It's All About Relationships

I recently read an article about ministry that stated "make sure ministry is all about relationships."  This aspect is so important in Youth Ministry when you think about students and their home lives or lack of one, the friendships they have or don't have, and so on. However, this is just as true in ministry as whole.

"They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." 

I heard this phrase growing up often in regards to forming a relationship with someone in hopes of sharing the gospel with them. This method dates all the way back to the First Century and the approach Jesus took in His ministry. It was built on relationships. Jesus invested in people. Don't believe me? Read each one of the Gospels and examine Jesus' approach to people. The woman at the well (John 4)? Feeding of thousands (Matthew 14, Mark 8)? Eating with sinners (Mark 2:13-17)? The numerous healing? The miracles? He didn't do anything of these things for His own glory but to gain trust in those who He was ministering. 

Being a Youth Minister, naturally I think of the students. They need solid adult influences in their lives. They need us to build relationships with them. Most importantly they need to know that we care. Remember, "They don't care how much you know until they know how much care." Be real with them! Share with them! Minister to them through your relationships. 

Consider the following list as you begin to build relationships with the students at your congregation or the students you are involved with. 

Fifteen Ways to Show Kids (Yours and Others') That You Care" from "The Sticky Faith Guide to Your Family" by Kara Powell:

1. Ask them about school.
2. Find out their extracurricular activity schedule and go to at least one game, recital, or show.
3. Call them and sing to them on their birthday.
4. Swing by their house with ice cream after they've had a spectacular day.
5. Swing by their house with ice cream after they've had a lousy day. 
6. Keep your promises! (no matter how small)
7. Text them and share your three favorite things about them. 
8. Find out their favorite candy and give it to them for no reason at all.
9. Give them your undivided attention.
10. Ask them how you can be praying for them. And then pray.
11. A week after you asked them how you can be praying for them, loop back and find out how they're doing.
12. Learn their top hobbies or interests and then connect them with someone you know who can teach them more about what's special to them,
13. Let them choose the music in the car, and learn why they lean toward that style.
14. Send them something - anything - in the mail.
15. Give them your phone number and let them know they can call you at any time, whether they need help or just to talk.

Is the Gospel for all?

"The Gospel is for All" - Do you remember singing this song during worship at some point in your life?

For me, this song has been stuck in my head for the last couple of weeks as I have pondered this question, Is the gospel truly for all? Let me explain...

In this song the last line of the chorus says, "Where sin has gone must go His grace: The Gospel is for all"

Where has sin gone? across the world

Where must God's grace go? across the world

How must it get there? through the teaching of the gospel

Sounds simple right? Yet, I still wonder - Is the gospel really for all?

In God's word we read that, as followers of Christ, we are to be spreading the gospel. 

Mark 16:15 - "Go into ALL the world..." and do what? "teach the Gospel to EVERY creature"

Matthew 28:19 - "Go and make disciples of ALL nations..."

Romans 1:16 - " For I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God who brings salvation to EVERYONE..."

What you don't notice in these verses is that the gospel is only for people who look like us, dress like us, share the same interests as us, has the same socio-economic status as us... No, it says that the gospel should be taught to ALL nations, to EVERY creature because salvation is for EVERYONE. 

We may say, "The Gospel is for All" but our words and actions say, "The Gospel is for a select few."

I've always found James 2 interesting. The idea of favoritism and partiality is not a new concept. James addresses in his letter. Unfortunately, I have seen this played out too many times in the church today. James uses the illustration of two people entering into a meeting - one dressed to the nines and one who is poor and filthy. 

Which one is most deserving to be taught the gospel? You read that question and immediately thought, "Both, of course." However, I submit to you that in some churches today if a person came to worship dressed to the nines many people would flock to them and go out of their way to speak with them but if one entered who was filthy and poor they may not even make it into the auditorium.

"If you really keep the law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers." James 2:8-9

I confess, I have been guilty of this. I am not proud of it and I want to create awareness of our actions whether intentional or unintentional. If we are not careful, we will push away opportunities to share the gospel because of our partiality. 

Readers, we do not get to be judge and jury. We do not get to decide who receives the gospel and who does not. We cannot justify our actions with deciding who can worship and who cannot. 

The fact of the matter remains: There are people in this world crying out for help. They are in need of a savior. We have something to offer them that can be life-changing but when we decide who gets to know about the gospel we become like a country-club with exclusive rights to membership. 

If we deny people the opportunity of hearing the gospel and being a part of the church, they could very well die a spiritual death.

God established the church to be a family of people who share hurts together, who laugh together, cry together, who help those in need, who pray together... The church is for everyone. 

No matter how you look at scriptures - The Gospel is and always will be for all. For all nations, for all people regardless of what they look like, their socio-economic status, their dress, their hobbies and interests. 

Let's end favoritism and partiality when it comes to sharing the Gospel. It begins with you and it begins with me.

Our auditoriums may look different, that means we are reaching the lost! Let's reach some soul today.

"Where sin has gone must go His grace: The gospel is for all."

Andrew Thompson is the Youth Minister at Lebanon Road Church of Christ in Nashville, TN. Andrew is incredibly grateful to God for the opportunity to minister to families and students. He is supported by a wonderful wife, Joy (who is out of his league!) and a four year old son, Henderson (no relation to Freed-Hardeman). Graduating from the University of Alabama was a life-long dream while following in the footsteps of his parents. If you've ever been around Andrew, you know that he has a master's in sarcasm which leads to having a dry sense of humor. Remember: God is Good, All the Time!