Encounter With the Cat Girl

I had an appointment yesterday with two of my friends to talk about their ministry to millennials.  Wil and Heather live in Austin Ranch, an apartment community north of Dallas that is known as a “millennial enclave.”  I am Starbucks regular but they suggested meeting at a local coffee shop adjacent to the development. To say that the crowd was eclectic might be the ultimate understatement.  I could have predicted that based on my initial encounter.  I got in line to order my coffee and found myself standing behind a young girl wearing cat ears.  Okay, I thought to myself, but then I noticed she had a tail.  Needless to say my curiosity was aroused .  You can add the fact that she was dressed in black with the exception of the white ears that protruded from the top of her head. 

After being served I took a seat at a table.  Soon I found the “Cat Girl” sitting adjacent to me.   I got out my computer to prepare for our meeting when I got a text from my friends saying they were running a little late.  “Opportunity,” I thought.  The girl had ordered food so I knew she was going to be there a while.  I got up to grab a napkin, and my way back I complemented he on her unique outfit.  She smiled and stated that she and a friend liked cats.  The the outfit was pretty much standard for them.  “I work as a waitress, but I don’t wear this when I am working,” she continued.  Assuming her to be in her early twenties, I inquired where she had gone to high school. “I am working to finish my GED,” she responded.  “Eventually I want to go to art school.”  By this time my friends had arrived, so I thank her for the conversation.  “It was nice talking to you,” she replied.

It was brief conversation, and it is doubtful we will ever cross paths again, but I hope I left an impression.  It would have been easy to label her as “weird” and stayed at a distance, but I was genuinely interested in her.  In the process I hope she began to realize that some older adults care about her and want to get to know her. That is the effort it is going to take to change the gap that has occurred between generations.   I would encourage you to do the same. 

It is easy to label someone who has body piercing, or covered with tattoos as being weird.  In God's eyes their is a uniqueness and brokenness in each of us.In this case it meant wearing a tail. How will they know they are loved and accepted without us acknowledging them?  Maybe in the process they will begin to see Jesus through us.

The Future of Youth Ministry

In my last blog I wrote about the cultural shift that has taken place in our country.  Some behaviors, cohabitation and homosexuality have become acceptable.  The millennial generation is leading the cultural revolution.  Over 60% of millennials not only view cohabitation as acceptable but advantageous. They have a similar perspective on the Gay-Lesbian issue.  As I noted, I still view such behavior as being contrary to God’s desire for his people.  I also believe a majority of my peers share that opinion.  As stated in the blog entry, I still maintain the local church needs to stand with parents in equipping young people to make choices that run according to God’s plan.  That begins by not only teaching young people God’s Word but applying it.  It also means standing with them as they grapple with the application of God’s Word in their life.

 

As I pointed out at the close of that article, I still view a strong youth, college and young adult ministry .  Trained youth and education professionals can play a vital role in that process.  I aone of the key components ism a member of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) and within our denomination that role in many cases in filled by directors of Christian education (DCE).  DCE’s and others who fill such positions are not “Pied Pipers” but trained professionals who equip others to join them in their ministry. 

I am blessed to be member of the Texas District of the LCMS.  Texas has more trained DCE’s than any other district.  Our local DFW-DCE Cluster has over twenty active members.  A major factor in the strong DCE presence in Texas is that Concordia University of Texas trains more DCE’s than any other school in the Concordia University System.  We also are blessed to have a District President who is strongly supportive of Christian education and youth ministry. 

While I feel fortunate to be in such a fertile area when it comes to DCE and youth ministry, I have a concern for the church at large.  DCE’s are rostered by our church body as Commissioned Ministers but I fear an effort to downplay that office of the ministry.  I sense a desire to centralize training so that all workers are trained at the seminary.  Men are trained to be pastors and women are trained to be deaconess. 

I most certainly do not want to downplay the role of the parish pastor; lest I offend my two sons both of whom are ordained.  The reality is that most pastors are generalist.  Even those who have a passion for youth ministry usually have to shoulder other responsibilities.  While many DCE’s are generalist, a good number are children or youth ministry specialist.  In such cases, their focus is mentoring young people in the faith and equipping others to do the same. 

Equipping and supporting DCE’s and those who play similar roles is an important component in passing the torch to the next generation. 

Shacking Up or Cohabitation?

According to Webster, shacking up is to live together as spouses without being married.  The term carries a lot of negative connotation; “Did you hear who is shacking up?”  As Christians we take a negative view of such behavior because we view it as a violation of God’s desire for his people.  The marriage relationship is sacred, and a couple should be legally married prior to living together

In an attempt to soften the offense, the term now used to define living together outside of marriage is “cohabitation.”  If a recent study done by Pew Research is on target it is working.  Cohabitation has become politically correct while couching a behavior that is of itself morally wrong.  In our contemporary culture, cohabitation is not only seen as acceptable but viewed as a good idea, and it is not just a matter of convenience or saving money.  The top reason given for cohabitation was "testing compatibility." 

We can shake our heads and comment that it is just another sign that our moral fabric is gradually being torn to shreds.  In actually it does not change who we are, or even more important who God is.  As God’s people we respect the holy estate of marriage. But we recognize that even those who live in sin fall under God’s grace.  In my humble opinion the answer is found in God’s word.  We not only need to be into God’s word on a daily basis, but we need to encourage others to do so as well.  This is especially the case with teens and young adults.  It is not enough to expect the instruction that they received on the Sixth Commandment to have taken root.

That is why young and young adult ministry should be a vital component.  That is especially the case with college age young adults.  The typical campus environment is fertile ground for a young Christian to find their values called into question.  Another reality is that most traditional campus ministries do not appeal to millennials.  The link between God’s desire for them and the reality of their situation should be their support system back home.  That contact across the miles is vital, and in the world of social media and facetime it is a lot easier.  We just need to be intentional in our effort.