our church praying for them by name. Again, trying to let them know that they are a part of a larger community of believers beyond the youth group.

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3) SHOULDER-TO-SHOULDER COMMUNITY Another area that I have intentionally focused on is creating opportunities for our students to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the servants of our church. Our church, like many others, always has opportunities for people to volunteer. Between our nursery, kids ministry, ushers, greeters, TV crew, AV ministry, plus a few others that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure I left out, there are plenty of adults serving that could use an extra set of helping hands. There is something about serving side-by-side with someone that creates a special bond. Take a look at the relationships and connections between students that come out of a weeklong mission trip. Our students can create those types of bonds with adults in the church by serving alongside them on a weekly basis. Being proactive in presenting the opportunities to our students and connecting them to those respective ministries will give them another community within the church that they can feel like they belong to. In my almost thirteen years of serving in full-time ministry Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen a lot of students come and go from the doors of our church, and it seems that the ones who are connected to the community of the church beyond the youth ministry tend to stick around more consistently once they reach adulthood. Like many of you, the stats of teens leaving the church in droves after graduation discourage me. But in the same breath, they challenge me to do better. Our students need community, so let's do our best to shepherd and connect them to people that love Jesus and will draw them closer to Him.

DARRYL NELSON was born and raised in New Jersey, went to college in North Carolina, and is currently the High School Pastor of Anchorage Baptist Temple in Anchorage, Alaska. He has been married to his wife, Amanda for twelve years and they have three children, Gavin, Makayla, and Kannika.

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Stand Up. Be Kind. Walk Humbly. A LETTER TO MY SON By Jeremy Berger

My oldest child is only ten, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m trying my best to prepare myself for all the future conversations we will have about difficult subjects in just a few short years. I have found writing letters to all four of my boys rather cathartic, and it allows me to process through what I hope I will say when the time comes. Here is one such letter:

Hey Buddy, By now, you've probably heard that in the coming months, you and all your friends are being encouraged to walkout from your high school for a period of time in response to all the school shootings that have plagued our country over the past several years. I imagine you're probably wondering if you can and should participate in these type of events. Son, I'm proud of the man you are becoming and I'm ultimately going to let you make that decision yourself. As much as I want to make decisions for you, you're not a kid anymore. I'd rather you learn now how to make the right decisions; after all, in a few short years you will be out on your own and doing just that. However, because I am your dad and I love you dearly, I hope you'll let me offer some wisdom and insight from God's Word. Listen to these words from Micah 6:8

"HE HAS TOLD YOU, O MAN, WHAT IS GOOD; AND WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE OF YOU BUT TO DO JUSTICE, AND TO LOVE KINDNESS, AND TO WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD?"

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ming

for

the

ll ver,

ght

TO DO JUSTICE I will ALWAYS encourage you to stand up against injustice in this world. Whenever you see people marginalized or oppressed for any reason, you have a responsibility as a citizen of God's Kingdom to stand up for all our fellow image-bearers. Please call out me or your mother if you don't see the same in us.

in the state it is in. So please be kind. To everyone. I'm willing to bet we'd eliminate half the problems in this world if everyone adopted this posture.

TO WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD At the end of the day, you'll make a decision-but it may be the wrong one. That's okay. We've all made wrong decisions at times and probably will I want to make sure you're known for continue to do so. The issue is not making wrong standing up for ALL injustices rather than decisions; it's failing to learn from them. standing up for one injustice that personAs I mentioned earlier, our country is where it ally affects you in the moment. I realize that are because rather than actively listening to each teenagers are feeling oppressed at this moment other and trying to find common ground to move and want to do something about it. And as a forward, we stubbornly place all our own teenager, I'm sure you feel the same. But are you opinions and ideals above people. We sometimes standing up for your African American brothers hold on to personal preferences no matter the and sisters who have been fighting a similar, if cost until a tragedy strikes that gets our attention. not worse, battle for a much longer period of Recently it was the senseless murder of seventeen time? Are you standing up for the unborn? The students that pushed us to have a serious convermentally ill? The single parent? True biblical sation and motivated students to speak up, and justice is a complete lifestyle, not a single cause. even walk out. So humbly listen to everyone. Listen to the I want to make sure the reason progressive and the conservative. you're standing up is out of a Listen to the activist and the deep conviction in your member of the NRA. Listen to all “But do you know who you should soul and not just because it's the additional voices that can listen to the most? That would be what all your friends are doing. shed light into these difficult the voice of the Holy Spirit as you We usually talk about peer spend time in God's presence and in conversations. Listen to fellow pressure in terms of the bad His Word. It's not just a cliche image-bearers. I'm not asking choices it leads us to, but it can repeated by Christians. It's the truth. you to agree with them. I'm lead us to good choices as well. Because Jesus is the truth. And I asking you to listen. I can assure However, that's still not a trust that He will always lead and you, there's something you don't reason to make them. guide you in the right direcknow and can learn from each of tion...when you walk humbly before them. Hopefully, they will listen to your God.” I'd encourage you to do your you as well. homework on this issue. Consider I hope your generation comes together both sides as a Christian. Are the stateand finds the answer to stop school shootings. I ments factual? Are there sources that support really do. But even more so, I hope your generathese statements? Can you find sources that tion finds THE answer- our Lord and Savior Jesus refute them? Is there more to this story than just Christ and the peace He brings. guns? (Spoiler Alert- there’s always more to every I love you buddy. Here for you if you want to story...) talk. (Spoiler Alert: I'd really like for you to.) If you think this is a lot of work, guess what...it

is. I can promise you that those who are organizing these events have poured a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into some sleepless nights over this. Why? Because they truly believe deep down in their soul that they are fighting a just cause. I only want the same for you.

TO LOVE KINDNESS Whatever decision you make, someone will disagree with you. That's okay. You respect their decision and hope that they respect yours. We adults have done a horrible job in leading your generation in this. Our pride controls us at times and we absolutely can't stand for there to be an opinion out there that's different than ours; we'll likely bicker and argue like selfish toddlers in an effort to "win". Problem is, we haven't won; we've all lost. And that is why our country is currently

- DAD JEREMY BERGER is the Lead Student Pastor at The Summit Church in Durham, NC. He has been married to his wife, Katie, for 13 years and has 4 boys: Wyatt (10), Gavin (8), and twins Emmett and Owen (5). You can check out more about him and his writings at jeremyberger.org.

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WELCOMING VS

The Difference Between Welcoming and Inviting in Your Youth Ministry BY ALISHA HENLEY

