There are some youth ministries (and churches) out there who believe that the level of emotion that one experiences in their worship, prayer times, testimonies, etc, is an accurate gauge of one’s discipleship and growth as a believer. The equation is pretty simple: the greater/deeper emotional response = the greater/deeper encounter with Christ. And while emotion should definitely not be suppressed or avoided, we must be careful not to blindly adopt this equation of ‘emotion = discipleship.’
I speak as one who was quite susceptible to emotionalism as a teenager in the youth ministry I was a part of growing up. Discipleship and spiritual maturity was all about who generated the greatest emotional response to a sermon, music set, at a retreat, an alter call, and so on. One particular night I remember my youth pastor challenging us during a time of corporate confession (around a bonfire of course) to "not hold back and be real before Jesus." As students began to share, I was well aware of my sin and didn't want to leave that night still 'hiding my sins from Jesus.' So, as a 17 year old teenager, I confessed everything in front of the group... Everything I could possibly think of. The mood had definitely been set by my youth leader and he later commended me for how open and honest I was. While I believed I was being obedient to God at the time by airing out all of my garbage, I look back at the whole experience and cringe at how honest I was before them... Not because confession is wrong but because of the young ears who heard all of those confessions. I lacked the discernment that 'confessing everything' might not have been the best thing to do.
Fast forward several years and I find myself as a youth minister. My first year at the church, we attended 'Acquire the Fire' because, as one student informed me, "that is what our youth group did every year before you became... It’s the best event that we go on." With the help of smoke machines, loud bands, and youth speakers who can tell gripping stories filled with well-placed tears and effective pauses, ATF has mastered the skill of evoking an emotional response from teenagers... And just like all highs, it is, and was, just a matter of time until the crash. How can we expect anything else? How are the teens supposed to get as excited back at their local church when our ‘worship band’ consists of just Bob… a balding middle-aged man who is still learning to play guitar? All that to say: I no longer attend ATF. Every once in awhile a parent or student will come up to me and ask why we don't go to ATF anymore. While my response varies depending on who is the one asking me, my most common response goes something like this, "Because discipleship is a marathon... It is a daily decision and a daily directing of our paths toward Christ. It is not about getting emotionally hyped up for 24 hours and trying to ride it out for as long as possible… only having to try and duplicate the experience later… We don’t go to Acquire the Fire because I don’t want to teach our teens that their ‘level of emotion’ determines the truth of the gospel and the necessity to pursue a deeper walk with Christ, even when we don’t feel like it… Something along those lines.
Up until just a year or so ago, I experienced quite a bit of guilt and shame when I would compare the current student ministry I find myself in with that of the one I was a part of growing up in my teenage years. I remember the emotion filled testimonies... I remember worshiping with my fellow teenage peers... I remember some great retreats that we went on together. And quite honestly, I don't see that as much with the youth ministry that I am currently leading. At times I wonder if I am in the wrong. I wonder if I have become so cautious about not being manipulative that I have actually robbed them of something deeper. However, what I have begun to see is something that has less highs and lows and something that appears to be more true and lasting.
I speak as one who was quite susceptible to emotionalism as a teenager in the youth ministry I was a part of growing up. Discipleship and spiritual maturity was all about who generated the greatest emotional response to a sermon, music set, at a retreat, an alter call, and so on. One particular night I remember my youth pastor challenging us during a time of corporate confession (around a bonfire of course) to "not hold back and be real before Jesus." As students began to share, I was well aware of my sin and didn't want to leave that night still 'hiding my sins from Jesus.' So, as a 17 year old teenager, I confessed everything in front of the group... Everything I could possibly think of. The mood had definitely been set by my youth leader and he later commended me for how open and honest I was. While I believed I was being obedient to God at the time by airing out all of my garbage, I look back at the whole experience and cringe at how honest I was before them... Not because confession is wrong but because of the young ears who heard all of those confessions. I lacked the discernment that 'confessing everything' might not have been the best thing to do.
Fast forward several years and I find myself as a youth minister. My first year at the church, we attended 'Acquire the Fire' because, as one student informed me, "that is what our youth group did every year before you became... It’s the best event that we go on." With the help of smoke machines, loud bands, and youth speakers who can tell gripping stories filled with well-placed tears and effective pauses, ATF has mastered the skill of evoking an emotional response from teenagers... And just like all highs, it is, and was, just a matter of time until the crash. How can we expect anything else? How are the teens supposed to get as excited back at their local church when our ‘worship band’ consists of just Bob… a balding middle-aged man who is still learning to play guitar? All that to say: I no longer attend ATF. Every once in awhile a parent or student will come up to me and ask why we don't go to ATF anymore. While my response varies depending on who is the one asking me, my most common response goes something like this, "Because discipleship is a marathon... It is a daily decision and a daily directing of our paths toward Christ. It is not about getting emotionally hyped up for 24 hours and trying to ride it out for as long as possible… only having to try and duplicate the experience later… We don’t go to Acquire the Fire because I don’t want to teach our teens that their ‘level of emotion’ determines the truth of the gospel and the necessity to pursue a deeper walk with Christ, even when we don’t feel like it… Something along those lines.
