It also shows how two people can grow up in the same place and end up with polar opposite lifestyles! From Cain and Abel to your children or friends its still happenning. Same environment, same teaching, same availibiliy....different results and view points.
I have inserted two stories below, from two students who are the same age, in the same youth group, same youth pastor, SAME SAME SAME....yet they remember things so different....check it out:
Student 1: "Being a part of a youth group in your teenage years is something beneficial to every teenager. In a regular church service, pastors tend to teach mostly about issues that teenagers have not come against yet because of age and maturity. However, at the same time, some youth groups don’t reach their youth because of the lack of connection. They don’t know what they are going through, so it only makes sense to preach a general message to everybody thinking that they will receive something… but everybody isn’t dealing with the same thing in their life. I think that it’s fine to preach a general message when God puts it on your heart but what about the people that you’re not talking to?? I think it is important to have some small group time where teens that are dealing with similar issues would be together making it easier to open up because their neighbor understands. When I was back in my youth group we kind of did this in a way but not enough. It was way more comfortable to speak up in a small group then to raise your hand in a larger group where people might not understand and say “hey, I’m dealing with this, what do I do?” In the smaller groups we can all come in agreement in prayer and pray with more passion because each of us knows what we all are dealing with and understand it. With the small groups where everybody is dealing with the same or similar issues, it allows the leader and youth pastor to connect with each one of them on a different level, rather than just the youth pastor trying to know every teen in his youth group. If I had this when I was in youth, the connection with a leader, not just in a small group but one on one time, it could have stopped me from going through some of the mess I went through. If all youth groups were to create a stronger connection/relationship between youth and leaders, I believe things will be released and they will be able to receive more from youth service than just another general message…"
Student 2: "Many things were beneficial to me being apart of a youth group. This was a time to get to know many different people. I didn’t always give all these new people a chance. I was so worried about being that cool kid. After a while though my youth group broke me down and I started opening up more. They really cared about whom you are and who you were going to be. From the small groups to hearing from my youth pastor, speak- I really felt cared for. As soon as you walked in the door you were overwhelmed with hugs and love. Even from the youth pastor to the leaders there was an openness and attentiveness from them to you. The small groups I loved, because you really got a chance to open up with your peers and leaders. I took this very seriously, because I was really coming to get know God more. There were leaders who really the concept that the youth group wasn’t about them. Youth groups need that factor, so kids can really get that mentorship and not feel forgotten. A lot of the mentoring I got came from youth trips together. You got to really open up and be yourself. Even though we weren’t at church my youth pastor and leaders still ministered to us. They were always available at church or anywhere else. This is one of the greatest things that really helped me and made me who I have become. "
....This is the classic case of 2 birds, 1 stone.
How to i hit every student the same? Raise every child equally? Can I ask them to carry the responsibilty of standing where I'm throwing? Chickens and eggs....lol - but seriously
This generation will not be won by one tactic. They won't be hit by the rock that hit their parents. They don't want to be compared to anyone, never strike the same place twice - seen it all before yet have seen nothing at all...AAAAAGGGHHHHH!
I got it! LOVE!!! Love is like a net as opposed to a rock! You are fishers of men right? (don't assume because the fish are in our homes, youth groups or classes that they've been caught) You don't throw rocks in the lake - you cast nets.
My 2 cents.
Love it, its always great to hear from the teens perspective!!
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