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love the story of David. He was a man after God’s own heart! God called him at an early age and used him his entire life for His glory. While David made mistakes, I love that he never strayed from his calling and that God never stopped using him. What I love most about David’s story is that he was a young teenage boy who was anointed by an “old” Samuel when almost everyone else thought he wasn’t qualified because of his youth. I think it’s remarkable that Samuel, who was also called to ministry at a young age, anointed young David. It took someone like Samuel who was experienced at hearing God’s voice to call a young, faith-filled, fearless David to kingship. The story of David teaches us that God uses all generations to accomplish His will on the Earth. In Acts 2:17 we see that in the last days God will pour out His Spirit on all flesh and that He will use the young and the old alike. As youth leaders and pastors, are we leading the way for all generations to work together to accomplish the will of God? Our churches should be intergenerational ministries and it’s our job to lead the way. We can do this by starting to think of our church as intergenerational and not multigenerational (there's a difference!) and pushing through the limits of our thinking concerning students. This will open the door for us to start truly inviting students to be apart of all ministries in our church. BECOMING AN INTERGENERATIONAL CHURCH It’s easy for youth leaders to think they have an intergenerational church because we are always surrounded by a different, younger generation. However, most churches that have thriving student ministries have a real long-term

challenge...It’s only a student ministry! Adults can’t find their place in the student ministry and students can’t find their place in the adult ministry. So rather than being an intergenerational church, they become a comfortable multigenerational church. So what’s the difference? I was reading an article by Niccolo Porzio Di Camporotondo, Advisor for Cross-Cultural Business, and he was discussing the difference between multicultural, cross-cultural, and intercultural diversity in business. I think these same definitions can be applied to ministry. Multigenerational ministries can be described as a ministry where people stand alongside one another, but each generation group is isolated from the other. Some characteristics of this include: Polite social interaction during church and while serving. Interactions that are simply superficial exchanges between the generations where only one generation is driven to learn and understand the other. Intergenerational ministries are deeper, healthier, and resemble true community. People from different generations have a mutual interest to interact, learn, and grow together, while relationships are shaped and molded from each other’s experiences. The focus is relationship building - not individual gain - and learning from one another. I have to wonder if we are putting limitations on our students because we are viewing the church as a multigenerational body. In other words, we are saying everyone is welcome, but we are not handing out personalized invitations to be a part. Are

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our students bystanders in adult ministries or contributing members? What are we doing as youth leaders and pastors to help them be contributing members? Just because your church is open to everyone doesn’t mean your students feel welcomed to go any further than your weekly youth event. Some of us have thriving weekly youth gatherings but we don’t see half of those students on Sunday morning in our corporate worship gathering. As youth leaders we have to push through the limits of our thinking and convince others to do the same. I have noticed four barriers to students serving, leading, and worshiping alongside adults. PUSHING THROUGH THE LIMITS OF OUR THINKING Churches often have an “Everyone is Welcome” instead of a “You Are Invited” mentality. In 1 Samuel 1: 1-11, Samuel arrives in Bethlehem and declares that everyone should consecrate themselves and come sacrifice with him. Yet we see in verse eleven that David never showed up and that he was the very one God wanted. Jesse, David’s father, had to physically go get David. Do you remember those epic high school parties? (Okay, maybe it’s just me.) I remember hearing about parties that were open to everyone that seemed fun, but they weren’t really my scene, so I never went. My true friends would always give me a personal invitation and I always went! While everyone may be welcomed to serve, there are times where we have to put forth an intentional effort to invite those who may not think they have a place. Are we letting our students know the benefits of serving in church? Are we teaching the adults how to engage with our students?

Churches often overlook the obvious. In 1 Samuel 16:11, we see that Jesse had already concluded that David was not needed for the ceremonial sacrifice. Think about the area most of your students serve in. Do they mostly serve in children’s church or the nursery? Have we relegated our students to just serving with the younger children? What if students were serving with ushers, prayer teams, or guest services? What if our students were seen serving side-by-side with adults? Sometimes the very volunteers we are looking for are right under our nose, but we have already tasked them according to what we perceive their ability to be.

Churches often don’t set expectations In 1 Samuel 16: 12 – 13, we notice that the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully over David after he was anointed. Sometimes as youth leaders we have to call out the potential that we see in our students. Think of an instance where

you told a student that they were a leader and then they began to act like one. What about in elementary school when your teacher left the room and put one student in charge and their job was to report anyone misbehaving? Do you remember how seriously that student took their job? Often students will rise or fall to the level of your expectations, so it’s our job as leaders to call out their potential. This is really easy to do. At my church we call it “See It Say It”. In other words, if you see a leader, say it. Give your students a glimpse of what you see. When students start to rise to your level of expectations other adults in the church begin to notice too. Remember, David didn’t experience the full power of the Holy Spirit until after Samuel anointed him as the next King.

Churches often think inside the box. In 1 Samuel 17, David defeated the Philistine Giant, Goliath. David was a young man who visited his brothers on the battlefield and heard Goliath taunting the army of God and immediately knew Goliath must die. Saul dressed David in his own tunic, coat of armor, and helmet to defeat Goliath. While this was traditional battle attire and used in war, David was sure that he could win the fight another way. There are times when students come up with some unconventional ideas! Are you championing the ideas of your students? For instance, my church has an all-adult prayer team that stands at the bottom of our stage after every service. One of my students brought to my attention that not all students feel comfortable praying with an adult and asked could she be trained to serve on the prayer team. Because of her suggestion, we are now looking at ways to make praying with our prayer team more comfortable for teens. Sometimes, we have to be willing to try something new for others to be successful. Not everyone can win the way you win! So if I can encourage you to do anything, it would be to take David’s story, start thinking of the Church as an intergenerational body, and push through the limits of your thinking concerning students. As a youth leader and pastor, it’s your job to show the church how students can be a valuable asset to the entire body. ALISHA HENLEY is a wife and mother of four children ages 8 to 17. In addition to being a full time wife and mom, Alisha Henley is the Multi-Site Student Director at Lifepoint Church, Fredericksburg, VA. Lifepoint Church is one church in multiple locations throughout the state of Virginia. At Lifepoint, Alisha oversees the plans and development of student ministry at all locations.

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IS YOUR

TRULY DIVERSE?

BY BEN TRUEBLOOD

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ow diverse is your student minstry? Think about this question for longer than just a few seconds. Take the time to go there in your mind, to scan the faces of the students who sit in your worship service and in your small groups. Now, how diverse is your student ministry? Most often when we hear the word “diversity”, our minds immediately go to race and ethnicity. Racial diversity in the church has become a more frequent topic of discussion as of late and needless to say, it is long overdue. It’s a needed and important discussion, especially for student ministries. And I firmly believe that this generation of teenagers, the guys and girls sitting in your student ministries each week, are the ones that can truly make a difference in racial inequality in our country. But before that can happen, a group of student ministry leaders must recognize the issues, be willing to listen to people of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and must train teenagers to see all people as individuals of value who are created in the image of God. The students in our churches should be leading the way in this conversation, not shrinking away from it or being content with allowing things to continue as status quo. While racial diversity is the

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most often discussed aspect of diversity within a church or a ministry, it shouldn’t be the only thing considered. You should also consider diversity concerning economic level, social status, and even smaller things like school representation and age ranges. Overall, when you take a minute to scan the faces of the students that are sitting in your programs each week, you should see a representation of the students and families who live in your community. That is the main issue when it comes to diversity in the church. CHURCHES ARE A REFLECTION OF OUR COMMUNITIES Is your community multiracial? Then your church and student ministry should be. Does your community have multiple middle and high schools? Then your student ministry should represent them. Does your community have people on every spectrum of the economic scale? Then your student ministry and church should as well. Your student ministry should represent your community, but too often leaders are drawn to those who are seemingly the most put together, wealthy, clean, and racially like themselves in our communities. And while that may seem like the easiest way to do ministry, that is not the gospel.

When Jesus came He didn’t come to condemn, but to save (John 3:17). When He came, He didn’t just come for the Jews even though He was Jewish by birth and by culture. Throughout His ministry He was leading people to the reality that His salvation would be for all people, Jew and Gentile alike. Why? Because all people are created in the image of God and because God’s love extends to all people.

When we seek diversity in our ministries, we need to make sure that it is for these same reasons and not because it is just a hot topic or the cool thing to do within the church at this moment.

