Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Euangelion

Home
Evangelical
Bonhoeffer as Youth Worker, Part 2

Bonhoeffer as Youth Worker, Part 2

Last updated on: January 19, 2015 at 8:09 am by Joel Willitts

Bonhoeffer as Youth Worker, Part 2 2015-01-18T10:15:11-04:00 Joel Willitts

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

This is part 2 of the review of ***Bonhoeffer as Youth Worker: A Theological Vision for Discipleship and Life Together***by Pete Sutton.

Another insight from part 1 of Bonhoeffer as Youth Worker came out of Root’s examination of Bonhoeffer’s “Eight Thesis on Youth Work” written while serving as the youth secretary for the ecumenical movement in England. (I never knew this work existed before.) Here Bonhoeffer gives a modest and theological definition of youth ministry which is still relevant for today. His view does not over-emphasize the importance of young people (as is the temptation of many in youth ministry today) nor does it coopt youth ministry for the benefit of the church (as is the tendency of some senior pastors). Root writes,

Youth movements (whether the German youth movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century or the American youth movement of the late 1960s and after) are created because of, and then often exacerbate, the generational gap. Youth ministry is called upon (really created in the first place) to stand within the gap; youth ministry often exists only because there is a gap (this seems true in both Germany and America). The gap forces parents and church members to believe they need a special program or specialist to connect to the (odd and strange) youthful spirit of their children. Youth ministry is to stand in the gap, but youth ministry is only created (and perpetuated) because there is a gap. (Loc. 1768)

Later he summarizes…

So taking the theological turn, it may be that a huge part of the youth minister’s job is to work with the whole church-community, reminding the adults that they need not—that they theologically should not—define their children through the generation gap, but instead should see them as human beings needing a Stellvertreter (a place-sharer). The youth minister may need to point again and again to the biblical and theological truth that Jesus Christ, not the cultural generation gap, is the creator of childhood. This may actually be the central calling of the youth worker. (Loc. 1809)

A third insight I found extremely helpful as well as challenging came from Root’s examination of Bonhoeffer’s sermon preached to his last confirmation class. The sermon centered on the father’s request in Mark 9:24, “I do believe, help my unbelief.” Root’s emphasis was not on some triumphant arrival of the youth or the hope of heaven at the end of this life but on the very real, gritty grind of life and faith in which spiritual transformation takes shape. Root writes,

So much of youth ministry in North America lacks the soberness that Bonhoeffer gives these young people, this confirming into the weakness of faith. Youth ministry often serves as pep rallies for institutional church commitment rather than a place of honest articulation of the struggles of faith itself. In contemporary youth ministry we like to remind kids of what their faith can do, of what difference they can make with commitment. But here Bonhoeffer throws water on the ambitious fire of youthful faith bound in the spirit of youth itself, calling his young people instead to a weak and sober faith that follows the lead of the father in Mark. (Loc. 2118)

I spent much time reflecting on this thought and evaluating my own ministry. Do my kids (I prefer this term over student – so would Bonhoeffer and Root) have a sober view of life and faith or one jacked up on steroids of hype, activity, naivety or shallow platitudes? Am I filling them with a self-confidence or a dependence on Christ? Am I tuning their ears to the humanistic, self-esteem driven, independent call of the world or to the whisper of the Spirit of God calling them to selflessness, sacrifice and servanthood?

Part two of Bonhoeffer as Youth Worker examines just a few pieces of Bonhoeffer’s more popular works, Discipleship and Life Together. I anticipated Root would spend more time examining these works and providing some practical implications for ministry today but was disappointed. Nonetheless, his insights were helpful and provided me with many constructive questions.

In light of Bonhoeffer’s examination of costly and cheap grace Root writes,

Bonhoeffer may tell us if he were with us today that the problem with youth ministry is that it is addicted to cheap grace. It has been so captivated by the “idea” of Christianity, by the idea of getting young people committed and excited about the institutional church, that it has given itself over almost completely to principles and programs, (loc. 2480).

Are my kids more committed to our program or to Christ Himself?

Later Root writes,

The irony in North American youth ministry is that we continue to work to find the right idea to make faith stick, but it will never be possible until we shift from idea to person, for only then do we move from cheap to costly grace. (loc. 2602)

How do I shift from idea to person? How do I move away from programs, doctrine, tradition and institution to the person of Christ?

In regard to youth workers today Root writes,

For these young people and young youth workers, Bonhoeffer says boldly, ‘Those who love their dream of a Christian community more than the Christian community itself become destroyers of that Christian community even though their personal intentions may be ever so honest, earnest, and sacrificial”. (loc. 2791).

Do I love my safe and secure Christian community (youth group) more than I love seeing broken kids discover healing? What am I doing that may be destroying the possibility for true community, place sharing?

Root continues,

It may be that a major objective of youth ministry is to create these spaces in which adults and young people pray with one another, as one body speaks her needs to another body that responds with compassion and the words of intercession. The discord between young and old will never be evaporated—it will always exist—but through praying together, discord can be transformed to a bond of understanding and love. It may be that the only way to move our communities beyond the generation gap, as Bonhoeffer pled in his “Eight Theses on Youth Work,” is to invite the young and not so young to pray together in shared intercession. (loc. 2861).

I’m sold – how do I bring my church, my parents and families, my students to buy into this as well?

I imagine that for Root the answer to this last and final question might be simply “life together.” That’s the big take-away for me from this book. We can’t dream of doing ministry unless we’re first willing to do life together. That’s where it all begins, as well as ends. Along the way, reflecting on a good read like this sure helps to keep a youth worker moving in the right direction.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

January 19, 2015

N.T. Wright Online

Next Post

January 20, 2015 Michael Bird Interviewed as Part of Culture Creators Series

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Bible Lands Blogosphere Book Review Calvinism Colleges & Universities Ecclesiology Emerging Adulthood Evangelicalism Foreign Affairs Gospel of John Greco-Roman World Humor Just War N. T. Wright Old Testament Resurrection Terrorism Theological Education Travel Uncategorized Writing

Select a Month September 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 January 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does "Bethesda" mean?

Select your answer to see how you score.

House of wind House of bread House of olives House of mercy

Books by This Author Books by Mike Bird

See All Titles »