Are Your Youth Group Kids Serious?

This past Sunday a guest at our church asked me if if our youth group kids are "serious".  This is a very good question that deserves a solid answer.  I think my answer might surprise some folks, especially well meaning Christian parents.  Christian parents are often looking for a church youth group for their young teens where their kids will be surrounded by "good" kids and preferably "good" kids who love Jesus.  They want a safe environment with good influences all around.  This is reasonable to a point but there is more to being a part of a church than safety.  If I am doing my job as a youth pastor there will be good influences and bad all mixed together.

"Serious" Kids

If I'm doing my job, the youth group will have "good", "serious" kids who love Jesus and who are doing their level best to follow him in this crazy world.  These kids could properly be called disciples because they come to youth group wanting to worship God in song, to learn solid biblical truth through teaching and then to get discipled/trained/mentored by their small group leaders each week.  They might fail at times but they get back up again and seek to love God and others.  Jesus had these kinds of people following him around much of the time and he invested heavily in them.  Our youth group has these kids and they are a blessing to have around.  I hope more and more of our kids take this route.

Messed Up Kids

But if I'm truly doing the job Jesus has called me to, I'm going to have a good number of kids whose lives are a complete wreck. We'll have cutters, we'll have kids with eating disorders, we'll have angry kids, we'll have depressed kids, we'll have suicidal kids, we'll have confused kids, we'll discipline problem kids, we'll have awkward kids, we'll have selfish kids, we'll have kids who look to drugs and alcohol for escape, we'll have kids who are completely dedicated to becoming the "ideal" person they see in the media that saturates their world.  And you know what? We have these kids and I'm happy that these kids feel like coming to our youth group.

Jesus came to save troubled kids from themselves and their sin. He came to bring joy and peace to the broken kids.  If I am doing my job as a pastor our youth group will be a safe place for kids who are hurting because that's who Jesus hung out with.  I'm here to bring them the truth and love of Jesus and with the help of the Holy Spirit these kids will make a decision to follow Jesus and turn the corner to be the "serious" kids who completely understand and appreciate who Jesus is and what he has done for them.  Serious kids, what ever their back ground and experience, have the opportunity to learn to work with and to love and encourage the messed up kids.

Serious Messed Up Kids

The reality is serious kids are real kids that struggle with real issues. Many of our serious kids are followers of Jesus that face the difficulties of our world and they are hurting kids. They don't have all the answers and their lives aren't squeaky clean. These kids are on the journey of faith that is leading them slowly but surely to the destiny that God is calling them too. If I am doing my job, the youth staff and I will be walking right along side of these kids and their parents.

So, are our youth group kids "serious"?  Some are, some aren't and some are interested but skeptical. It is with pleasure that my wife and I have our children involved in youth group. I am proud and thankful to God for serious, messed up and serious messed up kids coming to our church. We, as a youth staff are committed to loving each and every one just like Jesus has loved us, continues to love us and always will.  

We are serious about Jesus and bringing our kids to Jesus.

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“He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. 

And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Mark 2:12–17 ESV