True, teens do experience real life. Pregnancies, addictions and empty spiritual homes are experiences all too real to teens. So real that it affects them for the rest of their lives. The affects are so large because that bubble burst. Bubbles are good for baths, protection, and may even provide a safe, or sterile environment to learn that formula to ease teens into adulthood and responsibility. But life, adolescent life, spiritual life shouldn’t always be in a bubble.

What inadvertently has happened is our youth are growing in their faith but it is often outside of the church family. When these youth grow into adulthood, very often the transition into the church family doesn’t happen and these now young adults are lost to the church. Maybe you too have heard other ministers describe youth ministry as “orphaning structures.” Why do your youth disappear after confirmation, or graduation?

It is because the now young adult’s only connection to the church hasn?t been grown. Fear plays a huge part in the success of or failure of youth ministry.

Fear of what?

Fear of being laughed at, not accepted, rejection, etc?..

What causes the behind youth ministry to be fixing what is broken, when in fact the ministry was never broken at all.

My wife Tracey and I have rescued dozens of teens through Christ from making bad choices, cutting, drinking, drug use, parent teen relationships, and bringing them closer to their Savior Jesus. This was not accomplished through a curriculum, or by becoming substitute for the church. Our volunteer efforts encouraged parents since most of the latter do not provide the spiritual direction and accountability that their children need.

But there is a problem here: kids take their cues from their family, not from their youth ministers. God’s plan was for the church to support the family, and for the family to be the front-line of ministry within the home.

Teenagers may glean some truths and principles from youth leaders, but the greatest influence in their lives will remain their parents.” “What are youth ministries doing to serve families? They are too busy to serve, and Mom and Dad are okay with this.

You may have parents who feel intimidated by your talented youth worker so they only drop their youth off for the youth meetings and do little else in the area of spiritual training?

Or have you had parents complain about the talented youth worker because he/she is not teaching their children the way they or the Pastor?s would like?

It is time to bring the parents back into youth ministry.

It is also time to bring the entire church family back into youth ministry.

How you do this can take many forms. This is a working resource adding new ideas and new resources from people who are trying out this new youth ministry model. We are here to help and inspire.

Brian Arthur Lampe
Tracey Lampe
CEO Ministries

A fan is someone who decides to participate only if interested.

A player responds to the invitation with joy and gladness.

A fan is not a part of the team.

A player seeks out mentors to help him or her become a better player.

A fan is usually satisfied with minimal help from others.

A fan is very enthusiastic about the game and level of support sometimes depends on the current stats of the team.

A player serves with diligence to please his or her boss, a fan has no boss.

A player receives rewards and accolades; a fan has to buy their own hotdog!

A player has a future and a destiny, but when the game clock reaches 00:00 it is over for the fan.

A player runs with the big dogs and is expected to perform at his very best for each opportunity, while the fan simply sits on the porch and watches them play.

The apostle Paul encourages us to consider the importance of giving ourselves fully to the Lord Jesus Christ and His agenda for our lives in 1 Corinthians 15:58 where he writes: ?Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.?

Are we a player or fan? When asked, what will most people say ?I can?t commit, and really don?t have the time right now,? or ?what?s the rush I can always decided later.?

This excuse, laziness, is one of the devil?s best tools of deception, we Christians and non-believers fall for it everyday. The other excuse is ?I don?t know what God wants from me? I go to church, give my tithe every week, what else does God want with me?? The answer is simple, ?More.?

More time with him throughout the day, and less busyness, more honor and respect, less attitude of ingratitude, more love, less disappointment and complaining, etc… Am I making sense, someone say ?Yes!?

He wants us to seriously totally depend on Him, glorify Him in everything we do, and make the attempt through prayer and meditation on His Holy Word to stay connected to Him which in turn will help us fulfill our daily Christ Empowered Opportunity.

Connecting to God

We first need to establish that we were created by God with value and worth!
God loves us and created us to know Him personally, not from a distance. The Bible tells us: “You created every part of me and put me together in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13-14).

God loves us

“For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son so that anyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).

God’s has a purpose for us

[Christ speaking] “My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.” (John 10:10).

The ways of the world can really take a toll on our Godly way of thinking. Our mind is actually the battlefield where the Devil attempts to lure us away from God. He try?s to mess with our thoughts, so when he brings temptation our way, we cave.

The media doesn?t help, Wars fought on the battlefield are now instantaneously available to view in our homes, via, cable news or satellite T.V., terrorists beheading people can be seen via the internet. Honestly, computers, television and excessive gaming, can turn people into disembodied ghosts capable of anything; internet affairs through chat rooms or e-mails, feeding porn addictions so we can be all alone with no watching us ?guiltlessly? experience our sin.

