But this post is not about youth convention. It is not about the honest words shared by our speakers. It goes beyond the uplifting worship and the breakthroughs around the altar. During our final service, and throughout the four hour drive home, I knew that I had a different message to share.

If you are a pastor, parent, long-time church member, Sunday school teacher, greeter, parking attendant, or any other warm body in a church that sent youth to Convention this year, and you were not with them, this message is for you. (If you were there, you can probably identify with what I’m going to say.)

And this message begins with one simple question, “How willyou respond to post-Convention youth?” You have the ability to see, understand and confirm what took place in the life of every teenager that experienced God this week. You also have the ability to ignore, dull and even nullify it, all by your response in the next few days, weeks and months.

Churchgoers

The next time you come to church, maybe at midweek Bible study, for others it will not be until Sunday, you will see youth excited about God. They will want to – if they haven’t already – tell you about the most amazing three days of their lives. DO NOT ignore them. They are going to tell you about strobe lights, black lights, electric guitars, loud music, fog machines, Facebook hacking (a pre-service game), the Revenge of the Interlude (a pre-service “workout”), a late night at the indoor amusement park, a speaker who started a forest fire (a little one) when he was in high school, and so much more. DO NOT just smile and nod and say, “That’s nice, dear.”

Some of you don’t like electric guitars. Some of you don’t like loud music. Some of you don’t know why kids have to get all riled up at youth convention anyway. DO NOT be a buzz kill. DO NOT tell them that now that they are home they have to be “proper” or “reverent.” Don’t tell them that what they experienced at Convention was nice for Convention, but now they have to come home and get back to normal life.

These youth just had normal thrown out the window. Not because of four church services. Not because of amazing music. Not because of a talented speaker. And not because of three hours at the amusement park. Hopefully every teenager, leader and pastor that went to Convention discovered, for the first time or for a fresh time, that new kind of normal that results from an encounter with the living, powerful, one true God. By finding life and joy and love and hope in the outstretched arms of Jesus Christ. By discovering strength and boldness to shine in a world full of darkness in the power of the Holy Spirit.

If you feel uncomfortable around these youth that are loud and excited, find out what is missing in your life before you condemn anything God did in their lives. If you feel like you cannot see what they see or feel what they feel, don’t believe the lie that it is because you have matured in your relationship with God.

As fellow believers – believing in the same God, trusting in the same work of Jesus, sealed by the same Spirit – it is your responsibility to feed their faith, fuel their enthusiasm (maybe even catch some of it), and do everything in your power to keep it alive and thriving.

Pastors and Leaders

Some people find out that I’m a “senior” pastor and think that I am too young for the job. They think I need more experience. They think I should have more grey hairs (thought that seems to be taking care of itself). Other pastors think I have strange ideas. My input is interesting, but it is not valuable to them. And I’m twenty years older than most of the youth that went to Convention.

We sang the following lines from the song “Hosanna”:

I see a generation
Rising up to take their place
With selfless faith…

Technically I am a generation ahead of these teenagers, but even my generation struggles to be heard and used in the church today. Why are twenty- and thirty-somethings out of the church? Because when we came back from camp and youth convention, full of the Spirit and power, called and anointed by God, challenged and ready to make a difference in the world and in our church for Jesus Christ, we were ignored … and we still are.

What will happen to this new generation? Pastor, will you recognize the call on their lives to preach the Gospel, to teach the Word? Will you say, “That’s great. I pray it works out for you”? Or will you take them under your wing, disciple them, help them to lead and minister where they are and prepare them for what is yet to come?

It is going to require to learn a new language: teenager. It is going to demand a little bit of mentoring time in your schedule. These young people have just made the connection between the reality of God, His ability to make a difference in their individual lives, and the desire to go deeper into the most incredible adventure of their lives. Who should be more excited than you?

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How will you respond? It might be easier to determine how you will not respond. Remember what your mother said, those words that you find yourself saying from time to time: “If you can’t saying anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”

The future of your church was just hooked up to the Supernatural Source and was jumpstarted with Heavenly Power. Don’t turn off the ignition. Don’t let fuel tank run out. Don’t leave the transmission in neutral. Throw it into drive and get on for the ride.

In many of those times we are left without much to say. Either we have no voice in a person’s life, or we know how they feel about what we have to say. In our closer relationships, though, we have to know when to be the voice in that person’s life.

What if you had a friend from church who told you he was going to the strip bar down the street on Friday nights? It wasn’t his idea. He just got pulled along by some of the guys a few weeks ago, and now he keeps getting mixed up in it. He does not know how to say, “No.” How do you help him? What if he does not want to listen to your advice?

A woman who helps with the youth group is going through a tough time at home and starts going with the girls to one of the local clubs. It was just something to do at first, to hang out and relax. But now she has started going out for coffee with one of the bartenders. Do you keep quiet, or try to help her back onto the path?

I have a couple of good Christian friends who love God and really want to get closer to Him. I was one of their pastors for a while, so I have a bit extra investment in their lives. Sitting at the table at one house I turned to see one of the ever-popularTwilight novels. I looked around and there were two more on the shelf. Every chance I get, I say something.

Why? Because I believe that God has put us into each others’ lives for a reason. We are not just there to be happy and supportive, play some games and enjoy Sunday worship together. Part of our role is to be the voice that reminds one another about the truths of God.

But how do we do that? How are supposed to be the voice in a way that is helpful and does not destroy our relationships? Consider these factors the next time you feel you are meant to be the voice in someone’s life.

1. Speak the truth in love. It sounds cliche, but this is the first factor to consider. If you have to be aggressive or rude, don’t speak. If you are speaking out of anger, stay silent. Love is the first ingredient and it takes true relationship. I always say that it is harder to listen in love than to speak in love, but it is up to the speaker to make every effort to communicate love over condemnation, judgment or spiritual superiority.

2. Stay out of the boxing ring. To maintain your privileges a voice in someone’s life, you have to be careful to stay away from a fight. When you speak into a life, know that there will be opposition. You’ve just exposed darkness to light or made obvious a personal weakness. Defenses are going to go up. Your job is play it cool. Make your point quickly and move on.

3. Be observant, but don’t be on the lookout. If you are constantly looking for an opportunity, it will be obvious that you are on a sort of spiritual stakeout. Just like goaltending in basketball, this is a foul in relationships. The purpose of coming together with others is not to straighten them out, but to live in love and joy together.

Talk Back

What are some other things to consider when helping others remember God’s direction for their lives? How has it gone well, or maybe not-so-well, for you?

Over at PastorMentor.com, Hal Seed posted an article today, “Top 10 Things Pastors Would Like to Hear from Their People.” Most of them are far-fetched. Some of them are honest hopes and dreams. (I hope you can tell the difference.)

I won’t post them all, but I will share a couple of my favorites.

8. “The President’s secretary called. He wants you to do the Invocation for his inauguration. He told me he thinks you’re the next Rick Warren.”

6. “Zondervan just called. They want to make your latest sermon series into a book. They’re pretty sure it will be a best-seller.”

4. “You’re the godliest man I know.”

2. “Every member of my family has come to Christ now, thanks to you.”

You can read the full list by clicking here or the article title above.

Talk Back

What do you think your pastor needs to hear from your congregation? What might you stop and tell him after service tomorrow?