Family-Based Youth Ministry Chapter 10

This chapter is titled A Different Gospel. In this chapter, DeVries talks about the current of youth culture and of the traditional form of youth ministry that follow a "different" gospel than the one that we are to follow as Christians. He opened up with a brilliant illustration as to this current of culture, comparing it to the currents in the ocean. When you are out playing in the ocean, it is very easy to be swept hundreds of yards down the coastline without you even noticing because of the ocean's currents. He uses this illustration as a way of explaining how many today fall susceptible to following a different gospel without even realizing it.

"If we place success over faithfulness, we will inevitably choose image over substance, in danger of becoming ecclesiastical public relations directors rather than ministers of the gospel." (pg 154)

Here DeVries is referring to the current of the youth culture rushing toward image and self individualization. His point here is that we as youth ministers should not give into the idea that we are to be "successful" according to the world's terms. Instead we need to be faithful to the responsibility that God has entrusted us with. If we do not, we simply become another self-help stop in the lives of youth, where they can come and go as they please. I feel like this is a big deal for many youth ministries today. It is so easy to get caught up in the idea that we have to be "successful" according to the world's terms because of the constant bombardment of phone calls and complaints from parents and/or other church members, asking why so-and-so does not enjoy youth group and what we are going to do to change that.  I love what DeVries says, and I will leave as a response to this and as an ending.

"Young people do not need our help in learning how to handle success. They need training in living with failure." (pg 154)

Failure according to the world, is not failure to God. You must take risks to grow. This is what we need to be helping our youth of today to realize and embrace.