As much as we would like to provide our students with everything they need for the journey in one retreat, one Bible study, or one worship experience, or as much as we would wish to summarize everything for our youth group in one cliché, one scripture verse, or one song, the Story of God paints a very different picture for us. The people of God have always been committed to the whole. In spite of living in a dominant culture of rapid remedies and quick fixes, fast food and instant gratification, we belong to the kingdom-culture, which views life as a journey, comprised of many steps and stages.
The characters with whom we share life and ministry were not women and men who went into a situation briefly and made a big splash, thus solving all the problems and answering all the questions. Instead, they were women and men who were committed to the long haul. They neither gave up when mountain tops of victory disintegrated, nor did they run away when great battles erupted in the valley. They stayed, they persisted, they continued! Why? They knew that the story of God was not something that they must complete in a day, a month, or a year. It was greater than any one single victory; it was stronger than any multitude of defeats. And ultimately, it wasn’t their story anyway--it was God’s!
As narrative God-talkers, we also are committed to the whole. We recognize that no single verse in Scripture will provide the final answer. Instead, we are committed to the full canon of Scripture. Therefore, we allow verse after verse, passage after passage, book after book to dialogue with all of the others. We allow the pleasant and simple passages of Scripture to be read, taught, and explored right alongside the more unpleasant and complex passages. As narrative God-talkers, we are not quick to make one passage fit another, but we allow Bible passages to stand side by side, and thus permit our students to see the whole, not only one piece.
Just as we are committed to the whole of Scripture, we are also committed to the whole of spiritual formation. For individual students, as well as for an entire class, we recognize and celebrate the fact that spiritual development is an ongoing process. It began before we ever stepped into our students’ lives, and it will continue far beyond our immediate ministry with them. Rather than basing all ministry upon what magnificent accomplishments can quickly be achieved, narrative God-talkers view spiritual formation from a much larger perspective. We are committed to providing students with one passage at a time, one song at a time, and one prayer at a time. We know that the God who has called us into his ministry will ultimately bring the many pieces together into a whole--a whole that extends far beyond the years of adolescence.
At the same time, we recognize the significance of every time we get together and “God-talk” with a student, whether it be after school over a soft drink, at a campground for fall retreat, in a home for an afterglow, on Wednesday evening for worship, or around the circle for Bible study. We realize that every word we speak, every song we sing, and every silent symbol we view places one more stitch into the fabric of our students’ spiritual formation.
Like every generation that has come before us, we face the great challenge of passing the faith on to the next generation. How are we to face this challenge with integrity and faithfulness? Our story already tells us how to communicate the truth of the Scriptures: ”Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deut. 6:7-9, NRSV). We face the challenge by being God-talkers, even theologians, who name God in the world of our students! How do we legitimately speak of God? Recognizing the creative power of language, we confidently and creatively articulate this alternative kingdom, this kingdom-culture, in such a way that our students actively participate in the community of God’s people, where they discover their true identity. Perhaps no greater calling is to be found than the calling to be a God-talker as we anticipate the question, “Why are those rocks there?”
By Tim Green
This series of reflections on a narrative model for Christian ministry comes from the book Worship Centered Teaching.
As identity is shaped, character and lifestyle emerge. From the preface to the Ten Commandments (Exod. 20.2) to the outset of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5.1-16), the people of God have consistently recognized that our way of living is the direct result of who we are. And who we are is always the direct result of what God has graciously caused us to be. As narrative God-talkers, we do not seek to moralize or heap disconnected rules upon students. Rather, by inviting students to see themselves and others within the Story of God, we provide the setting where authentic character and ethic can develop and grow. As a result, lifestyle becomes a genuine fruit of identity. The life of holiness is then viewed not as what makes our students holy, but as the result of God’s gracious, mind-transforming work in their lives. The answer to the question, “What are we to do?” emerges out of the answer to the question, “Who are we?” As a result, when students confront new moral dilemmas or situations, the kingdom-identity being shaped in their lives will inform their decisions.
By Tim Green
This series of reflections on a narrative model for Christian ministry comes from the book Worship Centered Teaching.
As we participate in kingdom-culture and as we discover our connectedness to persons across all space and time, all of life begins to be viewed against the backdrop of this Kingdom. Particularly, our very identity is transformed as we see ourselves in light of the kingdom community in which we live.
