Youth ministry must change. Christianity must change too! Why?
Brian D. McLaren argues in his book, A New Kind of Christianity, that the Bible has been co-opted and dominated by one narrow interpretation: the Greco-Roman narrative which forces all of scripture to conform to one philosophical outlook and forsakes the beautiful diversity of voices found speaking in the Bible.
Brian challenges Christians to learn about Jesus in light of the great biblical heroes who precede him like: Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, {Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah}, and John the Baptizer. Who were these people and what do they teach us? Who is Jesus in light of them?
What about the voices of the young?
Cain & Abel, Isaac & Ishmael, Dinah, David the anointed boy, Amos the farm boy, Esther the Queen, John leaping in the womb, Jesus the adolescent alone in the temple?
Up to this point in my tenure as a youth minister most of the resources I have encountered have all been attempts to better teach the Greco-Roman Narrative that McLaren criticizes. I claim that youth ministry should take on the task of empowering young people to read the Bible through their unique perspectives.
I propose that a thorough reading of the Bible be done looking specifically for the experience and voice of young people.
I am calling for a systematic youth theology to be constructed that is essentially concerned about God’s love for young people.
Nothing less but the future of Christianity depends on you(th). Brian McLaren claims that a New Kind of Christianity is emerging. I hope that a new kind of youth ministry is emerging too!
