Whenever possible, I love slipping into the back of our youth auditorium on Wednesday nights to watch our youth pastors in action. I have often said they have one of the hardest jobs in the world - to talk to, reach out to, deal with, and impact students who at best seem apathetic and indifferent to the rest of us.
One of the most stressful days of my entire year is the day I'm asked to do chapel for our Christian Life High School students. I love them, but to stand in front of several hundred teenagers and deliver is -- well -- frightening.
Fortunately for us all, youth pastors don't see students that way. They see gold mines and harvest fields and radical servants in those low hanging jeans and logo-emblazoned tops.
I like to listen to our youth pastors because I can pick up their ways of expressing. They shine when it comes to relating to students and are blessed with the natural language of the listener.
Youth pastors know if they don't use the right language, they'll lose the students to the flickering light bulb in the ceiling. One author says that's probably why guys like Andy Stanley, Rick Warren and Bill Hybels have become so successful - because these former youth pastors have learned to take the language of their audience and speak their language.
It's not about watering anything down. It's about communicating in a way that the crowd will understand what you're saying and will open doors for God to do spiritual transformation inside people.
This means we have to change the way we speak and communicate. This means we have to do a better job defining what we're talking about rather than assuming everyone automatically knows what 'accepting Jesus into your heart' means.
Just a thought.
And be blessed.
One of the most stressful days of my entire year is the day I'm asked to do chapel for our Christian Life High School students. I love them, but to stand in front of several hundred teenagers and deliver is -- well -- frightening.
Fortunately for us all, youth pastors don't see students that way. They see gold mines and harvest fields and radical servants in those low hanging jeans and logo-emblazoned tops.
I like to listen to our youth pastors because I can pick up their ways of expressing. They shine when it comes to relating to students and are blessed with the natural language of the listener.
Youth pastors know if they don't use the right language, they'll lose the students to the flickering light bulb in the ceiling. One author says that's probably why guys like Andy Stanley, Rick Warren and Bill Hybels have become so successful - because these former youth pastors have learned to take the language of their audience and speak their language.
It's not about watering anything down. It's about communicating in a way that the crowd will understand what you're saying and will open doors for God to do spiritual transformation inside people.
This means we have to change the way we speak and communicate. This means we have to do a better job defining what we're talking about rather than assuming everyone automatically knows what 'accepting Jesus into your heart' means.
Just a thought.
And be blessed.
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