The kingdom-story begins to shape us. Stories of our origins, our struggles, our victories, and our future begin to mold every aspect of who we are. Rather than measuring our identity according to the yardstick that the dominant culture uses, we increasingly see ourselves in relationship to this Kingdom. Kingdom priorities begin to inform our decisions. Kingdom values begin to shape our relationships. And kingdom hopes begin to mold our dreams. Narrative God-talkers recognize that the formation of a student’s identity itself is at stake. The language that we are using, the kingdom-culture that we are demonstrating, and the community that we are a part of will provide the backdrop against which our students will come to understand who they are. No doubt, just as the people of God have always had ongoing competition, so will we. The industries and media of our dominant culture have a great deal at stake in shaping the identity of our students. However, we are called to the same boldness and integrity that the people of God have always demonstrated in speaking of another kingdom. Without apology, narrative God-talkers speak of a whole other way of being in this world.
By Tim Green
This series of reflections on a narrative model for Christian ministry comes from the book Worship Centered Teaching.
The issue of identity is the biggest thing that young people are faced with, and not just teens, but adults as well. Many of today's problems and sins are rooted in a false identity of self. Who do we see ourselves as? Is our identity within the kingdom
of God or this world? I talk a lot about this to my youth group and encourage kids to see themselves as people made in God's image and that our lives should reflect this truth.
@Aaron T: I agree that identity is a critical part of teenage development. Exploring the image of God with youth is a great way to get at who we are in Christ. What are some challenges that hinder youth from embracing their identity as the image of God?
As students become active participants in something larger than themselves, they will soon discover that they have become part of a group of people that extends far beyond themselves. They have become a part of a community. Having abandoned the spectator stands where individualism runs rampant, students step onto a stage and into a story where deciding whether or not to share life with other characters is not even an option. No monologues occur on this stage! Community is essential. Narrative God-talkers particularly appreciate the need for authentic community formation. From programs that are planned to messages that are given, from songs that are sung to ministry opportunities that are provided, our language and actions will reflect the central conviction that God has always been creating and continues to create a people, not isolated superheroes! The language of I, me, and my will give way to the language of we, us, and our. Certainly, the place of the individual is not rejected, but it is viewed in relationship to the entire body (1 Corinthians 12.27). Students will come to see themselves in relation to the grand community to which they belong.
Throughout the history of the people of God, this authentic community has consisted of both peers and mentors. A youth ministry that invites students to participate in kingdom life will seek to connect them to both peers and mentors. On the one hand, persons who share common joys, fears, dreams, and disappointments will have the opportunity to celebrate, grieve, pray, learn, and dream together. Gatherings of celebration, worship, study, and accountability will intentionally connect students to their peers.
On the other hand, trusted and experienced persons who can “point to the stones” and describe their meaning have always been invaluable members of the people of God. These persons are no less significant today. We can and should provide opportunities for students to share life with women and men who witness to the faithfulness of God in the joys, fears, dreams, and disappointments of their journeys.
By Tim Green
This series of reflections on a narrative model for Christian ministry comes from the book Worship Centered Teaching.
After we discover that we are citizens of this alternative world, this kingdom-culture, we will come to realize that we are not merely observers of an ancient event; we are participants in a present event. A narrative God-talker will invite students to come down from the “spectator’s balcony” and to step onto the stage, thereby becoming a part of the great drama itself. As a student finds herself living within kingdom-culture, she will recognize that she is a participant in something much larger than herself. She is presently a part of the great drama of God! Such participation provides a sense of connectedness, not only to other persons who are presently citizens of this kingdom, but also to all of those persons who have come before and to all of those who will follow. Students come to recognize and celebrate that they have been caught up in something that extends in time far beyond themselves. This kingdom is not simply a new fad that has recently dropped out of the sky. Therefore, rather than rejecting tradition, students celebrate that their very identities are found within the greater context of that tradition. They are intricately connected to what has come before!