Up until just a year or so ago, I experienced quite a bit of guilt and shame when I would compare the current student ministry I find myself in with that of the one I was a part of growing up in my teenage years. I remember the emotion filled testimonies... I remember worshiping with my fellow teenage peers... I remember some great retreats that we went on together. And quite honestly, I don't see that as much with the youth ministry that I am currently leading. At times I wonder if I am in the wrong. I wonder if I have become so cautious about not being manipulative that I have actually robbed them of something deeper. However, what I have begun to see is something that has less highs and lows and something that appears to be more true and lasting.
My conclusion is a very predictable one. Emotions are some of the very fabrics that make us human. As youth pastors/leaders, we must seek the healthy balance of not suppressing and avoiding a Christian faith that is void of emotions, which would be unhealthy and lacking. Also, we must make sure that our chief aim is not to simply seek out an 'emotional response' from our students because that has little to do with the gospel and more to do with adolescent development.
May we all seek to honestly and faithfully preach, teach, and present the gospel in a manner that is accessible and understandable to our students.
May we all seek to honestly and faithfully preach, teach, and present the gospel in a manner that is accessible and understandable to our students.
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Ah yes. I recall as a teen at camp the objective was to make sure I was at least casual friends with some cute girls. Then on the big "camp fire" night I'd be sure to sit near them. When we were supposed to take our sticks down and throw them in the fire, I'd make like I was all choked up and just wait for the feeling of one of them rubbing my back. Ah, those were the days. And of course I learned the technique from those running the camp!
ReplyDeleteThis takes courage to move away from a paradigm of ministry that is so deeply rooted into a community. I applaud you for not only recognizing the effects of emotionalism but also doing something about it in order to guide teens deeper in their relationship with God.
ReplyDeleteI too have taken students to ATF. I even had students that I took that went on to produce a mini version of the event in their high school:( Unfortunately, I recognized the effects of emotionalism too late and had several students who "crashed." There are some (now twenty-somethings) still trying to recover from a faith based largely on emotion. It is hard talking with them knowing that I played a part in creating their doubts and disbelief.
Good essay and a topic we shouldn't take lightly in youth ministry. We now know that the portion of the brain related to emotions develops fully early on in teens, whereas the reason centers develop later. Given this, it obvious why it is easy for adults to manipulate emotions in teens and should give us pause.
ReplyDeleteGreat article Jay! Great points and perspective. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteas a former member of that youth group I do have testify to watching the ebb and flow of teens and their emotions before and after ATF. Most of the "on-fire" teens in Axiom were that way because of an ATF weekend, however, now some 6,7,8 years later most of them don't even attend church. After ATF weekends girls would pledge the next year of their lives to singleness in order to grow closer to Christ, yet only to start dating a few weeks after claiming they had learned everything they needed to know. I watched guys proclaim a calling into the youth ministry only to forget this supposed calling months later.
ReplyDeleteI loved ATF as a teen because it helped infuse some new energy into my spiritual life, but I didn't allow it to be the be all end all. When teens are grounded I believe ATF can be utilized in a good healthy way, however that is the problem. The majority of teens are as grounded as a plastic sack.
Jay-
ReplyDeleteGreat thoughts. I attended a couple "Acquire the Fire" events when I was in High School. I still struggle and wrestle with the concept of emotions. Coming from a Nazarene background, I sought "greener grass" where the "spirit was moving" after commiting my life to Christ. This led me to an Assembly of God, which I believe taught me a few things. There is a delicate balance. God has given us emotions, and there are times when we laugh, cry, and dance. But the danger is when the focus equates emotions to true spiritual fruit. My friend was shunned from the worship band because he didn't have the gift of "speaking in tongues".
I think emotions are important, but when they are manipulated for "spiritual success" it is just plain wrong. We need to question our motives and hearts every time we are leading others throughout ministry.
I do think we need to be careful of criticizing the entire ATF organization and the ministry we are doing. Many lives have been changed because of their ministry.
Blessings-
Scott
Thanks so much for writing this. My husband and I have a very amazing opportunity to form the foundation of a new teen group and this was definite confirmation of the direction we would like to go in.
ReplyDelete