[lit-ideas] Re: Miller and culture
- From: "Andreas Ramos" <andreas@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2005 09:40:19 -0800
(Posted for Marlena -- andreas)
From: "Andy Amago" <aamago@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> A.A. The only thing disseminating of information will do is get you
> pilloried and
> ostracized. People are happy to be clueless. And happy to not care. Ask
> the red states.
> Or, ask anyone about pharma. Why do you think it's so easy for Congress and
> corporate to
> get away with what they get away with?
Dear Andy (and others),
Well, there are people who care and who are touching
lives. There are those who are trying to change the
minds and hearts of those who do not agree with
them. (The latest 'buzz' in anyone working with
young adults is that of Youth Cultural Competence --
which says that in order to be effecting in
'reaching' youth you must have these three
components: 1) Positive peer influence 2) Youth
Involvement 3) youth popular culture and 4)
strategic partnerships.
Why is my passion (or someone else's) who is
concerned that young people today have little or no
conception of what the Bill of Rights is and does
for them and their country [getting into that total
society again, aren't I?
Is what I desire to see them learn of less value
than that of the soulful heavenly-bound aspect of
their lives? I mean--we do live 'in community' of
some sort...]. What about even what the Constitution
says and does for them, the concepts of things like
tolerance, forbearance, dialogue, respect, etc.?
(I am reminded of the conversation I had recently
with the woman who runs the Youth Ministry at the
large Catholic church in my community--which,
remember, is made up of very fundamentalist and
evangelical people/churches who are doing a very
good job at reaching the youth of *all* faiths. She
was telling me of the confirmation classes they have
going on right now (in my community versus say St.
Louis, they do confirmation in the Catholic church
in high school rather than middle school) One of her
students, in particular, was having a hard time
being able to communicate his belief system to those
kids from other faiths who are very involved in
trying to 'win' him to Christ. (remember, in my
world, Catholics don't believe that you are going to
heaven unless you are Catholic and the
fundamentalist types don't believe you are going to
heaven unless you have made a personal decision for
Christ [don't know where that leaves the ones who
cannot say when they became a 'Christian'-like say a
Presbyterian who was always raised believing he/she
was going to heaven or someone from a completely
different faith or no faith at all.]
See the passion and the desire to communicate their
values in the articles below.
Do they care more than I do? One of the interesting
demographics of the youth coming up is that they DO
have a passion for changing and bettering the world.
They are extremely interested in, for example,
volunteering. (in our wider KC community, the
organization which works with the National Youth
Volunteer Day has won an award for the numbers of
youth that they were able to get focused on
volunteering on that day. That concept/belief/value
of the youth of today that they need to take charge
and make changes -- well, it is there. Their hearts
are ready. They are also very very curious and open
developmentally to new ideas/concepts/ways of
thinking and understand.
Whoever cares enough to say to them that they are
important and that they CAN make a difference (big
difference between the GenY and the
GenXers...GenXers are very independent--GenY cares
and thinks traveling in and with a Pack is
important...but no one really, yet, knows where the
Pack will or should go...)
What would it really take for me (or anyone) to set
up a once a week meeting for kids to communicate
some of the values which have been hidden from view
within the ultra-conservative world? (Gracious--
because this idea would not even be a 'religious'
one, I could probably set up funding for the pizza
and stuff that would make it more fun and less
costly for myself...there are lots of 'after-school
connections' grants out there...)
But, do I care enough that these young ones who will
go somewhere and learn something may not learn the
values and beliefs of the Red White AND Blue America
that I believe in? Do I care whether or not they
spend their energy on buying into the values of what
is part of the Religious Right and/or the intolerant
side of Republican Party? [anyone read Christine
Todd Whitman's book, yet?]
Take a look at what these folks are doing with their
time and energy. and, it is making a difference...
Wondering about sacrificing of time/energy and for
what or whom makes it worth it -- or tips it over
the edge (multiple reason concept),
Marlena in Missouri
Youth ministry with a passion
to capture teensT attention
By Kay Adkins
EDITORST NOTE: The following two stories are part
of an ongoing Baptist Press series to explore and
describe how individuals, churches, associations
and conventions exhibit a passion for Christ and
His Kingdom.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (BP)--When Randy Brantley
realized that 95 percent of youth attending
Arkansas BaptistsT annual youth evangelism
conference were already saved, he decided there
must be a better way to reach lost students.
Brantley, who has worked with youth since 1985 and
as student evangelism director for the Arkansas
Baptist State Convention since 1989, began to
sense God stirring his heart a new outlook in
1998.
oWe found that there are lots of kids ready to
hear the Gospel if it is presented in a culturally
relevant way,? he said. oSo much of what we do in
the local church is designed for kids that speak
the language of Zion. WeTve asked, ~What does it
take to capture the attention of lost teens? How
do we bridge the gap?T?