Again, I want to draw you back to the picture of your community. How is it diverse? If it isn’t, then I would make the case to you that your ministry shouldn’t be either. Wait, what did you just say? Are you saying our churches shouldn’t be diverse? Before you jump to conclusions, let me be clear. Your student ministry (and your church) should be as diverse as the community in which you live. That will be different for many of you, and that’s okay,

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because your contexts are all different. Remember, we are talking about diversity within your ministry here, not how your ministry reaches out to others. If you are in a situation where your community isn’t diverse at all, which I find hard to believe based on the many ways a community can be diverse, then your ministry should look outside of itself for ways to partner, minister, and go on mission in more diverse settings. DIVERSITY IS NOT A ONE-TIME EVENT As you consider diversity in your ministry, it’s also important to know that diversity for a one-time event is not true diversity. A one-night outreach event or loading up the buses for camp with people who look more like the community (who never normally attend your church) doesn’t make your ministry diverse. It may be a start, but what you do after those moments to connect those people to your ministry in an ongoing manner is more important for this topic than the actual event itself. Many times, this follow-up process will involve you and other leaders being willing to change the way you do things in order to reach the diversity that exists in your community. We are called to make disciples of all nations and that is a diverse calling. It’s also a calling that can’t be done the same way for every student in your ministry, and even more so when there is diversity present. Discipleship is not a conveyor belt; it is a customized, personal process for each individual. Change is necessary if you truly desire to have a diverse ministry, and if you are the student pastor reading this, it isn’t something that you can do on your own. It will take you pouring vision into other leaders about what a diverse ministry can look like for your community and church. It will take time to train and build relationships with those leaders so that they see the ministry, or the potential of the ministry, the same way that you do. The same thing must be done for your students. Consistently lead them to God’s word, His love for people, and His heart to save them as evidenced in the cross of Christ.

Having a diverse ministry is hard work. It isn’t something you decide to do after reading a book, article, or listening to a few podcasts. It is something that should be sought after through much prayer, guidance from the Lord, and leadership of people.

The great news is that you can do all of these things, and God has given you the strength and calling to minister to the people in the community that He has placed you in right now.

Your teenagers and leaders can embrace the vision of having a ministry that is a reflection of your community. Your teenagers can make a difference in this world with the way they pursue and love people, and by doing those things they will earn a greater platform to share the gospel with the people around them. Jesus can do all of these things through you and your students. So why do you truly desire to have diversity in your ministry? Is it because of the buzz around the topic within church circles, or is it because you truly love all people regardless of race, social status, or economic position to the point that you are willing to change what you are doing in order to reach them? BEN TRUEBLOOD serves as the Director of Student Ministry for LifeWay Christian Resources and has seventeen years of student ministry experience, fourteen of which were spent in the local church as a student pastor. In addition to his role at LifeWay Ben is involved in training, consulting, and speaking to student ministries throughout the U.S.

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AS ONE Once a rebellious teenager living in Venezuela, Charlee Buitrago now has a passion for seeing language and cultural barriers broken through worship and teaching students the value of belonging to the global Church.

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP, AND HOW HAS THAT mom. She was always faithful in trying to teach WHERE DID YOU GROW UP, AND HOW HAS THAT mom. She was always faithful in trying to teach SHAPED YOU INTO THE PERSON YOU ARE TODAY? me about Him, but it took me a while to know SHAPED YOU INTO THE PERSON YOU ARE TODAY? Him, but it took me a while to know I was born and raised in Venezuela, and then Ime aboutHim personally. When I was fifteen years old, a I was born and raised in Venezuela, and then I Him personally. When I was fifteen years old, a moved to the United States when I was seventeen missionary from America came to Venezuela on a moved to the United States when I was seventeen missionary from America came to Venezuela on a years old. I was already set in my culture, mission trip - he became a friend to my family years old. I was already set in my culture, mission trip he became a friend to my family language, and traditions, and it was two very and said that I should come and live with his language, and traditions, and it was two very and said that I should come and live with his different worlds colliding. On one hand, I wanted family for a year. My mom had been praying for different worlds colliding. On one hand, I wanted family for a year. My mom had been praying for to continue my life as if I was back in Venezuela, that day. Somehow, she knew that if I would have to continue my life as if I was back in Venezuela, Somehow, she knew that if I would have and on the other hand I had to adapt to a newthat day. stayed in Venezuela I was going to continue and on the other hand I had to adapt to a new stayed in Venezuela I was going to continue culture and lifestyle. I’m grateful that God making the wrong choices that I had been making culture and lifestyle. I’m grateful that God making the wrong choices that I had been making allowed me to make this transition - it has as a teenager. So, my parents decided to let me go allowed me to make this transition - it has as a teenager. So, my parents decided to let me go opened up some really cool opportunities for me. and live with this missionary we barely knew. opened up some really cool opportunities for me. this missionary we barely knew. Today, I get to live my life as a Venezuelan andand an live with It didn’t take long for me to realize that this Today, I get to live my life as a Venezuelan and an It didn’t take long for me to realize that this American and identify with other people who new family I was living with was very different American and identify with other people who new family I was living with was very different come from similar backgrounds that I grew up from anything I had ever seen. The Condreys took come from similar backgrounds that I grew up from anything I had ever seen. The Condreys took in. I get to become a brother and friend to those me in as if I was one of their own. Their kids in. I get to become a brother and friend to those me in as if I was one of their own. Their kids who, like me, left everything behind. would call me brother and Johnny and Natalie who, like me, left everything behind. would call me brother and Johnny and Natalie would call me son, even though I wasn’t their kid. call me son, even though I wasn’t their kid. HOW DID YOU COME TO KNOW JESUS? HOW DID would HE In other words, they were doing the same thing HOW DID YOU COME TO KNOW JESUS? HOW DID HE In other words, they were doing the same thing CHANGE YOUR LIFE? God did with all of us through Jesus. CHANGE YOUR LIFE? all of us through Jesus. As a young boy, I heard of Jesus because of myGod did with As a teenager, I didn’t like them feeling sorry As a young boy, I heard of Jesus because of my As a teenager, I didn’t like them feeling sorry

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It’s amazing what worshipping Jesus through music can do. There is healing in worship. We can find ourselves closer to God and other Christians by worshipping together. I believe that the songs we sing can impact the lives we live.

