Wacky Wednesday--Youth Groups Are A Mistake

Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes.

~Did you know the concept of an “adolescent” as a unique age range only dates back to 1905, and that the term “teenager” only arrived in the 1940s? Would it also surprise you to know that youth groups never existed in history until the middle 20th Century? Now ask yourself when, approximately, did American culture implode, and what sort of church education did the people who imploded it receive?
~They separate teens from the thing they need most: invested community with adults who have a vibrant faith.
~When a youth group exists, there is a natural assumption that the person(s) leading that group will meet all the needs of the teenagers. This leads to all the rest of the congregation essentially ignoring the needs of teens because they feel they don’t need to actively think about their needs.
~Show me youth groups in the Bible. And if you can’t, then I wonder how serious you are about the idea that Scripture is sufficient for us as our guide to faith and practice.
~In what way is the message of the Bible when properly presented not adequate to minister to people of all ages and concerns?
~Aren’t parents the ones responsible for the spiritual formation of children, according to Deuteronomy 6 and many other passages?
~What does it say about parents that a stranger needs to be delegated the tremendous responsibility of teaching, guiding, and mentoring teenagers in their most difficult formative years?
~What are mothers and fathers doing instead of training their teens when they send them to the youth group, and how likely is it that this is a more important activity?
~Doesn’t youth ministry violate the 5th Commandment about honoring parents? How many times do youth pastors contradict parents? If youth pastors are wise and effective, don’t they wind up usurping the love and respect properly due to parents?
~It takes a village, not a youth group.
~How much of our popular American culture is already defined by and centered upon the teen subculture? How’s that working for us?
~What happens as students age into their twenties or get married and then must consider whether they still “qualify” to attend “youth group?”
~Ask yourself why it is that all the youth pastor portrayals on television are so universally ridiculous.
~Who should be shaping teenagers, other teenagers or adults, especially their parents?

Links:
A case against youth ministry (Blog)