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I believe that creating a culture is very important in a youth group. In Foundations for Youth Ministry, Dean Borgman says that "Culture is all that humans learn in community and pass onto future generations; it is all that we have learned to make out of our physical environment to improve human existence." Most youth groups have a culture, good or bad they have one. Most times you have to be creative to build and maintain a good culture.
Some ideas for creating culture can include meeting somewhere else other than church.
If you don't want students to compare school culture to youth group culture, meet at some unique venues. Do a coffee and hangout night in a local caf? or do a movie screening at a campground in the summer. When students have the opportunity to see each other outside the church, it's a huge win. One of the greatest motivators of your culture should be your mission and vision for your youth group.
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Drill your mission statement into your student leaders' minds if you really want your leaders to convey to the students what is important to you. Students are the primary carriers of culture.
If you are a rural youth pastor, connecting with your community is a must. When Garrett came into class and spoke he brought up multiple different tactics and ideas you can use to connect with your local community. Some of these include serving your schools, volunteering, and even something as simple as having a job in the community.
These can be done by participating in a teacher appreciation week and including your youth students in the festivities. They also can be done by volunteering in an area where you have the skills to do so. Finally, having a job in the community where you are having constant exposure to the people is important. All of those interactions are opportunities for you to be accepted in the community and build a positive image for your youth group and yourself.
An issue I feel youth groups can run into is changing their culture to fit in with modern-day American culture. While there are some good things that come from that, there are a lot of bad things as well. The culture in the United States is currently a very secular one and full of bad cultural norms. Two cultural topics that I will most likely face when I am apart of youth ministry include abortion and homosexuality. First, on the topic of abortion, I think we should convey to teens in our youth group that we will be there for them through an unplanned pregnancy. We should be like Christ in the sense of when we sin He doesn't just turn his back on us, He brings us back into his arms and cares for us still. I think the most powerful lie the enemy uses to trick young women into abortion is the threat of being kicked out and being unsupported. Next is the lie that minimizes the truth that a live human being that God created is growing inside of them.
In the book, Dean Borgman goes into detail about sexual conduct and sexuality. He says, "Any theology of sexuality begins with God, the divine model, exemplar, and instructor of all we are and should be." One practical thing we can begin to do when talking on the subject of homosexuality is on the same page as the church we are going to be working for. We need to know how our church views the issue and create a structured plan as a church on how we all will deal with students who are struggling. We want to be able to handle it and have the church back us up through it. Another thing we can do is obviously talk about it. Each day the world is creating ways to normalize sin. Youth students need to hear where we stand and our hearts on the issue. If we never discuss the topic, students who are struggling may never seek help. We should introduce God's view on the subject. A lot of times students are struggling with the temptation but also God's rejection that they think comes with the temptation. It is important for students to understand the difference between God's love and view of us and his approval or disapproval of our actions.
Continuing on the subject of homosexuality, we need to explain temptations concerning the issue. Being tempted to sin is not sin; It's how we act upon that temptation that can result in sin. Students who are being tempted by this lifestyle can feel like they are tortured by the feeling of guilt just being tempted with these issues. With the world saying, "you are denying your true self" students need to hear and learn from us what the Bible says about the topic. We all should understand that life is complicated and we all have different stories from our own experiences that affect us still. We need more people caring for the lives of students and not just "preaching" against their behavior. If we begin to care more and invest more in students' lives we can begin to affect their behavior. The last thing that we should convey to students is that their struggle is not their identity. Just because someone struggles with sin, doesn't mean that they have to be defined by it. I remember when Twyla came to speak for one of our classes and she talked about labels. She said, "when we reinforce the labels of being gay or lesbian we continue to identify those individuals by their struggle. If the student has given their life to Christ their identity is first in Him. Students still may struggle, but having them understand their identity gives them power over their struggle. It's the beginning of the road to deliverance from these issues.
Creating Culture Is Very Important In A Youth Group. (2019, Dec 12). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/i-believe-that-creating-culture-is-very-important-in-a-youth-group-example-essay
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