for me, but all they were doing I see a generation that is The Lord started giving us new I see a generation that is The Lord started giving us new for me, but all they were doing was showing me the love of absolutely unafraid of being songs and we made an album absolutely unafraid of being songs and we made an album was showing me the love of Jesus. One night, I got in trouble real. I see a generation that is that we are really proud of called real. I see a generation that is that we are really proud of called Jesus. One night, I got in trouble with Johnny (Dad). He talked to willing to make a difference. De Corazon a Corazon. I’ll never willing to make a difference. De Corazon a Corazon. I’ll never with Johnny (Dad). He talked to me as if I was one of his own This generation is going to forget the day that we got the call This generation is going to forget the day that we got the call me as if I was one of his own sons, and then he said that he change the world. saying that the album had been change the world. saying that the album had been sons, and then he said that he loved me as a son! I felt like I nominated for the Best Spanish nominated for the Best Spanish loved me as a son! I felt like I was part of the family even IN YOUR OWN WORDS, HOW Album of the Year at the Dove IN YOUR OWN WORDS, HOW Album of the Year at the Dove was part of the family even though I should still be a strangWOULD YOU DEFINE Awards. I didn’t even know what WOULD YOU DEFINE Awards. I didn’t even know what though I should still be a stranger. Before, I wouldn’t even open 'WORSHIP'? the Dove Awards were! We went 'WORSHIP'? the Dove Awards were! We went er. Before, I wouldn’t even open the refrigerator because I felt it Worship to me is recognizing to Nashville thinking that just Worship to me is recognizing to Nashville thinking that just the refrigerator because I felt it wasn’t my house. Every time we God for how great He is. It’s being there was enough of an God for how great He is. It’s being there was enough of an wasn’t my house. Every time we went out to eat, he would pay for more than singing songs. God honor, and then we found out more than singing songs. God honor, and then we found out went out to eat, he would pay for my meal, buy me clothes, and I wants us to surrender to Him that our album won. I’m still so wants us to surrender to Him that our album won. I’m still so my meal, buy me clothes, and I constantly felt like I had to pay and die to our own desires. grateful for God’s goodness and and die to our own desires. grateful for God’s goodness and constantly felt like I had to pay him back. I found so much Worship is making our lives that I get to do it with my brothWorship is making our lives that I get to do it with my brothhim back. I found so much freedom in finding my identity all about Jesus and less about er. all about Jesus and less about er. freedom in finding my identity as part of this family. God was us. us. as part of this family. God was using this family to show me His WE'RE SEEING A MOVEMENT IN WE'RE SEEING A MOVEMENT IN using this family to show me His amazing, unconditional love for YOUR LIFE IS ALL ABOUT THE CHURCH RIGHT NOW AS MORE YOUR LIFE IS ALL ABOUT THE CHURCH RIGHT NOW AS MORE amazing, unconditional love for me. He had been pursuing me MUSIC - WHAT IS YOUR AND MORE MULTICULTURAL MUSIC - WHAT IS YOUR AND MORE MULTICULTURAL me. He had been pursuing me my whole life, and all I had to do RELATIONSHIP WITH MUSIC CHURCH PLANTS ARE FINDING RELATIONSHIP WITH MUSIC CHURCH PLANTS ARE FINDING my whole life, and all I had to do was surrender to his great love OUTSIDE OF LEADING WORSHIP THEIR WAY INTO COMMUNITIES. OUTSIDE OF LEADING WORSHIP THEIR WAY INTO COMMUNITIES. was surrender to his great love and identify as a part of the AND RECORDING? HOW DO YOU SEE WORSHIP AND RECORDING? HOW DO YOU SEE WORSHIP and identify as a part of the family of God forever. It’s interesting - a couple of PLAYING A PART IN YOUR VISION It’s interesting - a couple of PLAYING A PART IN YOUR VISION family of God forever. years ago, I realized how FOR THE GLOBAL CHURCH? years ago, I realized how FOR THE GLOBAL CHURCH? HOW DID YOU BEGIN LEADING much I was listening to music As a Venezuelan who has been much I was listening to music As a Venezuelan who has been HOW DID YOU BEGIN LEADING WORSHIP? WHAT DO YOU LOVE and that I needed to take a living in the US for over twenty and that I needed to take a living in the US for over twenty WORSHIP? WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT IT? break from it. As a worship years, there is nothing that break from it. As a worship years, there is nothing that ABOUT IT? I met a pastor from Colombia leader, I’m always learning excites me more than seeing leader, I’m always learning excites me more than seeing I met a pastor from Colombia when I came to America that new songs or writing new people from all kinds of backnew songs or writing new people from all kinds of backwhen I came to America that needed a bilingual worship songs and I almost started to grounds come together as one. songs and I almost started to grounds come together as one. needed a bilingual worship leader. Because I knew how to “worship” worship, if that That’s what the church is “worship” worship, if that That’s what the church is leader. Because I knew how to play guitar, he had me lead makes any sense. I desired to supposed to look like and it is makes any sense. I desired to supposed to look like and it is play guitar, he had me lead worship for him and I would listen to things other than giving us a glimpse of what listen to things other than giving us a glimpse of what worship for him and I would always bring my brother, Seth. music. I started listening to heaven is going to be like. music. I started listening to heaven is going to be like. always bring my brother, Seth. Even though Seth didn’t know podcasts with great speakers It’s amazing what worshipping podcasts with great speakers It’s amazing what worshipping Even though Seth didn’t know Spanish, he would come and and leaders and it has been Jesus through music can do. and leaders and it has been Jesus through music can do. Spanish, he would come and help sing. It was amazing! One changing my life. Now that’s There is healing in worship. We changing my life. Now that’s There is healing in worship. We help sing. It was amazing! One of the things I enjoy the most in what I choose when I’m on can find ourselves closer to God what I choose when I’m on can find ourselves closer to God of the things I enjoy the most in my life is leading worship with the road and need something and other Christians by worshipthe road and need something and other Christians by worshipmy life is leading worship with my brother. Now, we get to do to listen to. ping together. I believe that the to listen to. ping together. I believe that the my brother. Now, we get to do that all over the world. songs we sing can impact the songs we sing can impact the that all over the world. One of my favorite things to YOU’VE WRITTEN ON A DOVE lives we live. My vision for the YOU’VE WRITTEN ON A DOVE lives we live. My vision for the One of my favorite things to do is lead worship for students AWARD-WINNING ALBUM! global church is to bring people AWARD-WINNING ALBUM! global church is to bring people do is lead worship for students at things like summer camps TELL US ABOUT THAT together, putting aside all TELL US ABOUT THAT together, putting aside all at things like summer camps and student conferences, even EXPERIENCE. differences and agreeing on the EXPERIENCE. differences and agreeing on the and student conferences, even though leading worship for My brother (Seth Condrey) one thing that unites us, the My brother (Seth Condrey) one thing that unites us, the though leading worship for students can be very intimidatsigned with a major Christian name of Jesus. I believe that signed with a major Christian name of Jesus. I believe that students can be very intimidating. I’ve learned that they can Spanish record label, and we there is no better way to accomSpanish record label, and we there is no better way to accoming. I’ve learned that they can see right through you. They had to put some songs togethplish this than worshipping had to put some songs togethplish this than worshipping see right through you. They know if you’re being real or not. er for his first Spanish album. together despite our differences. er for his first Spanish album. together despite our differences. know if you’re being real or not.

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HOW TO TALK TO YOUR STUDENTS ABOUT

R A C I S M by Tasha Morrison

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internet and social media were filled with many opinions, disagreements, and hate-filled posts about the murders in Charleston at Mother Emanuel by white supremacist Dylann Roof. It was the hot topic for about a week and a half, but then the cameras were gone and the silence resumed. I often wonder, “How did we get here again? How did the evil of racism poison such a young soul?”. Racism is such an ugly and evil monster that has gripped our country. In some places, it has been used to divide the body of Christ. I’m not afraid. I’m not discouraged. As I lead conversations on bridge building and racial reconciliation, my heart weeps, though it is filled with joy. Despite the atrocities and disparities, I find hope in our Savior. Yet I have to ask, “How do we prevent this from happening in the future? How many lives must be lost before we each take a hard look into our hearts?”. Where does one learn to be racist? At what point do we allow the mindset of hate into our hearts? We are not born with hate. We are taught to hate. Children learn hate. They can sense hate in our voices and demeanor. They learn it from our conversations. Racism can be passed down for generations in a family or community. Racism stains the soul, suffocating the spirit. It stands in opposition to the gospel. For our students, racism often starts very young. They learn it from their families or peers. It begins with the little, subtle, private conversations. Eventually, the hate of another race group takes you out of the will of God. Unaddressed, hate can begin to poison our souls, bits and pieces at a time. Youth pastors, we need to lead the conversation about racism. As youth leaders, we have influence. It is our job to help students navigate the culture in which they live. We must teach against racism from the scriptures. We must talk about the role hate has played in our society. We must navigate the tensions in our country from the gospel.

