In the article, The Do’s and Dont's of Urban Youth Ministry, the author gives us nine reasons why we should care about the challenges city youth leaders face. Here they are in no certain order:
- Don’t think you can’t make a difference just because of your ethnicity.
- Don’t make teenagers feel like charity cases
- Don’t rely on phones for follow-up
- Don’t assume these kids have never heard of Jesus
- Don’t take gang strongholds lightly
- Do watch how you use the word “parents” in your vocabulary
- Do what you say you’ll do
- Do push educational goals as well as spiritual ones
- Do remember that they’re still kids
I must admit that some of these things I never really thought about were like the fact that in Los Angeles County alone people speak more than 80 languages. I never really thought about it because I live in a bubble where English is the only language I hear. The article tells us that regardless of our nationality we can still make a difference in the inner city kid’s life if we choose to go that route. The key is to just be you.
We are also reminded that gangs are prevalent in other parts of the world. We need to be aware that gangs are alive in today’s society. Just because we have never experienced a thing like that doesn’t make it not real to the kids. This is another issue that I am ignorant to. It is good to get this reminder. Just because we have never come across such a thing don’t take it lightly. If someone confides in you that they are being approached by a gang or being threatened by one take it as a real situation and don’t just laugh it off and think it will go away. Gangs are real and getting out of one can be deadly to say the least.
The author touched on the fact that you might come across some of the kids that don’t have working phones at home. You must also keep in mind that they might not have gas or electric either. This is a very common thing and happens quite frequently. Also be careful when you talk about different programs on television. They might not have cable and most likely won’t have a DVD player or VCR.
What are some other ways we can make ministry more effective to this demographic? What suggestions do you have?
This article was submitted by Khandi Jones, a Junior Youth Ministry Major at Ohio Christian University.
8 comments:
Wow when you sit down and think about we do live in a "bubble of English". It almost seems like ministring to the urban population would be like ministring in a thrid world country. They live a in a total different culture than a surburban church would live in. You have to figure out how to show them Jesus right along in the culture. Khandi, your review was very interesting. I think one way we can make the ministry more effective is to reach them where they are. If your really urban, most of your students might rome the streets, so why have a ministry that is based in a builiding. Meet them on their own turf so it is no so scary, show them that your not affriad to walk where they walk. Find out what they are into and design your ministry around that. I would recomend all of us watch the movie "Second Chance" , it is about this white music minister that gets sent into the "ghetto" to minister. The difference in the ministry styles in that movie is amazing. I almost used this artical for my review because it is something I am interested in. Being a white, white youth minister raised in the heart of Groveport, the most non-urban place next to Dublin, I have questions on how to reach urban/inner city teens. Khandi, thank you for your insight on the matter.
Steve Bob,
Very thoughtful and insightful. I appreciate your wisdom and comments. Keep up the good work. Next time, read the article. LOL
Doug Thompson where are you? Since you're a city boy, what do you think?
Living in the inner city, I have been able to be exposed to some of these things. It is easy for me to relate to a lot of inner city youth because at one point in my life, I was them. Even though gangs were not a part of my life, I have seen many people get involved with them and never be able to get out. The acceptance of being part of a group is really what these people are looking for. Doesn't it make you sad to think that it is easier for some of them to be a part of a gang than to be a part of a youth group? Are we really willing to get our hands dirty? Or are we such "Good Christians" that it wouldn't look right for us to do that? I know that my calling is to this part of the world. I appreciated Khandi's insight on this article. Even though it brought back a lot of memeories of my past, it also opened up my eyes to what I can do better in some of these situations.
Living in a major metropolitan area is different than living in Circleville, OH. When I lived in Budapest (Hungary), my church's youth ministry was international. We had kids from South Korea, US, and Hungary. It was challenging to find a common ground with these groups of people.