Living Connected with God

Did you know that God desires a lifetime of connecting with us? The worship service we attend once a week is simply to wet our appetite to constantly continue to worship God in whatever we do.

The Triune God creator of the universe has literally died to know you in a personal way. And, through His Holy Spirit, He gives us the tools to live in a connected relationship with Him for all eternity.

Continue Spiritually Being Connected with God

Spiritual breathing is basically exhaling the bad stuff in our lives by confessing our sins to God. The Bible tells us: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9).

Then, we need to inhale the Holy Spirit asking God to fill us. The Bible says: “Be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18b).

Share the Love of Christ with Others

The greatest gift we can give others is in our response to a commandment of Christ. Christ said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20).

How can you share Christ with your friends? We have tools to help you go to your campus or workplace and share Christ.

What kind of a Christ Empowered Opportunity do I have waiting for me? That is between you and God. We encourage you to pray and ask God for guidance. There is a list of ideas that may be able to assist you. Otherwise speak your Pastor.

Equipping you for your Christ Empowered Opportunity

To fulfill God?s purpose which He has intended you for, may be a distinct small audience of one, or millions of people. Whatever your situation, one must be prepared. God?s Word is designed to further the relationship God desires to have with those who love Him. Meditating on His Word, God will enable you and teach, train, give wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and insight to those whom He has chosen.

Contrary to popular beliefs, one cannot ?accept, receive, or come to Christ? on their own. It may be semantics to most, but make no mistake who gave you the opportunity to posses the one true faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is that faith which caused you to believe in God, and His Holy Spirit which moves, and motivates our inner being daily.

John 6:44 ?No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.?

God has been there all along guiding, planting, directing, your every step preparing us to execute His mission, vision, values, as we continue to grow and change to become effective for active ministry.

I am going to encourage you to dwell on these next set of verses as we close. Please meditate on Acts 17:24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28?For in him we live and move and have our being.? As some of your own poets have said, ?We are his offspring.??

So what are you waiting for?

What?s your Christ Empowered Opportunity? ?

Brian Arthur Lampe

I am a child living less than a mile from here. I am growing up pretty much on my own. Mom treats me like I?m a nuisance, and most people don?t even act like I exist. I need someone to look at me, to spend time with me. I need someone to love me for me. Will you play with me, hold me, tell me I matter? Will you serve me in love?

TWO

I am old now, or at least that is what you would say. I don?t feel old, but I guess I am. I used to have friends and my family used to come around, but now they are all gone. I am lonely. I feel like nothing I do matters. I have lived, I have learned. Will you listen to me, sit with me, learn from me, give me purpose? Will you serve me in love?

THREE

I am your friend, I think. We talk about everything but what really matters, what is in my heart. I am struggling right now, I need to know some answers. Can you help me? Will you tell me, love me, stand by me, hold me accountable? Will you serve me in love?

FOUR

I am your mother, your father, your brother, your sister. I am your family. I live with you everyday. I know more about you than anyone. Why have you pulled so far away from me? Why do you treat me as if I weren?t a real person? Will you respect me, live as Christ in front of me? Will you serve me in love?

FIVE

I am your neighbor. You see me everyday, and we are polite. Always nodding heads or saying hellos. We smile and wave, but you don?t know me. You don?t know what I am going through, what is eating at my heart. I see you go to church each Sunday and I wonder if you will ever ask me to go.

Will you reach out to me, minister to me, help me? Will you serve me in love?

Is not this why you are wrong? You know neither the scriptures, nor the power of God.

Jesus to the Sadducees

#1 Explore:

The goal: to begin to interact with the passage

• get the discussion going
• discover initial thoughts, feelings, ideas
• find out what?s going on in the passage

Comparison and contrast, Lists

• ?What?s surprising in this passage??
• ?Who do you indentify with and why??
• ?Trace the emotions in the passage.?

#2 Connect

The goal: Going deeper

Your role: pursue a line of questions, following up on what people have said, and drawing them deeper into the passage and their own thoughts and feelings. Help people figure out what the passage is saying and what it is not.

Pursue ?connection points?:
something important or essential, problematic, particularly relevant, or referred to more than once.

Connections: to one another.

#3 Respond

Get at questions like:

• What do you think of a God like this?
• When have you been in situations like this?
• Do you believe what we?ve just seen?
• What do you want to do this week?

Share stories, Express feelings, Worship, Pray, Make commitments.

Brian Arthur Lampe