So how do we talk to students about racism? Hate and God’s love cannot coexist. How do we help students understand what it means to live into God’s love, to love others despite their skin color? TEACH STUDENTS THAT ALL PEOPLE ARE CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD (GENESIS 1:26-27) Every human being is an image-bearer of God. We are all different but equally loved by the Father. We are Imago Dei, the shadow or likeness of God. How we treat each other is a reflection of how we view and treat God. Being created in the image of God provides us with divine uniqueness. We are spiritual beings, created to worship God. Our personhood reflects the aspects of God. Our lives have dignity and significance before God. We are accountable to God for our actions. We all must be treated equally. The more you teach students the truth, the more they will live it out in their lives. TEACH STUDENTS WHAT IT MEANS TO TRULY LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR Mark 12:30-31 reminds us, “you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength… Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.” Our neighbors don’t typically look or speak like us and often don’t share the same views. Our neighbor doesn’t necessarily live next door to us. Help students define who their neighbors are. Help them understand why God has set the act of love as a high value in our Christian walk. We have been instructed to love in spite of the differences. Love is the essence of Christ. As we demonstrate love, we reflect the love of Christ to others.

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AN IN HELP STUDENTS UNDERSTAND THAT THE CROSS AND RACISM CANNOT COEXIST It’s important that we don’t paint broad strokes. We must be clear about sin. The cross is a representation of life, grace, redemption, and hope. Hate represents depravity, ignorance, and hopelessness. When Jesus was on the cross, He prayed for His enemies. He prayed for the people who put him on the cross. Love requires us to pray for those in need of salvation. Show your students the gift of confession and surrender. I’ve learned that as students are presented with truth, their hearts respond. TEACH STUDENTS THAT PREJUDICE AND RACISM ARE WRONG It’s important to teach teens that both are sin issues. Racism involves a structure and system of domination based on the belief that one race is superior to another. Prejudice is the prejudging of a person based on limited facts. Many understand that racism and prejudice are wrong, but they don’t see just how harmful these attitudes are. We pretend to live in a colorblind world. We need to be color-brave. Teach teens to appreciate differences and the diversity God has created in all of us. When we refuse to talk about issues of race, we miss opportunities to discuss, guide, and interpret the perspectives of the world in which we live. LEAD BY EXAMPLE Your greatest opportunity to teach truth is through the way you live. As a youth leader, I’ve weathered some amazing storms and hurts. My responses to challenges are critical. We are in the midst of many racial tensions in our country. We can’t be silent about the racial unrest or racial injustices we see glimpses of in Charleston or Charlottesville or any other city in our nation. Our students have access to social media and news outlets the same as you. How are your students processing what they hear? Do they see the problem? How are we teaching our students to respond? Are we ignoring the tensions and acting as if they don’t exist? Teens are looking to be lead. Don’t allow the media to be the leading force in your teens’ lives. Teach them what the Bible says, letting it transform their hearts. Preach Jesus, but don’t pretend as if the cultural tension doesn’t exist. Use examples as application opportunities. Racial conflicts can affect your youth group directly. Don’t ignore them. EXPOSE STUDENTS TO RACIAL DIVERSITY One of the biggest tensions we face is racial division. Sadly, Sunday continues to be the most segregated time of the week. Create opportunities to invite guest youth leaders, musicians, and speakers who look different from the members of your congregation. It’s important for students to see people of color in leadership roles. Often the

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only exposure teens have to a different race is through mission trips. Think outside the box about how you can change that narrative. At our church, we partner with other churches for events. One year, my church hosted a joint community event. It was a mix of cultures. The students had a great time. You would be surprised at what a little Cupid Shuffle and Cha-Cha Slide can do to promote unity and cohesion. ENCOURAGE DIVERSE FRIENDSHIPS We all tend to feel more comfortable around people who resemble us or have similar experiences. We miss out on the diversity God has created in people when we box our friendships into little categories of “like me”. We learn most about each other when we are in relationship. Having friends from various ethnicities teaches us empathy and diminishes stereotypes. Who are your students getting to know outside their own race? Is your youth group divided by race? Do all the ministry students sit together? Do all kids feel welcome, known and loved in your youth group? Sometimes simply asking questions or creating experiences in which kids can voice their concerns is helpful. Develop creative ways to break the racial monotony. USE NATIONAL NEWS HEADLINES AS EXAMPLES I remember talking to a student a few years ago about a controversial topic. As we talked she said. “I know how the world feels. I know how my friends feel… I’m interested in knowing what God says about it.” Help your students process current national conversations. Teach them to apply scripture to current situations. Racism only has as much power as we allow it to have. If we want to see change in the next generation, we must lead our students into change. We have the opportunity to create a different vision of peace, love, and justice than the generations before us. It will take courage and boldness. It will take the willingness to become uncomfortable, awkward, and messy. You will be challenged in your belief systems, but it’s worth it. The opposite of love is not hate, but fear. Racism is a product of hate and fear of the unknown, but hate doesn’t have to win. Don’t let it.

TASHA MORRISON is a bridge builder, reconciler, fellow abolitionist and compelling voice in the fight for racial justice. She has developed an untamed passion for social justice issues across the globe. Tasha encourages racial reconciliation among all ethnicities, promotes racial unity in America, and helps develop others to do the same. She seldom finds anyone who talks more than her.

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AN INTERVIEW WITH

Very few leaders in the church have been given the kind of platform that Derwin Gray currently enjoys. He is stewarding his influence to change the church in America for the better. Derwin grew up in poverty, influenced by both Mormonism and the Jehovah's Witness faith. As a young man without a father in his life, he turned to football as a place to find community and strong male leadership. After playing for Brigham Young University in college, he enjoyed a successful career in the NFL. Hall of Fame Quarterback Dan Marino once said the hardest hit he ever received was from Derwin Gray. He came to faith in the NFL, and after retirement he began ministry as a youth speaker and itinerant evangelist. Now as a senior pastor of a multiethnic church in the Charlotte area, Derwin and his wife Vicki live out their passion of seeing people of different cultural and racial backgrounds place their preferences and prejudices under the Lordship of Jesus Christ in the local church. We are honored to hear from someone who is talking about diversity while they live it out in their marriage, their student ministry, and their church.

Q: HOW MANY YEARS DID YOU PLAY IN THE NFL? A: I played for six years in the National Football League: the Indianapolis Colts from 1993-1997 and the Carolina Panthers in 1998.

Q: DID YOU BECOME A CHRISTIAN WHEN YOU WERE PLAYING IN THE NFL?

A: Yes. A teammate of mine with the Colts named Steve Grant would walk around

the locker room, wrapped in a towel, asking my teammates, “Do you know Jesus?”. Being unchurched, I thought to myself, “Do you know that you are half-naked?”. Steve’s nickname was “The Naked Preacher.” I watched Steve’s life for five years. He was loving. He was sacrificial. He was consistent. I knew he had something I did not. As the world I built up began to crumble around me, on August 2, 1997, I called my wife on the phone from my training camp dorm room and told her, “I want to be more committed to you and be committed to Jesus”. That’s when I was born again. I cried that entire night.

Q: WHAT WAS YOUR LIFE LIKE WHEN YOU WERE A TEENAGER? WHAT WAS YOUR HOME LIFE LIKE?

A: When I was a teenager, I was very

determined to get out of my dysfunctional home life by earning a scholarship to play college football. As I look back, I had experienced so much hurt that I didn’t trust anyone but me. I had a great work ethic that caused me to hone in my football skills, but at the end of the day I was lost. I didn’t know how lost I was until I came to know Jesus.