Not only does such participation provide connectedness to persons of other times, it also provides connectedness to persons of other locations. Rather than being suspicious of other ethnic, racial, or language groups, our students celebrate their differences within a kingdom that knows no ethnic, racial, language, or gender boundaries. We are connected around the globe! One of the most consistent ways in which the people of God have celebrated and made visible their participation in kingdom-culture is by marking time in a unique way. From our earliest ancestors, we have lived our lives according to special days, seasons, and times. Our Hebrew ancestors marked time according to God’s great acts at the Red Sea (Passover and Unleavened Bread), at Mount Sinai (Festival of Weeks/Pentecost), and in the Wilderness (Festival of Tabernacles). Early on, our Christian ancestors began to mark time according to the events in the life of Jesus. All we have ever known as the people of God is to mark time according to the great activities of God in the life of His people. One tool to help us with marking this time is the Christian calendar. As our young people are encouraged to order their lives according to time as shown by the Christian calendar, they increasingly come to understand the meaning of participation in Christ. Kingdom-culture is heard, seen, felt, tasted, and known as they creatively participate in the great events of the anticipation, birth, life, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, the call to active participation not only provides connectedness to other persons across space and time, but ultimately it provides connectedness to what God himself has been and is doing. Being caught up “in Christ,” the people of God come to recognize, appreciate, and celebrate that we are literally participants in the ministry and work of God on earth. Rather than a student discovering her own ministry, she comes to discover her unique place within the ministry of Jesus Christ as He continues to carry out His work in the world. Rather than God simply coming into the individual student, the individual student realizes and celebrates that she is being caught up in Christ himself and in the ministry of Christ.
By Tim Green
This series of reflections on a narrative model for Christian ministry comes from the book Worship Centered Teaching.
At the heart of being a narrative God-talker is the understanding that this language we use ultimately speaks of another world, even another culture. As the writer to the Hebrews (chapter 11) clearly understood, we also embrace the reality that we are “strangers and foreigners on the earth.” While we reside in this world, our “citizenship” belongs to another kingdom. We live within kingdom-culture, and every time we engage in ministry with our students, they are becoming accepted into that kingdom-culture. Under the legitimate name of evangelism, we can all too easily succumb to the temptation to “package” the Kingdom of God in the language and values of our society’s dominant culture. However, kingdom-culture is not simply a survival tactic for living in our dominant culture, but rather, it is a whole other way of being. That is why we boldly call our young people to find their identity, their values, their language, their priorities, even their very existence within this unique alternative kingdom.
At the same time, narrative God-talkers recognize that living in kingdom-culture is not a matter of alienating or even withdrawing ourselves from the world in which we live. Indeed, Jesus himself did not pray that His followers be removed from the dominant culture, but that we be protected from its evil power (John 17.15). Discovering our true identity and very existence within the alternative world of the Kingdom of God, the people of God then step back into the world and dominant culture. However, we step into that world with “Kingdom lenses.” Life in the dominant culture, with all of its relationships, decisions, and dreams is then viewed from the perspective of the Kingdom.
By Tim Green
This series of reflections on a narrative model for Christian ministry comes from the book Worship Centered Teaching.
Throughout our history, the people of God have understood and appreciated the powerful nature of language, whether spoken, sung, or non-verbal. As a culture that spans all ethnic, racial, and gender groups, kingdom-culture has always had a peculiar language—a language of grace rather than achievement, hope rather than despair, wholeness rather than brokenness, and self-giving love rather than self-serving power. This language seldom “fits” into the dominant world culture; rather it stands in sharp contrast to that culture.
Because words and symbols have an amazingly creative power, narrative God-talkers carefully choose meaningful ways to speak about God to students. The words we speak shape a world in which students will find their identity and will eventually view all of life. Therefore, we select words that are deliberate and purposeful. Because we understand the powerful and creative nature of words, the language we use in messages, songs, Bible studies, and counseling sessions is always purposeful and consistent with what it means to be kingdom-culture people.
As specific words and phrases are often repeated, they become signs of our connectedness to God and to each other when we gather and reminders of our identity when we scatter. Therefore, we deliberately develop a vocabulary in which we communicate and celebrate who we are. As we come together, we frequently join our voices in the well-known kingdom prayer that Jesus taught His disciples, and we recite commonly-known ancient confessions. By doing this, we recall who we are as well as the connectedness we share with each other and with those who came before us.
Rather than a vocabulary of exclusiveness that keeps outsiders on the outside, the very nature of the language we use invites others to become active participants as well. Prayers, confessions, phrases of identification, and songs are never intended to be secret, hidden “code words” for insiders. Instead, our words and actions are always carried out so that new members might readily be accepted into the kingdom-culture. At the same time, however, the people of God do not refrain from the unique language of the kingdom under the guise of inclusiveness. Simply adapting the language and symbols of the dominant culture at the expense of kingdom-culture compromises the uniqueness of this Kingdom. For the people of God, kingdom-culture never becomes overshadowed and hidden by the language, symbols, priorities, and values of the dominant culture in which we live.
