I normally don’t get so heavy handed (apparently I’m feeling more passion these days), but after reading Larry Welborn’s, a reporter and editor for the Orange County Register, article “Ex-youth pastor gets jail for sex with teen” I have to ask “How much longer are we going to allow this in the church?”
We’ve got a major problem where there is NO discernment happening when it comes to choosing leaders. Basically, if someone raises their hand to lead, they are selected. From personal experience, and the experience of my wife, we were NEVER questioned when we offered to lead youth groups, small groups, any group. My wife led a girls group at San Clemente Pres for years and no one had a clue what she was teaching these girls. To be sure it was godly and biblical, but not because the church had anything to do with it.
Here are some questions you need to ask yourself:
- As a parent, do you have any clue what your youth group leader believes regarding the inerrancy of the Bible, the sufficiency of Scripture, chastity, absolute truth, etc?
- Have you ever had dinner with your youth group pastor or the leaders in the church and seen them in their own homes?
- Are the youth group leaders more hip than they are in line with Titus 1 and Timothy 3?
- Have you asked your pastor if He ensures that ALL the leaders (small, women’s, men’s, youth) have a biblically sound worldview.
You would think that youth pastors would be better vetted if for no other reason than they are paid, but that is often not the case. The church is often more interested in a relevant hip pastor than a moral one and a pastor that will entertain kids rather than disciple them.
Of course, I don’t think it is the church’s responsibility to disciple your children. It is your responsibility as parents to train them and teach them and talk with them and build up their faith by living it out in front of them and teaching them throughout the day.
Are you a leader in the church? Has this been your experience?
You said, “…I don’t think it is the church’s responsibility to disciple your children.”
You are exactly right. It is not the Church’s responsibility it is the parents, namely the fathers (Deut 6:4-9, 11:18-25; Eph 6:4). When the Israelites came out of Egypt, did God send the children to a “Kids Sinai” where a hip, young assistant-to-Moses gave them the “Kids Torah”? Of course not. They all received the Word of God together as families. Nothing was watered down or brought to a “child’s level”. It is the father’s responsibility to teach their children the Bible and the children are supposed to obey their parents (Ex 20:12, Deut 5:16, Eph 6:1, Col 3:20) not a youth pastor. There are no youth pastors in the Bible. If there were, maybe we should ask ourselves “What Would Jesus’ Youth Pastor Do?” Men need to step up and teach their own children the ways of God and Pastors need to equip their men. We’ve bought into the culture around us and we are segregating our families in the Church service. We are sending children out of the corporate service, out of the protection of their parents, to learn who-knows-what from someone who is usually a kid themselves. It is not going to be easy for Churches to move out of the “children’s program” models, but I think it is what we need to do as parents, as fathers. Besides, it is a more Biblical model.
By: Michael Gonzales on May 14, 2009
at 11:38 am
What can I add? Great comment, Michael.
By: Richard Boureston on May 14, 2009
at 2:30 pm
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By: Small Groups are Failing the Church « Orange County Church-Walk of Faith Church Blog on May 19, 2009
at 3:26 pm