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Q: HOW DID YOU GO FROM PLAYING IN THE NFL TO MINISTRY?

A: I grew up with a compulsive stutter, so I never

thought about speaking publicly. But after Jesus transformed my heart, he also touched my tongue. In the fall of 1999, I received an invitation to speak at a youth event. After I spoke, a lot kids got saved (I’m thankful a pastor came out and did the altar call!). After speaking at that event, my phone started to ring like crazy for me to come and speak. After five years on the road preaching, God put on my heart to plant a multiethnic church, like the New Testament churches of the Apostle Paul.

Q: YOU STARTED YOUR MINISTRY

SPEAKING TO STUDENTS. WHAT WAS THAT LIKE AND WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT THAT SEASON?

A: I loved speaking to students. I found teenagers

to be remarkable and capable. I saw so much potential in the next generation. Those first years speaking to students allowed me to become a better communicator of the gospel. In some ways, they can be the most difficult audience to relate to, but if you are real with them and you love them, they will know it and they will respond.

Q: WHAT THREE THINGS WOULD YOU TELL EVERY YOUTH PASTOR RIGHT NOW THAT THEY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUTH MINISTRY... FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE AS A PASTOR?

1. You can’t give away what you do not possess. Therefore, your personal discipleship is vital to helping students grow. 2. Your presence and example is your greatest teaching tool. 3. Take care of yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally. Over-committing will overwhelm you every time.t

DERWIN A

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Q: WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM YOUR YEARS IN STUDENT MINISTRY THAT HAS HELPED YOU AS A LEADER, PASTOR, AND PREACHER?

A: Student ministry taught me to be a good listener.

Everyone has a story and everyone wants to be known. It also taught me the importance of theology and apologetics; to know what you believe and why. Students are not stupid. Give them the meat of the gospel. Go deep with them. They want to know the truth, so don’t be afraid it will turn them off. It will actually turn on a switch in their hearts that ignites a hunger for a deeper relationship with Jesus and each other.

Q: WHERE DOES A STUDENT PASTOR START IF THEY DECIDE THEY WANT TO REACH STUDENTS FROM A DIFFERENT ETHNIC BACKGROUND THAN THE DOMINANT CULTURE OF THEIR LOCAL CHURCH?

A: Start at the schools, specifically the sports teams. Sports break down barriers. Connect with those

teams and be a Chaplain. Visit your students. Even if you’re not athletic, go to their games. Eat lunch with them. Be involved in their lives outside of Sunday.

Q: YOU'RE THE PARENT OF A TEENAGER. HOW DO YOU AND VICKI HELP DISCIPLE YOUR KIDS?

A: Our greatest sources of discipleship are prayer, modeling Christ for them, and surrounding them with influential adults that encourage them. My kids have heard me preach like a billion times. It’s the real life stuff where what we teach them becomes real and they have to live it out by their own faith.

DERWIN AND HIS WIFE, VICKI.

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Q: WE SEEM TO BE LIVING IN A POWERFUL CULTURAL MOMENT WHERE PEOPLE ARE SEEING THAT THE WAY FORWARD IS TO BEGIN WITH A CONVERSATION. WHERE CAN STUDENT PASTORS BEGIN HAVING THAT CONVERSATION WITH PARENTS, LEADERS, AND THEIR OWN KIDS? A: The model from the beginning for conversa-

tion is Jesus. Jesus connected with elites, the marginalized, men, women, Jews, and Gentiles over food, which in the first-century was a statement of acceptance and love. It was in these intimate moments that Jesus led with questions that sparked a conversation. The woman at the well is a beautiful example how conversation can be the catalyst of transformation. It’s critical for student pastors and his/her team to connect with parents over food and simply listen. Develop systems and processes to make it a normal rhythm to connect with parents. This also applies to you pastoring a team of leaders. Food and fun lead to a healthy family that functions in building a healthy youth ministry culture that is integrated into the entire church. And it’s important for the youth pastor and his/her team to connect with students outside of the normal pattern of youth ministry. Students love to see the adults who do life with them to show up at their events.

Q: WHAT THREE BOOKS DO YOU THINK EVERY YOUTH MINISTER NEEDS TO READ RIGHT NOW?

A: Conformed to His Image by Ken Boa, Jesus A Theography by Frank Viola and Len Sweet, and The Day The Revolution Began by N.T. Wright.

Q: WHAT ARE THE MOST DIFFICULT ISSUES THAT YOU SEE TEENAGERS FACING TODAY IN THE CHURCH? HOW CAN THE PASTOR AND YOUTH LEADERS WORK TOGETHER TO HELP STUDENTS OVERCOME THESE?

A: Most church models separate and ignore the students

instead of incorporating students into the heartbeat of the local church. Our kids want theology and doctrine; they want to make a difference. We just need to include and equip them to be the people of God for the world. We can help out students with our presence in their lives, our prayers over the lives, and helping them participate in the life of the church.

Q: HOW DOES BLACK PANTHER HELP US MOVE FORWARD IN THE CHURCH PURSUING MULTIETHNIC MINISTRY? A: Black Panther, as a movie, takes people on a

journey. For many, all of sudden they consider that colonialism, the slave trade, and systemic injustice in America was real and had real negative effects for African Americans for centuries, even to this very day. I suspect most African Americans, like myself (though I’m 22% European), simply want an acknowledgement that the past racialized culture of America was damaging. Empathy and compassion can go a long way to bring about racial reconciliation. The movie will allow people of color to say, “This is what I mean.” Also, Killmonger (the villain in the movie) is a picture of how hurt and systemic injustice can scar a person so bad that it causes them to want to oppress people simply because they were oppressed. That’s what hate does. It causes you to become what you hate. T’Chilla (The Black Panther) stands out as a picture of using power to forgive, thus reversing some of the wrongs of injustice.

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Q: “C TH

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Q: HOW CAN YOUTH PASTORS AND THOSE WHO WORK WITH STUDENTS UTILIZE THE “CULTURAL MOMENT” AND SUCCESS OF BLACK PANTHER AND ITS BIGGER STORY FOR THE GOSPEL AND THE GROWTH OF THEIR MINISTRY TO TEENAGERS? A: It’s important for youth leaders to understand the world their students are living in; to understand the chang-

ing times while also understanding the unchanging truth of the gospel. This movie makes it easy for youth pastors to talk about the gospel, racism, good and evil and the need for multicultural ministry simply because the whole country is already talking about it! It’s a lay-up for leaders. The door has been opened, so walk through it. Through the redemptive work of Jesus, God creates the family He promised Abraham (Gen 3:8-29). And this multi-ethnic family is a picture of eternity. We can have that reality right here on Earth, right now, if we pursue it by the power of the Holy Spirit. YM

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Mañana

Being the people of tomorrow, today By dante stewart

In his famous book “How Then Should We Live?”, Francis Schaeffer, the late theologian and scholar, pondered the question of Christian identity as it relates to the larger society. In it, he sought to give a view into history (specifically in the life of the mind) that would impact and shape us in the present. He traveled from antiguity to modernity to conclude a simple but important idea: what people and societies think determines how they act. He argued that if we do not learn from our failures of the past, we will repeat the same failures in the future. And that reality holds true for us today. As the church, we must constantly wrestle with the question: How Then Should We Live? This question is particularly important as it relates to the diversity of the church in America. If we wrestled with this question as Schaeffer did, we would sadly conclude that the evangelical mind is divided, specifically as it relates to racial diversity. Michael O. Emerson, Christian sociologist, in his article “A New Day for Multiracial Congregations”, writes:

