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The next Generation

  • Thread starter CallosedPhalanges
  • Start date
C

CallosedPhalanges

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Have any of you noticed a change in the passion of the next generation of teens then the ones before them, or is it just around me?
Up here the teens that are supposed to be coming in to their relationships with god and helping guid the younger kids coming into youth group are just horrid. Most of them are disrespectful to our youth paster, constantly having to go into the hallway to take a call or just distracting everyone! ( talk after, talk they just don't care!)

It's truly at the brink of destroying our youth group and as a older girl in the youth group I've tried to reach out, just to get my arm bitten off. I don't know what to do about it any more and could use some advice! :smt087
 
My youth group is the same exact way. Whenever the youth pastor is talking, the kids are talking/texting on there cellphones or talking amongst the people around them. The youth pastor has to stop several times in the middle of speaking to tell them to stop talking. It is so disrespectful and gets extremely fustrating! :smt099 If there going to come to youth group and not show any interest in it at all, then they shouldn't even bother to come.
I don't know what to do about it any more and could use some advice!
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Maybe you can try talking to the head pastor, I'm sure he/she would definitely confront the problem.
 
Oddly enough i never thought of doing that, and its a good idea!!

thanks Much!
Callosed
 
Well it worked!! I talked to my paster about the problem so he came in and talked to all of us about our passion for Christ and respect and all that stuff!!! It was totaly awesome just like the good old days :smt040

But that could be because the kids that normally are disrespectful and stuff weren't there : / (which i find really sad)

Well thank you for the advice! i will keep you and your youth group in my prayers!

Callosed
 
Yeah, it's hard to convince the youngsters these days that church is not a placed to be entertained. Your joy should be derived from the joy of the Lord.
 
That same situation happened quite a bit when I was in the youth group at my church. In fact, it still happens some. What my church's youth pastor did was get some adult volunteers to come in and sit throughout the room and keep the kids controlled. According to my younger brother and sisters, it has helped. It's sad that it had to come to that, but at least the kids aren't leaving the church.

My best advice to you would be to remember what it is like to not have those older kids to look up to, and when you get to be their age, be that strong, faithful member, be the person that the younger kids can feel comfortable around, be the mentor. Some wise person once said something along the lines that those that fail to remember the past are doomed to repeat it. Learn all you can now, and when the time comes, be the spiritual guide that the younger kids need.
 
Sorry, I don't know if it would really be advice for dealing with the issue now, rather than just something to think about and remember in the future, when today's younger members become the older members of the youth group.

Basically, when some of you become the older members of the youth group, don't make the same mistakes that some today's older members are making. Be there for the younger kids and be the Christian examples they will be looking for. (Of course, that post has nothing to do with answering your question, Callosed. :roll: I'm so sorry.)

Although, now I realize that I read your post backwards. (No wonder people think folks from AR are stupid...reading things backwards...) I thought you said the older students are being disrespectful. Sorry about that. :oops:

What I always did was continue to support the youth pastor and do what is right. The younger kids do tend to cause problems. (And sometimes, some of the older kids egg it on) At one point, some of the older kids in our group tried spreading out throughout the room to help keep an eye on the younger kids. That doesn't always work so well, though, because the younger ones often don't like other, older students telling what and what not to do. I would say definitely pray. If possible, you might could try suggesting that youth group be split in two parts: 7-9th grade and 10-12th grade. That might help cut down on interruptions as well. If nothing else, then perhaps the older students could get together and suggest rules to be laid out. (Such as no cell phones, etc.) There was one time when I was about in the 10th grade that a 12th grader (really big football guy) got up before the youth pastor came in there and told everyone that the youth pastor was thinking of cancelling the summer trip (or at least denying some people permission to go) if people didn't straighten up. The guy wasn't lying either. It takes the entire crew to get a boat across the ocean. No one gets to slack. Sometimes, the older sailors just have to somehow make the younger ones understand that. Believe me, although the kids may have trouble doing what one older kid says, if the whole group of older kids get together and say something, then if may have more of an effect. Nothing threatening, just stating the facts. And always remember to pray, and as someone above suggested about asking the pastor to come in and speak, that would more than likely help.

I'm sorry that I confused you. Sometimes, I try to be smart and come out sounding really stupid. I guess that's what I get for trying to sound really impressive. :oops: The Bible says that those who humble themselves will be exalted and those who exalt themselves will be humbled. Thanks for being my humbling agent.

God bless you and your youth group!
 
CLY you have a beautiful spirit!
I'm really sorry if I embarrassed you in any way. the only reason that i asked you to clarify is that I value your input and wisdom. Thank you for putting it in "Callosed terms" so i would understand!

Thanks Much!
Callosed
 
Oh, you didn't embarrass me, Callosed; I'm embarrassed myself. No harm done. Sometimes we all need a bit of embarrassment to bring us back to earth.

Thank you for your kind words. Although I don't consider myself all that wise, I do like to give my input if I think it will help. (That's considering that I don't read stuff backwards, of course. :wink: ) I'm glad I could help somewhat. I'm just trying to follow God's leading and hope I'm doing it right.

God bless you!

In Christ,

CLY
 
well you cant exactly force god or religion on anyone but many people feel they can. Honestly id suggest asking the kids if they feel that what they are learning is true or even right.
Because having a bunch of people not even paying attention isnt a great idea
 
CallosedPhalanges said:
Have any of you noticed a change in the passion of the next generation of teens then the ones before them, or is it just around me?
Up here the teens that are supposed to be coming in to their relationships with god and helping guid the younger kids coming into youth group are just horrid. Most of them are disrespectful to our youth paster, constantly having to go into the hallway to take a call or just distracting everyone! ( talk after, talk they just don't care!)