And the idea for Real Encounter Youth Crusades
began to take shape. Through a partnership with
Brad Bennett of Real Ministries, Brantley and the
state convention have embarked on a way to bridge
that gap.
Real Encounter Youth Crusades incorporates extreme
sports, drama, a band and hi-tech video and
lighting to capture the attention and curiosity of
lost teens. In school assemblies, the Real
Encounter team will use humorous dramas, videos
and music that resonate with teen issues, and
freestyle motorcycle stunts to present a
character-based message. They address topics like
bullying, positive attitudes, personal integrity,
goal-setting and encouragement -- and the positive
difference that even one person can make.
Students are invited to attend the crusadeTs
large-scale extreme sports events over the next
two evenings. The gatherings are held in locations
like a school gym, stadium or parking lot, or at
the county fairgrounds, rather than at a church
where unchurched teens might be reluctant to go.
oWeTre capturing their attention in a way they
donTt expect church to try to capture it,?
Brantley said. oWeTre attracting a group of young
people who donTt have a clue about church or they
have misconceptions.? On average, 50 percent of
the student body will turn out for the featured
evening events.
In 2004, the ABSC conducted Real Encounter Youth
Crusades in six small- to mid-sized communities
and registered 594 salvation decisions, 618
renewed commitments and 47 commitments to
ministry. The final 2004 event took place in
Clinton, Ark., a town of fewer than 3,000
residents. More than 500 attended each nightTs
event held on the county fairgrounds, with more
than 100 people turned away the second night due
to lack of space.
Heath Clower, youth pastor at First Baptist in
Clinton, said that the crusade was one of the best
outreach initiatives he has been a part of. oIt
isnTt just another gig for them,? Clower said of
the partnership between Brantley and the ABSC and
Real Ministries. oIf you follow along with the
plans, it is very effective. ¦ They were concerned
with our event -- that things went well. They
asked questions about what kind of group theyTd be
speaking to and ways to be effective.?
oStudents will come to hear what you have to say,?
Brantley said, owhen you prove that you are
credible and have a message worth listening to.
The genius of Real Encounter is that we take the
Gospel of Jesus out of the church and into the
streets where youth feel comfortable. We present a
professional extreme sports stunt show and then
with the same level of excellence invite the
students to experience the Gospel through music,
drama and the preaching of GodTs Word.?
Brantley believes that while churches today are
hungry to reach lost youth, they are also scared
of them. Yet he also believes that whoever loves
them first will reach them.
However, the biggest challenge is helping the
traditional church understand how to establish a
relationship with secular-minded students, and
then to have patience to disciple them to become
fully devoted followers of Christ, Brantley said.
oMany Christians want the discipleship process to
be nice and clean, but the reality of reaching
todayTs unchurched youth is that it is uncertain
and messy,? he said.
Part of Real Encounter is training youth and
adults to counsel and encourage teens interested
in exploring a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Their goal is to train at least 50 adults in every
community to counsel teens, but they often train
as many as 100. oWhen a community begins to have
heart trouble for teens, God seems to raise up
people to meet the need,? said Brantley, who
conducts the training about four weeks prior to
the crusade.
Since the first crusade in 2000, 1,535 people have
been trained to share the Gospel and be
oencouragers? to the teens who respond to the
Crusade invitation to turn to Christ. oSometimes
itTs difficult to motivate adults to learn to
share their faith,? Brantley said, obut this gives
people a reason to be trained. We show them how
they can be a relational bridge between a lost
teenager and a local church.?
Four to six months of preparation precede each
crusade, with Brantley being the first contact
that a Southern Baptist church in Arkansas would
make to schedule a Real Encounter. The state
convention requires the sponsorship of three or
four local churches, and BrantleyTs first task is
to meet with pastors and youth pastors to cast the
vision for the outreach.
Should they decide to schedule a crusade, the
convention provides $3,000 toward the estimated
$8,000 total cost, with the remainder to be raised
by the sponsoring churches. The cost estimate
includes honorariums for the three independent
ministries that make up the Real Encounter
ministry team: Real Ministries, Clear Vision Drama
Company and a Christian band, plus travel, sound
and lighting equipment rental, space rental and an
optional pizza blast or tailgate party.
Brantley also works with the sponsoring churches
to put together steering committees and helps them
work together. oIt isnTt uncommon to see Baptists,
Methodists, Assemblies of God all work together to
see lost kids won to the Lord,? he said. The state
conventionTs policy is to work through Southern
Baptist churches, but that the decision about
other sponsoring churches is made locally.
Detailed material is provided to guide various
steering committees to contribute to the success
of the event. Teams are formed from the sponsoring
churches to cover areas like finance, publicity,
school assemblies, event coordination, prayer and
counseling.
