the fear of a shrinking youth ministry

today's turn out was "pathetic" probably lesser than the past two weeks of attendance. I can't put a finger to the exact problem but all I am getting now is still the same rantings of bringing friends and bringing friends. If now is the gauge of what our youth ministry will be known for...I guess it will be just "Cool" worship and the rest are bonuses, though the preaching of our Senior Pastor is indeed a "WOW" factor, however have the people cultivated a taste or an appetite for the Word that is tailored by the preaching to be spoken into their lives? It is a deadly poison waiting to strike our youth ministry hah...causing our youths to lose the appetite of the Word. What are we doing then? Well at least now we have the materials to teach the "Parables of Jesus" *Jesus to the rescue*

My fear is that we have not shaped or cultivated a generation of youths that hungers for the word. Evangelism is important...YES! Making disciples out of the nation...possible of course but what disciples are we making with the little values and morals that young people get with just a "cool" worship and "good" sermon. Discipleship has to happen within the cell and the platform is not set up efficiently yet. I suspect that we need to move into discipleship that anchors the spiritual man within our members soon with what is coming up. Come to think of it...we have actually gave spiritual sweets to our youths the past one month, it is just not enough. People are attracted to sincerity and the reality. And if our reality is to have the ordinary into an extraordinary, we should be doing well what? But why? Why is our youth group gradually shrinking since two weeks ago? From our history of conquest in Brighton all the way from the year of Reckless Faith to Year of Unprecedented Growth, it should be that we could only be better. Our confidence and barns should be overflowing [Proverbs 3:9-10] but it isn't working. "Oh we have to wait upon the Lord, it'll happen in His timing" but are we doing anything within our faith to support that? Are building altars for Him within our lives and others allowing Him to have the platform to do that? Are we the leaders creating spiritual opportunites for our youths to flex their spiritual muscles? Or the only spiritual muscles they flexing is the mouth as they speak in Godly conversations in tongues?

I want their most important muscle to be flexed. "Heart" the main cultivation area. That will be the sowing field. God likens us to "fallow ground" [uncultivated ground] so if the ground is uncultivated, how on earth are we to bear fruits, even if the fruits are presented, it'll be weak and sickly, and there we depend on the miracles of God to have them be discipled? Have them be strengthen on the spot? And then scold them as they do wrong when fault is on us not having the word put across properly to them through the word? Key thing is "Education of His Word" What are our platforms? What will people think when Brighton is thought about? What will we be known for?

...shrinking spiritual man?
...shrinking youth culture in Brighton?
...shrinking view of Jesus's discipleship in the gospels?
...shrinking passion?
...shrinking appetite for rheama?
...shrinking reality of Jesus that is put in our Generation?
...shrinking responsiblities of us the leadership?

if it is so then we need to do something. I will need to do something within the little platforms that are given to me in the ministry. I will not let my younglings die a spiritual death. I will pray and I will sought the Lord cause with every step I take He will lead me and with Him I will walk the raging seas within the mundane frame of this time. I will still urge evangelism but will lay the foundations of it before they understand the essence of why they got to do it. It all comes back to education of the Word into their "Uncultivated" hearts. Anyway this is just my opinions. In our flaws...God is made perfect, what opportunity to see Him in action within our clearing of spiritual mess (*____*)^ I am the Light of the world and the Salt of the earth! I am the head and not the tail...above and not beneath! I can succeed in His glory...Lord use me now, prepare my vessel.