Tough Topics about multi-cultural youth ministry

Growing up in a city like San Francisco gave me somewhat of an advantage to dealing with diversity today.  I remember as a Jr. High student, I went to a school in the Westlake District.  This was a section of the inner-city that had just experienced its first few years of the then new phenomena called ‘white flight’.  Still reeling from the fallout, our school was truly a melted cracked pot of Black and Asian Administrators, Jewish Janitors, a Catholic Principle, and White-Hippie teachers. And the students!  We were from every corner of the globe and economical experiment of that day.  I often felt like I had to learn to weave through different cultures like a car on a 6 lane highway, but I loved it.

With today’s culture in a constant state of change, youth often develop survival skills on their own that help them navigate within the multiplex of clusters, cliques and climates that we call youth culture. Look at a typical week day of the average 15 year old - you’ll find him/her exposed to varying world views, multiple cultures, languages and ideas.  So why is it such a battle to use the same elements of life within the Church to grow a stronger more culturally relevant youth ministry?

Put simply, youth workers have been trained by people who often look, feel and think just like them; to reproduce people who in turn look, feel and think… just like them.  The problem is this: we have a whole new crop of kids today who in their process of defining themselves have drawn a more distinct line between themselves and the culture of adults.  But don’t fret.  There are an abundance of tactics for dealing with students of every possible personality. Here are a few tips you can use to connect and journey with students to a place where it’s not about where you’re from, but it’s all about where you’re at.

Tough Topic
I’m a white youth worker who can’t begin to try the cool act with my kids.  I like Docker pants, acoustic guitars, and I secretly own the Friends 1st, 2nd and 3rd seasons on DVD.  But when I see a ‘different’ kid come to our youth group, my heart goes out.  How can I make him feel comfortable without looking like I’m trying to impersonate Eminem?

Tip from Fred:  Keep it real
Disconnects happen when a student feels she/he can’t trust an adult.  Since first impressions are most lasting a student will often throw out ‘feelers’ to detect authenticity in adults even if it is ‘different’.  One of the greatest values of today’s culture is authenticity.  Humility combined with authenticity doesn’t come across overbearing or with a sense of superiority.  A practical way of displaying these two tactics is to simply ask questions.  Admit the difference to get the ‘uncomfortable-ness’ out of the way and then head straight for questions.  What is it about your music that you love?  How would you describe your friends?  What do you guys like to do? What is it about a pimp that makes you want to be one? Etc. etc.

Tough Topic
We have a small Church where everyone knows everyone’s… everything.  I love getting ideas from you guys.  I go home fired up ready to change the world; and get into a big mess because my Church doesn’t want to change.  How can I change the world if my own Church isn’t ready to change?

Tip from Fred: Wage and win small battles… for now
Timing is everything.  Don’t try to change the entire church in one month.  One of the Core Values is that the journey of Faith takes time.  When it comes to implementing change (which is something the Church often is the last to accept kicking and screaming all the way) you have to set out a strategic plan.  Remember people will do what they want to do.  So when it comes to something new, they have to feel the confidence that they can win, so help them win with small battles that you can celebrate as a community together and strategically lead them to the promise land.  It won’t be a short trip, but if you are strategic and prayerful, hopefully it won’t take 40 years.

Tough Topic
I’m a volunteer youth director.  My Church likes what I do; in fact they’re like, “Do what ever you want!”  The only problem is that the Church can’t afford to do half of what I want.  How can I get my Church to see the importance of investing in our youth before they get tired of ‘business as usual’ and leave the Church?

Tip from Fred: Educate the troops
For a Church locked into the so called ‘real business’ of the day you’ll have to use the ‘real business’ of tomorrow to your advantage.  If we constantly lose youth at the rate that statistics show today, who will help support the vision of the church in the next 5-10 years?  I would begin by developing a campaign that simply tells your story and the importance of what is being done in everyway that you can. Announcments, drama skits, testimonies, sermons anything and anyway you can tell your people what is going on and how it is changing the lives of young people the more valuable you are perceived.  Now here’s the clincher:  Once you let them know how important youth ministry is, you need to also paint a picture of the other side.  What would it look like if this church didn’t reach out.

Tough Topic
I’m broke.  My Church isn’t broke, but the budget is definitely in intensive care.  In fact, every time I begin talking and planning to take our kids to the next level, I scare the administrator! I have big dreams, able youth, but limited resources.  How can I make it all happen when I can’t make a dollar out of 0.15¢?

Tip from Fred: Make a dollar out of what ‘don’t make sense’!
The wonderful thing about the faith community is that we have a sense of God’s economy that’s truly out of this world.  There is something great about developing a vision, starting from close to nothing and watching God’s people sense the heartbeat of your call and support you. The favor of God is truly greater than money.  That favor comes about by applying ‘dirty faith’ (that’s faith mixed with real work behind it folks) to your dream; getting off your butt and starting with what you have. You’d be surprised to discover how many big time ministries started out on volunteer level; and people attached themselves to the dream and great things were accomplished from a simple God inspired dream.  Well those dreams often don’t make sense, but they do inspire and make faith; and in the end being faithful to the call makes great sense.  Now although we aren’t about the ‘Benjamin’s’ (dollars and cents) those dreams often provide the capacity to make ‘cents’.  So you have to ask yourself: “How clear is my dream, and can others get behind it?  If people can be added to your dream, the resources often follow. 

Sharing the gospel from ‘Street to Street’

Fred D. Lynch III
GodStyle Productions

Fred Lynch is the founder of GodStyle Productions. A ministry committed to changing youth culture. For more information on Fred, go to www.godstyle.com or check out his latest project The Script (the gospel of John translated into rap) at: www.gettheepic.com