The state convention takes follow-up seriously,
with a plan in place. oWe donTt believe in just
reaching them, but also connecting them to a
church,? Brantley said. oEvangelism isnTt complete
until a student gets into a discipling
relationship with a local church.?
Master lists of all of the decision records are
distributed to the sponsoring churches. Youth
pastors are encouraged to take their lists to
their youth groups and pray specifically for the
names on their lists. They involve youth in the
follow-up by having them get with the students on
the list whom they know and ask the question,
oHave you told your pastor about your decision at
Real Encounter?? If the answer is oI donTt have a
pastor,? then the door is opened to invite that
person to church.
Also, the decision list might be divided among the
sponsoring churches according to the address
proximity to the church. Then the local volunteers
who counseled students at the crusade are
requested to follow up by phone or mail within 48
hours of the event. oFollow-up must be
intentional, or it wonTt take place,? Brantley
said.
A month after his communityTs Real Encounter
event, Bill Newton, youth pastor of Lonoke Baptist
Church, said, oThe fruit of the Real Encounter is
having a ripple effect on our churches. As we are
going out to follow up on the youth that we
reached through the crusade, we are finding
families that need to be reached.?
Brantley told of a woman and her husband at one of
the events who served as counselors, or
oencouragers,? and were able to lead two young
people each to the Lord. In tears she told
Brantley, oI hated the music, but I love what God
has done. I honestly thought we had won all the
kids we could. When I saw hundreds raise their
hands, I realized we have only scratched the
surface.?
Wishing he could take that odear woman? and her
testimony with him everywhere, Brantley stated,
oGod has his hand on Real Encounter. WeTre amazed
that there are so many lost kids in our state. But
when you have adults with broken hearts for youth,
kids can be saved.? --30--
A motorcycle, cutting-edge drama
& music prepare teens for faith
By Kay Adkins
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (BP)--How do you reach them?
They may be teens who havenTt had a religious
upbringing. Teens who think churchgoers lead
boring lives. Teens bombarded by the secular
ogospel? that there are many paths to God and, for
now, itTs OK to do whatever you want.
How do you get them to hear an explanation of sin
and why itTs destructive? Or how do you talk about
salvation and why they need it?
And how do you describe how a perfect man died and
yet lives, and how He can make a difference in
their lives?
Former professional motocross racer Brad Bennett
knows what itTs like to be a teenager who didnTt
grow up in church.
oI was in a good family, but I wasnTt exposed to
the Gospel growing up,? Bennett said. oMy passion,
more than anything since I was 12, was racing
motocross.? He spent hours practicing every day,
forgoing many of the extracurricular activities of
his peers.
BennettTs family recognized his potential and
supported him in his dream by taking him to
competitions. He graduated early from high school
to get his professional racing license. Yamaha
sponsored him, and he began racing across the
United States.
Bennett was 19 when he first met one of his
motocross heroes, Steve Wise, whom Bennett had
admired for years on Wide World of Sports. Bennett
recalls having just a normal conversation with
Wise a few hours later " normal until Wise said to
him, oI know the only thing you think of is
motocross -- it was for me for a long time too.
But if you died today, where do you think you
would go??
Bennett replied, oI think I would go to heaven.?
Wise asked him, oWhy?T
oBecause ITm basically a good person,? Bennett
said.
Wise then shared that without a personal
relationship with Christ, there is no hope of
going to heaven. That conversation resulted in
Bennett turning his life over to Christ.
oITve always been the kind of person that, no
matter what ITve done, ITve thrown myself into it
110 percent,? Bennett said. oI raced a few more
years, and as life went on I realized it wasnTt
all there was. I quit racing in 1990 and started
getting grounded in my faith.?
By 1996, Bennett knew that God was calling him to
fulltime ministry. He became a youth pastor at
First Baptist Church in Salem, Mo., but his
growing desire to share the Gospel led to sense
there was more to GodTs plan. He began doing small
outreach events, and God began to give him a
vision.
oWhen I first started out, I wasnTt using
motorcycles and didnTt even own one. I was doing
character-based positive school assemblies and it
was just me and the mic,? he said. Then God gave
him the idea to use drama, and he later
incorporated a band. Then the idea to use extreme
sports came. Bennett prayed about that, and when
someone donated a $5,000 motorcycle to his Real
Ministry outreach organization, he took that as
confirmation. Gas Gas USA motorcycles in Kansas
City, Mo., currently sponsors Bennett and his
ministry, supplying him with bikes and parts.
The drama, the music, the lights, the stunts "-
all are geared toward leading unsaved youth to a
real encounter with God. oWithout a real
encounter, nothing changes,? said Bennett, who
plays a lead role in the teen-oriented Real
Encounter Youth Crusades pioneered in conjunction
with the Arkansas Baptist State Convention.
oWhen I got saved, it was real. God changed my
life. ThatTs how it is supposed to be. We donTt
just do this to see people walk the aisle and
pray. We do it so that they will take hold of God
and so that God can take hold of them.?
