Why Youth Groups Should Consider Ditching Worship
The Youth Pastor took the stage.
He asked the students in the room to rise in worship. The Youth Pastor continued by saying, “In this room tonight, I would encourage you all to let the Spirit move.“
“What does that even mean?” Tommy asked himself.
The next thing Tom knew, the band was playing and they were singing some crazy song about the Lion and the Lamb.
“I thought Christians were supposed to sing to God.” Tommy thought. “Not animals!“
Just when he thought it couldn’t get any worse, everyone around him started closing their eyes and putting their hands out towards the band. Some of them even started to cry and talk to themselves!
“The Youth Pastor seemed so chill at the skate park, but all these great people he described are freaks!” Tommy determined. “I’m out of here!“
Sound familiar? Likely not, but it happens all the time!
For anyone who works with students, we make it our job to visit schools, strip malls and skate parks; trying to connect with unchurched youth. The passion is pure, with a deep desire for those students to know and follow Jesus.
Yet, the youth church (not the youth group) we create couldn’t be more uncomfortable for these students. Some of you who work in student ministry are already shaking your heads in disbelief, that I would even consider ditching worship from youth groups. Test it for yourself.
The next time you visit your local school or youth hang out, and talk with some unchurched students. Ask them if they’ve ever been to a youth group before. If they have, without leading them, ask them what the most uncomfortable part was or why they never went back.
The truth will hurt.
Thankfully, an effective youth team will find this out early on in their ministry and make the change. I remember when I first found out, during my years as a youth pastor.
We had a mission to fill our youth centre with unchurched students. And yet, we couldn’t understand why students who visited wouldn’t return. We had to come to terms with the why. we had a heart-to-heart with our more dedicated students.
“It’s the worship!” one student stated. “They don’t know any of the songs and it’s awkward for them. Other than that, they love it here!“
A change had to happen!
Now, before anyone jumps to the conclusion that Jeremy Norton doesn’t believe in worship, let me clarify. I love it! Not just as a Christian, but as a musician and a vocalist, it is such an important part of my relationship with Jesus.
Moreover, I see worship as vital for our Sunday morning gathering and I would encourage any and all students to attend. I also see great value in worship-specific events for our seasoned Believers, and for new Believers to experience worship in a youth setting.
Lastly, I see great value in spending time in worship during retreats and trips where leadership development is a key goal. It’s all about the function matching the environment created for it.
Pastor and author, Andy Stanley explains this best.
Stanley suggests that life happens within three environments: The foyer, the living room and the kitchen. This metaphor is true of the church as well.
Worship is an intimate expression that is typically experienced by seasoned Believers. It’s definitely something that needs to happen in the living room of the church. Maybe even the kitchen for some congregations. For this reason, since youth group is often an entry point for unchurched students, and therefore, a foyer, worship should be removed.
Think about your own home.
Would you ever ask a guest to take part in your most intimate family practices or conversations? Of course, you wouldn’t, because they’re guests! You’d want them to feel comfortable!
If we’re constantly encouraging students to invite their unchurched friends, then their friends are the guests that should take the highest priority. If you have guests in your youth group then the environment should be conducive to a foyer environment.
In the foyer, it’s all about those guests! The environment is warm and welcoming. It’s an environment where introductions are easily made, with plenty of time for foyer-esque chit-chat. Of course, a tour of the house is always essential to a first visit. A guest doesn’t have to experience the living room or the kitchen to know where they are.
Are you convinced yet?
At this point, some of you may be completely sold on the idea. This is exciting for me because I know that you will be reaching more students because of this change. However, before you jump in too quickly, a final warning: Explain this well!
Removing worship from regular youth night is too much for many of our regular church folk. They might not initially understand the why. They might even be offended that you’re not prioritizing Christian students. You will need to explain the reasons well to your leadership, then to parents.
Join the Conversation; Share Your Thoughts:
- How are you facilitating worship in your youth ministry?
- What would happen if you left worship out?
- What are the risks? What are the potential rewards?
Very good thoughts Jeremy!
I think that youth, as a ministry, has really broken the fundimental two life stages we see in the bible. Child and Adult. Child = living under roof of parents, Adult = not living with parents, not dependant on another person for support or married. “Adolecence” is some new-age social mumbo jumbo for excusing misbehaviour in children that are trying to act like and assert they have the rights and freedom of adults when they are clearly not responsible to be one. They excert their awkwardness on their parents who just think their child is just being adolecent. Our socieity allows for that stage.