It's truly at the brink of destroying our youth group and as a older girl in the youth group I've tried to reach out, just to get my arm bitten off. I don't know what to do about it any more and could use some advice! :smt087
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I cant lie I cant stand my youth group or my church for that matter I learn more from just sitting at home reading the bible than I do going to church. You should define "disrespect" there probaly just questioning the pastor which is a good thing(there not obedient dumbasses like the generation before us)what the hells wrong with takin a call if your simply distracted by that you must not be paying too much attention in the first place, I dont see the point of youth group or a large chucrch at all for that matter theres no point to listening to a pastors interpaertation of biblic writings you should come up with your own interpertation.
 
Roku55 said:
CallosedPhalanges said:
Have any of you noticed a change in the passion of the next generation of teens then the ones before them, or is it just around me?
Up here the teens that are supposed to be coming in to their relationships with god and helping guid the younger kids coming into youth group are just horrid. Most of them are disrespectful to our youth paster, constantly having to go into the hallway to take a call or just distracting everyone! ( talk after, talk they just don't care!)

It's truly at the brink of destroying our youth group and as a older girl in the youth group I've tried to reach out, just to get my arm bitten off. I don't know what to do about it any more and could use some advice! :smt087
Click to expand...
I cant lie I cant stand my youth group or my church for that matter I learn more from just sitting at home reading the bible than I do going to church. You should define "disrespect" there probaly just questioning the pastor which is a good thing(there not obedient dumbasses like the generation before us)what the hells wrong with takin a call if your simply distracted by that you must not be paying too much attention in the first place, I dont see the point of youth group or a large chucrch at all for that matter theres no point to listening to a pastors interpaertation of biblic writings you should come up with your own interpertation.
Click to expand...

amen brother XD

but yea the bible is only what you make it to be nothing more
 
The world is getting worse each generation. About 2 hundred years ago sure, most of the world was evil, but these days, it's VERY evil. But, that just means that as Christians we just have more work to do, saving the lost etc.

But it seems the world these days is more lost than ever.

Back to the youthgroup topic. My youthgroup never has that problem. Whenever someone's reading from the B.I.B.L.E or talking, there's no texting, no interrupting. We just shut up and listen. I guess we're lucky in that way. Oh, and at church, only the REALLY little kids play with toys and stuff. Everyone else listens.
 
i hear ya! half our youth group participates while the other just pretend i hate it! but you cant force them to come or pay attention all you can do is ebcourge them and pray that they'll realize that christ should come first not the world... :smt023
 
Here's how things tend to opperate around my youthgroup...

The younger kids (juniorhigh and sophmore students) tend to be loud, disrespectful, and all around a bit of a nuissance. The older people are actually there to learn and for the most part we run the show. Basically how we are dealing with the younger ones is by dispercing ourselves around the room and playing moderator to an extent. It's amazing the difference in behaviour you'll see when someone who is looked upon with regard sits down around the people who are normally noisy and disruptive. So my advice is to get the influencial students in your YG and split up amoungst the room and sorta moderate what's going on, not be pushy and jerky about it, but do it out of love and respect.
 
Hey guys hows it going?

Firstly I'm 17 years old and am attending our church's youth group, and while I have to agree that this generation is very different I also think there are true reasons why and how its changing. Society has changed in very many ways. The last generation although not everyone was christians.. Their parents still brought their children up with biblical and morale values. Im not saying that kids were perfect or nobody was rude. There were plenty of the same problems then as now. (like a bad up-bringing, drugs ect..) But it has just been amplified due to the fact parents, school teachers, and people at the work place dont know what to believe anymore. We are becoming more and more diverse causing everyone to sort of appease each other so nobody is offended. Just try to invisio what I am saying. There are way to many views now on life. Its okay to be fat.. its wrong to be scrauny , its okay to be gay. Its getting to the point where kids dont even know what to beleive because of what they know as "mentors" or "the people they look up to" go with the flow with whatever the kid might say. What used to be a common courtesy like opening a door for somebody, please, and thank you.. is becoming extremely RARE. Kids will tell you to go jump in a lake for all they care.

Im not saying this kids at your Youth Group are rude, snotty, perverted ect.. But many people are. And it makes them think its okay! We need to pray for church's, Youth Groups, and ministry opportunities for this very reason. This is THE future of christian followers of God. And if the rate of athiest keeps going up and influencing "other christians" we are in DEEP trouble.

I know God has struck a match in those kids hearts. Its just a matter of letting that Holy Spirit work in themselves. So please dont say kids shouldnt be their if they have no interest. Make it interesting! And even if they act like its not a big deal or they are not listening.. something is registering in their head. PLus they're still having fellowship with other believers. (I would hope) And being in youth group is a lot better then other places these kids could be. Although I do understand as how that would be very frustrating.

Im just saying. We have a responsibility to these kids. Even me as a fellow believer of God to be giving my testomony.
 
i know that some people in your youth groups can be annoying, obnoxious, etc., but wouldnt you rather have them in your youth group than out in the world doing who knows what. what i would do in that situation is pray that God reveals His love to them. God's love is the only thing that can change their attitudes about church and change them. that is the ultimate goal of a youth group anyways, to bring youth to God.
 
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