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“As of 2007, 85 percent of congregations in the United States were comprised of at least 90 percent of one group. As of 2010, just 4 percent of all congregations claimed to have no racial minority.” He continues to share that “This racial segregation in congregations in our modern, diverse nation has many costs. When congregations are racially segregated, there is less opportunity for intergroup mobility (such as through intermarriage) and more importance is placed on racial boundaries, separate racial identities, and other differences between groups. Though many in the religious community call and work for an end to racial division and inequality, the very organization of religion into segregated congregations often undercuts their efforts.” Given the data and the history, he and his colleagues boldly proclaim: “The twenty-first century must be the century of the multiracial congregation.” Anything less than a religious movement for multiracial congregations will lead to the decline of the American church as we know it. Such a bold proclamation seems daunting given the many hidden barriers that we are immersed in daily. Yet we today, specifically as those who have been called to lead, must ask ourselves: How then should we live? A MAÑANA VISION, A MAÑANA PEOPLE I believe we gain some perspective from Hispanic theologian, Justo L. González, in what he calls, “a Mañana vision and a Mañana people”. In his book, “Mañana: Christian Theology From A Hispanic Perspective”, he writes, “Mañana is much more than ‘tomorrow’…it is the radical questioning of today.” He then shares that there are those who “capture the mañana vision of scripture”, that: “The world will not always be as it is. It will not even be an outgrowth of what is. God who created the world in the first place is about to do a new thing—a thing as great and as surprising as that first act of creation. God is already doing this new thing, and we can join it by the power of the spirit! Mañana is here! True, mañana is not yet today, but today can be lived out of the glory and the promise of

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mañana, thanks to the power of the Spirit.” To him, the mañana people live out the full, future Reign of God in the present. He writes that, “If by the power of the Spirit, we are a pilgrim people looking forward to the coming Reign of God, we had better begin practicing the love of that Reign—we had better begin organizing our lives according to the new order that we know is coming and that we proclaim.” If we are to break down the many barriers that exist and are to lead in the area of racial diversity, we can be those who live out the reality of the lovely and diverse Reign of God in the future, right now. The Reign of God is built on the ministry of reconciliation and restoration of all things. It stands against selfishness and segregation and elevates sacrifice and service. The Reign of God is a reality where people from all nations, tongues, and people groups dwell in beautiful harmony. There is no ethnocentrism, no classism, no sexism, but Christ is all and in all. It is the Reign of God that redeems our identities, bringing healing and wholeness in all of life. It’s this mañana vision in people that is made possible “by the death and resurrection of Jesus, made present by the Spirit, and made certain by the power and promise of none other than God Almighty”. It is to this end that we must be formed as the leaders of today. We must be the mañana people of tomorrow, pursuing unity and racial diversity today. But how? I want to offer three simple ways to help us live out this reality. Adopted from Rich Villodas, pastor of New Life Fellowship New York, I want us to consider these three ideas:

our min wise

shar host dist pres He w crea and is no whe we m gifts mus to o T ofte ente this hon whe form doin raci

In the pursuit of racial diversity, we must live out the reign of God individually today. Paul writes in Romans 12:1-2 that Christians must be those who do not conform to the pattern of this world but rather, be those who are transformed by the renewing of the mind. When Paul wrote this letter, the Roman Christians were not living in unity. They were from different ethnic backgrounds; some in the church were Jews, some were Gentiles. Their cultural and ethnic backgrounds gave them different understandings of what it meant to follow Jesus as an individual and Paul calls them to reorient their understandings under the Reign of God. Because ethnicity matters so much in our American narrative, our Christianity must inform our racial understanding and identity. To be born in America is to be born into prejudices that we didn’t choose. And when we become Christian, these things don’t just go away. This is not our fault, but it is our responsibility. We must be transformed by killing toxic ideologies, dispositions, and biases. And this must reach not just

In Jo wor Jesu for e out brot wor cal r who

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The Reign of God is built on the ministry of reconciliation and restoration of all things. It stands against selfishness and segregation and elevates sacrifice and service.

our individual selves, but our corporate selves. Our ministries must inform those in our care how to think wisely about race, racism, bias, and multiracialism. In the pursuit of racial diversity, we must live out the Reign of God interpersonally today. Henri Nouwen in his book, “Reaching Out: Three Movements of the Spiritual Life”, shares that the natural human reaction to others is hostility. It is to view someone with skepticism and to distance oneself from another. Contrary to that, he presents us with a different way of relating: hospitality. He writes that, “Hospitality means primarily the creation of a free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy…hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them a space where change can take place.” His whole idea is that we must welcome strangers, realizing that they bring gifts. And so if we are to pursue racial diversity, we must live this hospitable vision out today as we relate to others. This is desperately needed today in our churches. So often we know each other’s names, but rarely do we enter a space where we know each other’s story. But this requires what we may feel is lacking: humility, honesty, and listening. We must fight to create a space where listening can happen, new perspectives can be formed, and where we join together in what God is doing to redeem and restore all things; especially our racial realities.

In John 17:21, Jesus prayed for us to be one so that the world would believe that He is truly the Son of God. Jesus wasn’t just praying for His day. Jesus was praying for every successive Christian generation. How we live out a desire for multi-ethnic ministry, loving all our brothers and sisters today, tells the story of God to the world. So we must ask ourselves, based on the historical realities of racism and segregation, then and now, who does the world say that He is?

In the pursuit of racial diversity, we must live out the reign of God institutionally today. Jesus is not just passionate about bringing healing and wholeness in our individual lives, but also in how we live out our lives in our institutions. To be honest about diversity, we must realize that there is such a thing as institutional racism. To think that sin has only affected our souls and not our societies is to woefully underestimate the power and reality of sin. We live in a society that is not just filled with prejudices, but a system involving cultural messages and institutional policies and practices that advantages some and disadvantages others. In the Christian church, if we are to live out the reign of God today, we must pursue racial diversity on the institutional level. We must ask ourselves the hard questions of who has benefited the most and how can we create a more diverse and equitable reality. We must be those who gladly work to reorient and redistribute power to work for justice and the good news of the gospel for everyone.

The Reign of God doesn’t just reorient our souls - God is reorienting our society. The work of the devil is to continue to perpetuate a broken system, but the work of Jesus is to identify that brokenness and bring healing. And the good news is that He is passionate about including us in that work. So in good faith, let’s join our great God in changing the story and in changing history. DANTE STEWART is a student at Reformed Theological Seminary. He is a graduate of Clemson University, where he was a student athlete and received a BA in Sociology. He and his wife, Jasamine, live in Augusta, Georgia, where he teaches Bible at Heritage Academy Augusta.

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You are not alone. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned this after spending more than twenty-five years in numerous roles, up front and behind the scenes, in ministry. It began for me as a volunteer youth worker out of high school, which then led me to become a full-time youth pastor for ten years, a full-time senior pastor for ten years, and then return back to full-time student ministry. Throughout it all, I came alive talking with teenagers, parents, households, and communities about what it means to really help one another follow Jesus. Did you know there are some pretty amazing people like yourself out there who want to change the world through students by changing the world of students? Cheering on these church leaders and youth workers has made me feel like a bilingual translator, able to help everyone hear each other. We dared each other to ask better questions in order to discover deeper answers and wisdom beyond ourselves.

