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The Purposes in Conflict
Always enjoy taking in the Purpose Driven conference – I seem to learn something new in whatever place I find myself as a leader. We’re coming off the week-long PDYM Student Leadership Conference this past week (join us next year – July 13-16, 2010), and something fresh hit me in the face.
The purposes (evangelism, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, worship) always live in tension with each other.
It isn’t just making sure that the biblical purposes are present or represented in your student ministry, it is that they literally fight with each other. The values of each purpose are in competition – here are a couple of examples:
Evangelism fights with Fellowship
Bringing in new students and having a heart for bringing the lost seems opposite of creating a safe place for students to be known, loved and cared for. People with a heart for fellowship will bristle at the thought of outsiders coming in, and people with a heart for evangelism can’t imagine a place were outsiders aren’t allowed to become insiders.Worship fights with Discipleship
Singing about God could replace learning about God and growinga student’s faith. Students might be tempted to only express their love for God and celebrating his presence at the expense of reading His word and growing on their own.
We should expect tension in team members. We should expect misunderstandings. We should realize this will be a constant battle that requires active leadership, training and vision. A good youth worker must work in this paradox and keep the purposes at peace. Thoughts?
JG
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