As a youth pastor, I have several types of teens.
1. Born & Raised in the church, Parents spent time sharing their faith, and they know a lot of the answers to the questions we discuss.
2. Attend church occassionally, Parents semi-involved in faith development, and they know some things but have big gaps as well.
3. Attend our youth group, no real Bible knowledge or guiding parents, and have lots of misconceptions about God.
So, the challenge with teaching youth (and with the church as a whole) can be giving something deep enough to help #1, but basic and fundamental enough to help #3.
My personal opinion is that #1 needs to understand that God should still be able to move through you even in basic discussions! We need to preach the BASIC GOSPEL more often so that NEW BELIEVERS can be made because that is the GOAL OF THE GLOBAL CHURCH and The Great Commission.
#1 people can have deep discussions, but we need to support and love others and help them.
This topic was a small part of a conversation I had with several youth for 2 hours after we had finished. It was a great talk.
This post from Perry Noble about 10 Questions that Unchurched People Are Not Asking reminded me of this discussion.
#1's need to be there for #2's and #3's. Save these 10 questions for later and BE IN THE MOMENT to help others grow in their faith. You've been blessed. Now bless others!