I believe that there can be groups dedicated for the “coming of age” group and preparing them for challenges of adulthood, defending their faith, school and Godliness through a biblical lens. I agree and I think if there is a “youth group”, it should be seperated from the one you bring your unsaved friends to. There should be special gatherings you bring your unsaved friends to for the specific purpose of hearing the gospel. The “foyer” being the evangilism setting and then a youth church or group for the professing believers to worsthip, receive teaching and deciplleship.
The other peice is the motivation behind going to youth/worship. Girls/Boys, Music, Entertainment Friends, all reasons for the unconverted to socalize and tear down a proper gathering. I know, because I used to be one of them.
I believe the teaching in the youth group would drive the way the youth worships. If its going to stick their hands up and shake around and look like they are possessed by a voodoo demon at a rock band, its exactly what it looks like to unbelievers. It looks like either people trying to pretend they worship better then the other person, to” stand on the street corner and get glory for their own worship”, or there is clearly something not right. We don’t see this kind of behavior in the bible.
Is a Christian rock worship band bad? No, unless its not there to glorify God, nor if the music glorifies God, or causes the person listening to it to not be focused on glorifying God instead of their own desires and means of distracting worship practices. Its one thing to raise a hand in worship, but no where in the bible does crazy action during worship drive anything of value for God. We are to be in the world but not part of it. Part of that means, if we look like we are standing out of it, acting like crazy people, worse then the world, there is something wrong. Our christlikeness that we are commanded to have and show self control. Being or looking out of control is against the fundimental principal of a key fruit of the spirit. We are to show love to unbelievers and that can’t happen if we are making them uncomfortable with our actions. This is why we should be prudent and careful about even praying openly in a public setting.
It really should be if anything were to make them uncomfortable it would be either they are convicted of their sin by hearing the gospel or they think the gospel is a load of nonsense.
God bless brother!
Cory
Hey Cory,
I appreciate the time you put into your comments! You should think about turning that comment into a blog post…it’s good stuff!
I see great value in designing specific environments focused on the goals of the event, study, trip, etc. “What is the goal or what do we want the people to receive from this? Then, design accordingly.” So many churches try to do ‘catch-all’ events and activities, which flop in so many ways. About the only thing that doesn’t flop would be the simple inviting some people over to one’s house for dinner and hang-out.
Thanks again for your thoughts!
Jeremy
Worship is a funny thing, It can alienate and it can create a place to genuinely worship God. While my youth group does not do worship (because I have no musical giftings, neither do any of my leaders, and few of my youth are developed enough yet). I don’t think it is something to just kill.
If you have ever read Purpose Driven Youth Ministry by Doug fields, I would challenge you to reflect on the chapter about different groups. We have crowd students, committed students, student leaders etc. While we may not want a massive crazy worship experience for crowd student activities, eliminating it all together removes the opportunity for some students to experience it all together in an environment where they feel comfortable. Also that being said, there needs to be a transition for crowd to committed students. While it may not be a regular thing to have in your ministry, I think it might be something to throw in here and there so students are exposed. Otherwise the transition later could be a little harsh.
Thanks for your comment Kyle. I have read ALL the Purpose Driven stuff. It’s good and Doug Fields is definitely successful. I just don’t agree. Not trying to be offensive, but I think he’s written the book on how to do teen-church and it works! I just don’t hear him ever giving the exact numbers of the various types of “students” in relation to solid, sustaining evangelism.
Keep in mind, I could be wrong on the whole concept but it’s what I feel is the best plan of attack.
Thanks again for reading and commenting!
Jeremy
I cringe when someone questions the validity of worship. Intimacy can be uncomfortable for sure. There has never been any revival happen anywhere in the world without move of Holy Spirit. The manifest presence of God.I will conceed that with little to no church or even religious benchmarks in youth today the whole thing seems strange.But I would rather have the Holy Spirit to set the stage for the proclaimation of the gospel than to approach it cold turkey and rely on just mere words alone.
Thanks for your comment Steve! As a response, I would ask you to consider that I never stated removal of Worship from the church, nor youth ministry for that matter. Also, I definitely would never indicate the removal of the Holy Spirit.
I simply want to challenge youth pastors as to where they place worship and what is its purpose as a whole. If we are the workers of the Harvest, is doing a worship concert every week the BEST way we can be harvesting?
I’m just challenging youth pastors to try removing it and see if they increase the impact on unchurched youth.