There is a lot to consider when working in urban ministries. My church encountered the problem of broken homes several time. It is a real issue in this day and age. We should be sensitive of providing a family environment for youth. Our task as Christians, beside taking Jesus with us anywhere we go, is to show an example to the rest of the world that there is a bigger family out there. It is called the family of God. People can be adopted in this family, ethnicity does not matter, langauage does not matter, and age does not matter.
Are we prepared in this day and age to take up the challenge we are faced with through the article? Do we think about ministry in those realms? Are we hospitable (inviting people in our lives to show them Jesus) enough to the point that it does not matter that sometimes we are hurt? Do we go and reach hard regions of the city and deal with the needs of the people? Are we willing to meet them where they are in their lives?
There is a lot to consider when one goes in ministry. It is not a piece of cake. There will be hardships, discouragement, unfair challenges, and many unexpected events. These few guidelines help the readers to consider a web of realted issues. There is a lot to learn about urban ministries, however, one needs to start it somewhere. As we do ministry,(incaranationally) we will find ourselves in situations similary to Jesus. We will have teaching moments all the time when we follow the example of Jesus. Don't "do" the ministry for the sake of doing it. Meet the people in their needs and the ministry will be done through an obedient and willing heart.
I would have included transportation issues in this article. Living in a major city means using public transportation. Some of the best youth offices one can have in a major city is McDonalds, Burger King, etc. Young people like to eat and while you eat with them there is a chance to share with them, talk about their lives. These places can be found at major junctions in cities. They are easy to reach from a bus, subway, tram, or some other means of transportation. However, be aware of their lack of being mobile as much as you are.
This article is a good start to think more effectively of the complexity of urban ministries and the needs one needs to deal with when entering in a type of minisrty like that.
The reason I think a lot of kids are attracted to gangs are because the gang accepts them for who they are. I recently read an article that was in the Columbus Dispatch about this guy who had a street ministry in the short north area. He held these street meetings and had service and talked and prayed with the individuals in the neighborhood. He knew several of them by name. The thing that really bugged me was there was a guy who was about 25 who had a felony record and wanted to stop selling drugs...the minister told him to get his life together. I had a problem with that because you need to do more than just tell someone to get their life together...you need to sit down with this person and try and find out what you can do to help him make it happen. Don't just tell him that and walk away. This guy had not finished school and could not get a job even at McDonald's...and all he could tell him was to get his life together. Easier said than done! These people need options to their alternative!
Khandi, when I read your review it hit home to me that there is a huge difference in doing youth minsitry to inner city kids rather than doing it with the kids who live in the suburbs and outlying counrtry areas. It is absolutely true that gangs have unbelievable influence on some of these teens. If these teens aren't getting the love and affection they need at home they will seek to get it elsewhere. Often times in the innercity these teens turn to gangs for their hope. Little do they know the trap that is instore for them. As youth pastors we need to embrace these kids no matter what ethniticity they are, no matter how well off their families are, no matter what we have to walk the extra mile for these troubled young people. By bringing these teens the true love of Christ and showing them a way out of their current "hell" so to speak we are shining the light of Jesus into their world. Will we reach every single one of these kids...probably not statistics show that there is a good chance we won't but it is our goal to strive forward with these kids and help them develope a relationship with Jesus. Good review Khandi, I enjoyed reading it and I agree with your response.
Thanks for bringing the urban information. It is a whole different world in the inner city. I remember going to see Andrew W.K. at Bogart's in Cincinnati. Bogart's is on Vine St. We walked to the nearby Kroger to get something to drink afterward. During that walk I remember thinking that this could be the end of my life. It was a very dangerous environment. Think how tough ministry would be in an area like that? There must be a different than conventional approach to ministry in the urban area. I imagine there are so many variables and variations in an inner city ministry. Kids that have homes, kids that don't have homes, etc. I understand that a relational ministry is the kind of ministry we want in all ministry, but in the inner city this might even be something to emphasize as much as possible. I say this because the kids who have no one in their life who resembles anything Christlike need someone to love them in a Christlike manner. We need to become incarnational ministers of the Gospel. Thanks again Khandi.
Your friend,
Clayton J.H.
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