A Book Review of Chris Schlect's "A Critique of Modern Youth Ministry"

A Book Review of Chris Schlect's
"A Critique of Modern Youth Ministry"

By Mike Mchugh
Originally posted on Gospel2Gates
Statement on offsite articles

Chris Schlect has written an excellent article exposing the degree to which evolutionary social theories have crept into the modern church’s view of child discipling. He demonstrates how worldly views of social development theory have captured the Sunday School and youth ministry and have helped to dismantle God ordained family life. The results are obvious as we witness the family in disarray and our culture self-destructing.

The modern approach to youth is only about 150 years old. Generations of parents never depended upon youth ministry and Sunday School to disciple their children. Pastors in the mid 19^th century warned what would happen to the Church and America if fathers embraced the wonderful Sunday School movement for orphans in England as an alternative to family alter.

It is no surprise that when a child’s primary companions are his peer fools that he will suffer harm, (Proverbs 13:20). Companionship of peer-minded fools is as addicting as any drug. That is why Proverbs 14:7 says, “leave the presence of a fool”. It is the norm for a child to be like his teachers, (Luke 6:40).

That is why it is critical that the primary companion of children be their parents, (Psalm 78; Deuteronomy 6:6-ff). Foolishness is bound up in a child’s heart, (Proverbs 22:15). When I put my little fool with your little fool, foolishness reigns. As children grow older this foolishness takes on many different forms.

Even adults act foolish when grouped for long periods of time in age-segregated gatherings. Have you ever noticed how the conversation of men is improved when their wives and children are present? God has designed the family to be a bulwark against the effects of original sin. We ignore God’s design for the family at our own peril and the peril of our children.

I quote from Schlect’s article below. Please consider ordering it. It will explain why you should remove your children from Sunday School, youth ministries, and recover your responsibility to raise and train them in the faith, even if it means finding a family friendly church.

“Tragically, the modern evangelical church has followed these trends set by Mann, Hall, Dewey, and others in their field.

We have seen that our society's trend toward an emphasis on youth has carried into the church. We saw the source of this phenomenon in our society to be a philosophical commitment to age segregation. At least in practice, this same commitment has been carried into the church. We have developed AWANA programs for young children who later move onto junior and senior high youth groups. Senior highers graduate to the college/singles group; when they marry, they join the newlyweds group. Bible studies are structured for parents of toddlers, parents of teens, and "empty-nesters. " Elderly women congregate to quilting groups and elderly men are left out, wondering what the next generation is coming to…..

Of all these groups in the church, it shouldn't surprise us that the most well-developed one is the youth ministry……

Evangelical churches have honored divisions that have existed in our culture for less than a century- divisions which have no basis in either Scripture or common sense. These divisions breed immaturity, for they hinder younger people from associating with and learning from their elders. Rather than admonishing our young people with Paul's mandate, 'flee youthful lusts" (2 Tim. 2:22), we provide a forum for youthful lusts to be pursued.

The prophets and apostles never prescribed such a state of affairs, but rather assumed that all ages would enjoy fellowship together in the church. The Scriptures contain directives which promote cross-generational interaction, and we must avoid cultural patterns that encumber our obedience to them. You shall rise up before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the Lord (Leviticus 19:32). ...the older women likewise ... that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed (Titus 2:3-6)…….

Regress in maturity happens in the church when we ignore the mandates in Scripture, which implore the young and old to interact with one another. With age comes wisdom- wisdom that must be passed on to young people. Older people must be eager to share it, and younger people must be eager to receive it. The so-called "generation gap" (a twentieth century invention) has been used as an excuse for age segregation, but Scripture speaks of no such thing. Our Lord prohibits our perpetuating immaturity in His church by leaving the younger generation to itself.

When young people are allowed to interact with one another and make their own rules, a "herd mentality" develops: they follow in the footsteps of one another rather than those of adults. The fundamental problem is not peer interaction, but irresponsible adult; especially parental; leadership. Young people should never be allowed to form a herd. Though peer interaction is often profitable, it is only so when it promotes maturity. From their birth, children should see themselves as adults-to-be, growing into an adult world. They must never be trained to think that perpetual youth is life's aim.

The church ought to be wary of what some call an "Ideal" youth ministry. They pull teens away from their elders, bring them together, and encourage them to revel in their youth. Even worse, children are drawn away from home in order to keep church commitments. I have seen youth ministries where the "deeply committed" kids are at the church four nights a week!

Another problem often springs from the segregation of youth in the church: basic biblical teaching is viewed as unsuitable for teens and younger children; it is "for adults only." Earlier I mentioned a Sunday school curriculum which discouraged the teaching of "faith" and "justification" to young children. If Timothy's mother and grandmother had followed this program, Paul could not have offered Timothy this glorious exhortation: "But as for you, continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 3:14-15)…….

A further problem is the lust for relevance. As a teen, and later as an adult, I attended many meetings, camps, and conferences for youth. It was easy to distinguish the effective speakers from the poor ones. The poor ones were those who tried to "relate to the kids." Some of these were captivating story tellers, others could sustain a young audience in laughter for an entire hour. Anecdotes and gags were employed to make points about God and salvation. I remember one speaker who stooped so low as to swallow a live goldfish in an illustration about Jonah. By contrast, the effective speakers were those who preached from the Scriptures. Their ministries were blessed not with applause, but with lasting conversions, true conviction of sin, and soberly exhorted audiences.”