Youth Group grows up ….

40 Bicycles makes an interesting comment on youth groups:

Growing up in various evangelical youth groups, I encountered a form of faith that was often infantile, unwilling to progress beyond a gooey affection for Jesus. The intense focus on an emotional relationship and ‘asking Jesus into your heart’ led to a suspicion of theology and careful Bible study. Thought-provoking questions were often defused with trite and insubstantial platitudes. Peter Pan Christianity was the order of the day. The gospel had little to say about the real world. We were more concerned with going to spiritual Neverland when we died. I do not doubt for a moment that this experience has served to stunt my spiritual growth in a number of respects. I still struggle with its legacy in my life.

Boars Head Tavern picks up the thread and lists a dozen reasons why Youth Ministry should be abandoned. But the point that caught my attention was part of reason “I. Make them go to church” with the statement:

The reason the boomers have turned the church into a circus is they’ve simply brought their idiotic youth group ideas into the adult service.

Ouch!