Can You Believe The Youth Groups of Today??

I’m about 12 years past the whole church youth group scene, but the past couple of weeks I’ve read about NewSpring and RockBridge youth trips (NewSpring went to Panama City and RockBridge went to NYC) and I can’t believe how things have changed from the youth group I grew up in. I’ve taken a few moments and reverted back to what an old school point of view might be, and here are my sarcastic thoughts…
You took the kids where for what?

You mean they didn’t go on choir tour??

They didn’t compete in Teen Talent???

They didn’t go to general assembly????

Did the kids cold call businesses to sell and deliver lasagna dinners to pay for the trip or did you have an after church dinner where the adults paid for their plate and tipped the kids for being their servers – or did you do both those things?

How many car washes did the kids do?

Were you able to raise much money at your church-wide yard sale?

Did your youth pastor’s wife coordinate and participate in all that fund raising? Is she still sane or did she drive the youth pastor crazy? Are they still married?

Just what did these kids do to EARN these priveleges? Did you at least make them unload all the heavy sound equipment and portable stage etc etc when you got there?

What are you talking about??? You mean those kids literally walked the streets of NYC and talked to people about Jesus!!!!

Did they hand out ‘gospel tracs’ or was the “literature” you mention something else?

What do you mean you took the kids to Panama City, FL?
What do you mean that trip wasn’t for missions it was to minister TO the youth?
Well I can’t believe you made them get baptized in the dirty ocean and the parents and grandparents weren’t even there to see it. How did you play the organ during the baptismal service out on the beach?
Oh, and by the way, I saw those pictures and video clips of you wearing that sun visor cap out on the scorching hot beach – that’s irreverent while you’re talking about the Lord. And you should be ashamed wearing that sleaveless shirt.

Maybe I shouldn’t be so sarcastic making fun of the way church used to be when I was growing up. But what is really not that funny is that a lot of churches haven’t changed much if any at all. I’ve been reading or hearing a lot lately that every different church has a role and will reach different types of people with different types of needs according to their own vision etc etc. I want to agree with all that and understand that not every church can be like a NewSpring or a RockBridge. But I don’t think churches should be using that to justify never changing if they haven’t reached anybody new in decades. Take what makes you different and do it in a way that reaches people. I’m just a regular guy calling it how I see it. 

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