Theology & Theatre: Can the Two Co-exist?
Theology and Theatre. What a combination.
Theology is the emphasis of discipleship, spiritual formation, and the scriptures. Theatre is the emphasis of programming, organization, and systems. Of course, we need both. But, once thing for sure, we have excluded theology in youth ministry over the past 20 years. Just look at the stats from last week’s blog.
Let me define this theology and theatre argument with two concepts: I would baseline a definition using two common philosophies called a presence-based youth ministry, and, a program-based youth ministry. Here’s an easy definition.
PRESENCE-BASED YOUTH MINISTRY
In a presence-based youth ministry, the value of ministry is placed in the response of the students to the presence of God. In a program-based youth ministry, the value is placed on organization and systems of ministry. I do not believe the two need to be exclusive of each other.
On the podcast this week, I want to look at building a presence-based youth ministry in two ways: small group and alter response.
A presence-based youth ministry endeavors to use the organization and systems of the program-based philosophy to get a spiritual response in God’s presence. The win is not simply to be organized and efficient. The win is the response of students to the ministry programming. And that must make the focus on planning ample time for waiting and response to the ministry programming.
I believe if the ultimate goal of programming is not a spiritual response, then discipleship will not happen. The following outcomes should be a part of the program-based youth ministry:
-the organization and systems have the end in mind (a spiritual response)
-leaders build relationship with the students during the pre-event activities and are not paying more attention to the details of the planning center que
-the worship is participatory and responsive and not merely entertainment
-messaging and the content is not just informational but it is also inspirational and has a planned lead to a response
-in this setting, the response could be individual or group-based but the goal is presence and experiencing God
In a presence-based youth ministry every program or system has an end goal of encountering God and His presence. In other words, the win is not kids having a blast at the pre-event, or the game going smoothly, or the 20-minute sermonnette being presented professionally, or splitting up into small groups at the end of the service to chat.
What we mean by a presence-based setting, is that all of these things lead to a response to God and His presence.
PROGRAM-BASED YOUTH MINISTRY
A we have said, programming values Theatre and focuses more upon the programming, organization, and systems. If we are simply doing programming to be creative or fill a void, programming is meaningless in Christianity. The point or the focus of programming should be the presence of God and students responding to this. Just as Jesus used the gift of administration in Mark chapter 6 to feed 20,000 people! The Bible says that Jesus “sat them in companies of 50“.
Here are two ways to build a presence-based youth ministry: Small Group
Small group is not the problem. Small groups revealed the problem.
If small groups are done poorly and leadership is not trained well, the result is the lowest biblical worldview in American history because there is little theology in small groups.
Look at where the focus of poorly run small groups has gotten us today. Over the last 15 years multiple organizations have driven the church to small groups. What has happened over that time is that only 4% of Gen Z has a Christian worldview. Only 1/3 of Christian students can name half of the 10 Commandments. And many more concerning statistics.
I do not believe that is solely the fault of small group and the family must share that blame. Small group cannot merely becomes a place to build relationships - it must be a place to build disciples. I am not against small groups. I’ve done small groups for 40 years in youth ministry. I’m against small groups not being done well.
Week after week small groups take place and there is never any room for students responding in worship or to the presence of God. Where are our students going to learn how to worship? Where will they learn the gifts of the Spirit? When is the last time you prayed for healing or for the supernatural in your small group?
Enough words in youth ministry. We need demonstrations.
Small group isn’t successful when a leader speaks 75% of the time. Is there a point when students can only sit so long listening to a leader speaking 75% of the time and students dialoguing 25% of the time in the group? Because that’s what most small groups end up being like.
The second way to build a presence-based youth ministry: Response and the altar
The youth service setting is the one place we have the whole attention of the leaders and students. The one corporate setting where we can communicate to everyone at the same time. The place where culture is built. The momentum that can be gained in a youth ministry from this setting is unimaginable.
The youth service can create a move of the Spirit that draws students to a dynamic setting. There are many suddenlies in the bible where everything turned in a moment. That is the same kind of influence that can be seen in a dynamic youth service that values the response.
Gen Z is marked by a love of the supernatural. What better way to connect this generation to Christianity than the supernatural? You cannot separate Christianity and the supernatural.
With that in mind, let me talk about my favorite
YTH Service Essentials
1. Theology - Theology is ‘the study of God.’ And the central responsibility of a youth pastor is to build a relationship with students to teach them the nature and character of God. That’s it.
Every endeavor in youth ministry must lead to that responsibility. Theology is the difference between a youth ministry and a youth group.
Given the spiritual condition of the Millennial and Gen Z set, a theology emphasis is the first needed elementary principle in YTH Ministry and specifically the youth service. Because of the nature of this generation, and their lack of theological understanding and accurate picture of God, theology in the youth setting becomes even more important.
2. Preaching and teaching – The greatest cause of both spiritual formation and spiritual malnutrition is the generosity of preaching and teaching the Word of God, or, the lack of it.
If theology is neglected, a youth ministry will be shallow and retention will be difficult because we are not making disciples. On the other hand, if theology is emphasized, a youth ministry will be healthy and growth will be eminent because we are making disciples.
The marriage of theology and theatre (communication) is important. They are not exclusive of each other.
3. The Altar Response - What you get teens with you have to keep teens with. There are no gimmicks or shortcuts that produce godly teens.
I really believe the altar is attractional and transformative. And it could be theology and theater on fire.
Here are a few practical things you can do to build an altar and create a presence-based youth ministry:
1. People are drawn to fire trucks (light yourself on fire and the students will come to watch you burn) I remember setting the example at the altar for my students. Over the years, they would respond and be right by my side because the altar was not an embarrassing place.
2. Plan time for response in every youth service, and, create the space and setting for it. God gave you a message for a reason. So that students would be able to respond.
3. Topics in the messaging should be contextual to the issues in a teenager’s life (sexuality, family, relationships, etc.)
4. Use kinesthetic and linguistic communication (object lessons, story-telling, imagination, or stations for response)
5. Trust the Presence of God in musical worship with a live team or YouTube playlists (if you think you have to outsmart or outspend MTV and NYC to attract students, you will end up broke and without a crowd)
6. Every message should include the 4 T’s (a Topic, a Text, a Tale, and a Takeaway, which is the response)
7. Train students and leaders in prayer (none of this will happen naturally)
8. Be prepared to direct the altars according to your message – make sure that every point of your message is a part of the response of the students at the altar.
9. Make sure that you are not asking the students to worship the entire time at the altar. That can get in the way of them speaking to God. Create space where they can use their own words and prey to God.
10. Stations are a great way to bring creativity and theater to the response… A sand table, a chalkboard, a journal table, or even a cross with pen and paper.
Finally
Do not underestimate the ability and the willingness of teenagers to become disciples. The problem is that most youth ministries will never experience this because they get stuck in theatre and never purposely center on theology and discipleship.
You can follow us along at the linktree on our socials, where you can watch this on, YouTube, read the manuscript on our website, or listen to the iTunes podcast.