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By taking part in the Church-at-large, we became more effective in the local church… and vice-versa. That’s what I’m celebrating, including writing articles for great magazines like Youth Worker Journal. That journey began as I reviewed products, then composed larger articles and eventually took on larger interviews with notable leaders like Max Lucado, Steven Furtick, Jon Acuff and more. As I heard about the vision for Youth Ministry Magazine, I again hoped that whatever I could offer would be useful to someone else out there in ministry… perhaps someone who like me, didn’t grow up knowing about Jesus, but had someone else take the time to invite them into something. So can I invite you into something? I’d love the opportunity to each month share with you what I’m relearning about youth ministry. Maybe I should package this as “Seasoned Insights from a Veteran Youth Worker”, but I’m not sure I like how that shoe fits. I’ve been finding more joy and fruitfulness by being fully-present as a teachable learner than by trying to build a platform or create followers. Take this issue’s theme of the need to reach across racial and cultural barriers in student ministry. There’s an incredible learning curve we all need to recognize we’re in based on the generation many of us grew up in. If you’re a younger youth worker, you emerged into an era where everyone has had their mental calculators handy to determine if something is or isn’t offensive. In contrast, I stepped into ministry in an era (not that long ago) in which we just lived life and apologized if we hurt someone. I’m wondering if things have changed, or if we just think they have. You know what I mean if you reflect on the television shows students regularly watch. Consider how the CW Network seems to go out of its way to make sure that diversity reigns in all of its programming to teenagers. Supergirl changed the ethnicity of an iconic character - the traditionally wimpy, red-haired and Caucasian Jimmy Olsen was instead a buffed-up, bald African-American. Riverdale (based on the Archie Comics) has had Reggie Mantle portrayed as Asian, Josie and the Pussycats all African-American, and Veronica Lodge played by a Brazilian actress. It’s as if everyone behind-the-scenes keeps asking, “Is this the right mix? Do we have the right pie chart yet?”

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Those are odd questions, aren’t they? I’m not sure if they’re right or wrong, but can you imagine growing up in a culture where that’s something you’re allegedly supposed to wonder about? As a white guy from the suburbs, I never watched the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air years ago and thought, “I’m filling my quota to watch diverse programming in doing this.” I just enjoyed a lot of (though not all of) the show, laughed at its memorable characters, got caught up in the more serious moments, and learned how to do the Carlton. I wonder how much diversity-on-demand matters to students today. Circling back to my earlier premise, do we all need to have a well-developed, veteran-level thought on this or is it more something to be teachable on? What if we all chose to probe with teenagers if diversity and cultural sensitivity really matter or if they feel these topics are supposed to matter? Keep in mind, I’m not suggesting that cultural or racial sensitivity needs to stop. In the last several years, we’ve unearthed some disturbing realities about how dangerously homogenous our perspective becomes when we don’t build bridges outside of our favorite circles. Racial tensions are real, as is bullying when someone doesn’t fit in culturally. We’re all inclined to pursue the people closest to us or who act like us at the exclusion of seeking others out who wouldn’t have an opportunity to enter into our world. I learned this firsthand years ago when I worked in an inner-city Boys and Girls Club. I

was the clear outsider coming in and they weren’t interested in getting to know me. I kept showing up each day and eventually learned names, helped with homework, dominated at video games (creating laughter), lost badly at any physical game (creating laughter), and ended that job with a lot of friends. If I had to sum up the takeaway, it was that students don’t care about the color of a youth worker’s skin who invests in them. INSTEAD OF THEM ASKING, “DO YOU LOOK LIKE ME OR FEEL HOW I FEEL?”, IT’S MORE LIKE, “WILL YOU LOOK AT ME AND FEEL WITH ME WHAT I FEEL?” The Bible reveals in Revelation 7:9 that in eternity, a great multitude that no one could number from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, will gather together to stand before God. If we make “diversity” the primary goal in life or ministry we’ll just get that crowd without God. If we ignore being aware of diversity, though, we miss out on the whole representation of what it means for humanity to be made in God’s image.

By n pub Billy real bec hon man W T (rig wife F prea wat he p netw gosp peo In his inte

TONY MYLES is a multifaceted youth ministry veteran, conference speaker and author with a passion for the future of the Church. He's served that calling as a senior pastor and youth worker, and leads the student ministry team at Riverside Church (Big Lake, MN)... and he really likes smoothies.

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MY DAY WITH BILLY GRAHAM by Clayton King By now, thousands of leaders, pastors, politicians and public figures have spoken and written about the impact Billy Graham had on our nation and the world. I can’t really add anything significant to that conversation, because words have limitations when it comes to honoring and memorializing such a humble, powerful man of God. What I can do, however, is tell a story. This is the brief story of one of the best days of my life (right behind the day I was saved, the day I married my wife, Sharie, and the birth of my boys). From the time I became a Christian and began preaching as a teenager, I idolized Billy Graham. I watched him on network television with my parents as he preached during primetime on all three major networks. I studied the way he communicated simple gospel truths and how he gave clear invitations for people to repent of their sins and trust Jesus. In college, I began to study the history of how he built his team and how he elevated the standard of financial integrity and personal holiness. I was also moved by his

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love for his wife and commitment to their marriage. So for eighteen years, I tried to meet Billy Graham. I wrote letters. I made phone calls. I appealed to his family members. I once even attempted to climb the ten-foot high fence around his mountain home in Montreat, NC (but abandoned the endeavor when the German Shepherds showed up). Then on April 6, 2005, without any effort on my part, things fell into place as only God can orchestrate and Sharie and I wound up in his living room for an entire afternoon. I literally got to sit at the feet of Billy Graham. I asked dozens of questions. I had read his entire autobiography “Just As I Am” and he told me I was the only person he’d ever met that read all 1,000 pages (and you better believe I am proud of that fact). He talked about his wife, Ruth, his children, and his crusades (especially London, Madison Square Garden, and the Los Angeles Crusade of 1949 where Louis Zamperini became a Christian). We spent a good amount of time talking about farming, since we both grew up on a farm. He recalled conversations he’d had

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with Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton, and Queen Elizabeth. He said that he regretted that he didn’t spend more time studying the Bible, that he wished he’d spent more time with his kids when they were little, and that he wished he could have done more for Jesus during his lifetime. I was awestruck by his holiness and his humility. I felt as if I was in the presence of Moses or the Apostle Paul. He glowed with the glory of God. And yet he was as normal and kind as any sweet old grandfather. His eyes were piercing, yet warm. His handshake was a bit frail, yet firm. When we hugged him as we left, I smelled the faint scent of shaving cream and realized what a normal, ordinary man he was. But he was not ordinary at all, was he? No, he had an extraordinary calling on his ordinary life and an anointing unlike any mortal man has ever had. He lived a life above reproach. He turned down opportunities to become a movie star and an invitation to run for President, all so he could stay faithful to preaching the gospel. When I asked him what advice he would give to a young evangelist like me, he answered clearly: “Pray all the time. Read the Bible every day. Be a man of integrity. And ask the Holy Spirit to anoint you when you preach, because without Him, you can’t do anything.” As we left, I asked if he would sign my Bible, and though he had Parkinson's, his hand held steady as he wrote these words. KEEP YOUR KNEES DOWN AND YOUR EYES ON JESUS. We can all rejoice that he actually did this. Billy Graham practiced what he preached. And our world is all the better for it. YM

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J oin S ha r i e K i n g a s she in vi te s y ou to joi n conv e r s a tion s w i t h s ome o f h e r fa vor i te pe op le to ta l k a b ou t little s e cr e t s for y o u r big b r e a k th r ou g h.

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