At the Real Encounter Crusades, music by several
quality Christian bands helps prepare the hearts
of lost students. The song lyrics, while not
overtly Christian or evangelistic, make a
connection with students by verbalizing the
difficult questions they ask, often without
finding satisfying answers.
Bennett then speaks to those struggles, such as
rejection, loneliness, family breakups, and he
conveys how Jesus is the answer for those
struggles. He uses the drama team to provide
visual illustrations of what he presents directly
from Scripture. In the Real Encounter promotional
DVD, quoting from John 10:10, Bennett says, oThe
thief -- the thief being Satan -- comes to steal,
kill and destroy. Is Satan destroying your life??
One drama, set to haunting and sometimes intense
music, shows how a young teenage girl walked away
from Jesus to listen to the enticements of Satan.
Satan shows her things he can give her that excite
her and create desire in her. But at some point,
SatanTs hand passes before her face, and she is
spellbound. Satan begins to control her like a
puppet, gently at first but his control of her
life becomes increasingly violent. The hatred he
has for her is obvious, but she is powerless to
free herself from his control.
Then Jesus begins calling to her. He contends with
Satan for her life. He clears the way for her safe
return and then empowers her to defeat her enemy.
oIt all points to the moment that I stand on the
stage. I talk about the dramas and it all fits
like a glove. By the time I get up, theyTve seen
the Gospel in several ways and when I speak it,
the soil has been prepared and they are ready to
receive the seed,? Bennett said.
The Real Encounter Crusade targets smaller rural
communities where professional events are far from
commonplace. The crusade team conducts
high-energy, quality, character-based school
assemblies to make a connection with students.
Bennett speaks to students about the hard work and
commitment it took to allow him the experiences he
has had, and he encourages students to set goals,
work hard and make right choices to achieve their
own dreams.
On a large mat brought to protect the floor of the
high school gym, Bennett performs some smaller
freestyle stunts in the assembly, with the promise
of an oextreme? event that evening. Bennett
promises a totally free, totally cool, X-Games
type demonstration rarely seen in smaller towns --
stunts like burnouts, splatters (climbing straight
up an eight-foot wall), and freestyle jumps over
cars.
On the average, 50 percent of those at the
assemblies will return for the evening event to
see and hear and experience a solid and
to-the-point Gospel presentation, and then be
invited to respond.
But it isnTt just about seeing them walk the
aisle, Bennett noted. oOne thing we donTt want to
miss is the evangelism training part. Every church
is required to go through the evangelism training
-- four weeks before the crusade and four weeks
after. We want to see a lasting impact on the
community, not just a blow-in, blow-out event.?
Heath Clower, youth pastor at First Baptist Church
of Clinton, Ark., admits that follow-up is still
the biggest struggle. However, his church is still
witnessing fruit from the crusade held on the
county fairgrounds last October. oWe baptized a
young girl just a few weeks ago who made a
decision at Real Encounter. Her family has started
coming to church as well,? he said.
Clower said he believes so many lost youth turned
out for the events, first of all, because the
school assemblies gave them a taste of what they
would see at the nightly events. oThat and free
food are why a lot of lost people came,? he said.
The sponsoring churches of several denominations
served hot dogs, hamburgers and pizza while the
crowd watched about 25 minutes of jumps and
stunts.
oThen everyone was encouraged to go inside the
hall at the fairgrounds, where they had a stage
and a light show with smoke, the drama team and
the band. We had so many kids one night, we
couldnTt fit everyone in -- it was jam-packed,?
Clower said.
Of about 500 who attended the Clinton event each
night, 81 youth and adults made salvation
decisions and 53 renewed their commitment to
Christ -- numbers that closely parallel results at
each Real Encounter event.
Bennett is amazed at the way God has used his
skills and abilities to create this ministry and
get the Gospel to so many. Besides his motorcycle
skills, God has also gifted him with
administration and organization abilities. The
promotional packet for a Real Encounter weekend
contains all the information that churches and
school officials will need to know about what they
will experience in a Real Encounter Crusade, and
what their own responsibilities will be. oITm a
neat-freak,? Bennett joked. oGod has given me the
gifts of administration and discernment -- being
able to see what works and what doesnTt. He gets
the credit for all of this.?
>From the initial Real Encounter crusade in
>Arkansas three years ago, the ministry has
>stretched into six states. In 2004, Real
>Encounter events took place in 15 cities, sharing
>Christ with over 75,000 students and adults.
>Nearly 2,500 students and adults entered a new
>relationship with Christ during those events.
oThe message is the same,? Bennett said in regard
to what Christians have proclaimed throughout the
ages, obut our methods must change.? --30"- For
more information about Real Encounter Crusades,
visit www.realencounter.org or call 1-866-823-7325
(1-866-U-BE-REAL).
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