Ministry in the New Marriage Culture by Iorg Jeff;

Author:Iorg, Jeff;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Religion/Christian Life/General
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
Published: 2015-10-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Youth Ministry in the New Marriage Culture

Paul Kelly

The school bell rings. Teenagers push their way toward first-period class. The camera zooms in on the banal conversation of three friends. Suddenly an unseen student splashes blue slushie in the faces of the unsuspecting trio. Maniacal laughter erupts from the teenage jock that just “slushied” his classmates. He and his buddies watch the spectacle as they stroll down the hallway. The famous name of the teenage drama is sung to us: Glee!

Glee drew a large audience among adolescents as it focused not on the popular high school kids but on teenagers who were picked on or teased. The show highlighted the value of all students and the need for people to be accepted whether they were antisocial, disabled, had homosexual parents, or felt same-gender attractions. Glee has been one of the most-watched shows of recent television seasons, targeting adolescents with a strong message affirming openly homosexual teenagers. The show characterized those who view homosexuality as sinful as mean and ignorant.

The values of youth culture concerning homosexuality have changed dramatically in recent years. In some ways this is a positive development. Years ago teenage males who did not exemplify stereotypical manliness were ridiculed, called queer, and sometimes physically attacked. Teaching teenagers to stand up to those who bully others has been good.

But beyond this, youth culture has also migrated to accepting homosexuality as normative behavior. Teenagers now explain a peer’s same-sex attraction by saying, “That’s just the way he or she is.” This relabeling of sinful behavior as identity choice is confusing at best, disastrous at worst. Leading youth ministry will become more challenging as the current trend of legalization and normalization of same-sex marriage continues in American culture.

Unique Challenges for Adolescents in the New Marriage Culture

Imagine Jeremy visits your youth group. One of his school friends, who attends your church, invited him. He seems happy and engaged in the Bible study. He gets along well with the other students. Before the youth meeting is over, one of the kids tells you Jeremy has two moms, his birth mother and her female partner. Does that change the way you view Jeremy? Does it change the way you minister to him and his family?

Now imagine you are leading a Bible study on a passage that touches on the sin of homosexuality. You try to be sensitive to the kids in the room, but Mandy leaves the room in tears. You were unaware she has a lesbian aunt. Mandy has a close relationship with her aunt and plans to be her maid of honor in her upcoming wedding to another woman. How do you balance truth with grace as you care for Mandy?

Or consider this scenario. A teenage boy asks to talk to you . . . alone. You sit down with him in an empty classroom, and he blurts out, “I think I’m gay.” He confesses having romantic feelings for other guys. “I know our church doesn’t believe in people being gay,” he

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