Reaching the Rural Teen

(This post was written as a comment on http://crossroadsfarm.org/blogs/no-one-wants-this-type-of-ministry/)


I would agree with the "get saved act like a beleiver" direction. I believe that is a Biblical concept. Now the process doesn't happen overnight, repentence is a life long daily action, not a one time deal. The problem I have seen within the local church is that we have spent a ridiculas amount of hours trying to train goats to act like sheep. It is the same for "church kids" or "outreach kids" I have heard it so many times I can't count.


"O well we know little Johnny is saved he said the prayer at VBS when he was 5, I was there and now that he is a teenager he is just going through a time of rebellion."

Ask "little Johnny" if he is saved you will recieve a harty YES, ask him what that means, and what he is saved from he will look at you with a blank stare or spout off some "christianeese" that he heard from the pastor.

Have we forgotten about Regeneration? Do we not understand the old has gone, the new has come? What does it take to reach teens? The same thing as it takes to reach adults. What the Scripture teaches. Preach the gospel! Use the law as a school master to lead them to Christ. Show their depravity, reveal their wickedness. Once they are humbled, and broken then and only then once the soil has been plowed plant the seed of grace and mercy, and show Jesus Christ.

Your absolutly right about making the mistake that everyone who attends Crossroads is a Christian. We make the same mistake assuming everyone who attends church is saved. Withoug going into a mini sermon on false conversions, let's just say there are a lot weeds among the wheat, a lot of goats among the sheep. It is time to stop teaching the goats to act like a sheep then getting frustated when they turn their back on the church and walk away. After all if they have gone out from us, they were not of us to begin with.

O that God would raise up a generation of true believers. The fancy brick buildings filled with false believers that we call "the church" are far to worried about living their best life know, and becoming a better them, then they are about preaching the truth! "Here are three helpful points to live life, and here are 5 tips to deal with difficulty", and bla bla bla. How about confess, repent and believe in Christ to SAVE you from the wrath of Almighty God!

We have this idea that the "church" is failing today. Let us make no mistake about this, that there is ONE church and it is not failing at all! The Church of Jesus Christ is a beautiful bride preparing herself for her groom. The church is preaching the Gospel, removing themselves from wickedness, walking in the light, obeying the commands, fellowshiping with beleivers, bearing good fruit and bringing glory to the Father.

Taking a new convert and placing them in 99% of American "churches" is like feeding a lamb to the wolves. But fear not, because the shepherd is good, faithful, and powerfull. And He who begins a good work, will finish it.

"Churches" truly don't want the the teens they claim to want, but they also don't want the God they claim to love.