Just as we recognize the creative power of spoken language, the people of God have also understood and celebrated the power of non-verbal communication. Whether it be a pile of stones, a stained-glass window, a cross, or a poster, the people of God have always sought creatively to place non-verbal symbols in front of their young, anticipating those teaching moments when the question is raised, “What do those mean?” Rather than being forms of alienation or keeping “outsiders” out, these symbols have always been understood as forms of invitation and incorporation.
As we can see, narrative God-talkers are keenly aware of the central role of language in ministry. We recognize that the words we speak, the songs we sing, and the symbols we use do not merely testify to what God has done sometime in the past; they also point forward to a world, a kingdom-culture, in which we are called to live. Certainly, testimonies of what God has done lead us to anticipate what God will do. Through their words, teachers, Bible study leaders, mentors, parents, youth workers, and pastors accept the great privilege and responsibility of participating in God’s ongoing activity of creating a Kingdom in which we reside.
By Tim Green
This series of reflections on a narrative model for Christian ministry comes from the book Worship Centered Teaching.
Pointing to the large pile of stones gathered near the river, a young teen asks her grandmother, “Why are those rocks there?” Having waited for that very question to be asked, the teen’s trusted mentor answers, “It’s an amazing story--one that I heard over and over again as I was growing up. Many years ago, our ancestors were slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. . . .” The grandmother continues by recounting the way in which God called a leader, plagues struck the Egyptians, waters were divided, manna was provided, and a covenant was made.
In another corner of the village, several persons have gathered around the evening fire, singing songs and recounting the amazing exploits and sincere faith of ancestors such as Deborah, Gideon, Hannah, and David. Some around the fire have heard these stories dozens of times. For others in the circle, this night is one of initiation as they hear of events and experiences that will define their identity and shape their character for the remainder of their lives.
The conversation between the young teen and her grandmother, as well as the dialogue around the community campfire, is a snapshot of what the people of God have been doing for thousands of years. Throughout our history, the faith, like a baton in a relay race, has been passed on from one generation to the next. Recounting what God has done in the life of His community, the people of God have creatively invited the next generation to become active participants in God’s ongoing activity, whether it be through piling stones, telling stories, singing songs, preaching sermons, writing letters, or celebrating central events around a meal. They faithfully carried out the ancient task given to subsequent generations: “Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise, bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deut. 6.7-9).
Now, thousands of years later, we face the same challenge that all generations before us have faced: how are we to pass the ancient faith to the next generation? Increasingly, since the days of the Enlightenment in the eighteenth century, we have all too easily become satisfied with reducing the work of God to a list of points or propositions that can then be applied to life. Like a winepress, we tend to “squeeze the juice” out of biblical stories, songs, and letters, reduce them to a set of “how-to’s” or “applicable points.” We then give those reductions to our students as simple ways to make it through another week. The problem is that nothing is left of the story, the song, or the letter. As result, God’s past and present activity becomes distant and foreign to our lives. Scripture becomes nothing more than a “how to” manual or a rule book, and the Church is perceived as an antiquated way of dealing with life or an overbearing authority figure.
Likewise, our students are never challenged to think about their faith within the story, the song, or the letter; everything is done for them. As a result, the life of faith can quickly become a mindless and heartless following of points rather than a transformed way of thinking and being in the world.
Furthermore, even when biblical truths are applied to the dominant culture in which we live, that dominant culture often continues to determine our priorities. We may provide our students with a few biblical steps for surviving in the real world and offer lifestyles to guarantee eternal life, but our own identity and the identities of our students continue to be shaped by the dominant culture. The Kingdom of God as it is depicted in Scripture and the subsequent history of the Church becomes nothing more than a foreign object to observe rather than a home in which to live.
One of our greatest challenges is to rediscover and practice the manner in which our ancestors have consistently communicated the faith and talked about God. Our spiritual ancestors challenge us to do something other than give our students spiritual how-to’s. We must speak of an alternative world within which to live, a lens through which life can be seen and understood, and an identity that will shape character and lifestyle.
How might we face the challenge that confronts us? The Story of God and his people has already provided an answer to that very question. Piece by piece, stories, songs, sermons, letters, creeds, holidays, and sacraments, all belonging to a counter-kingdom, the Kingdom of God, are consistently and deliberately handed to the next generation. Out of those numerous pieces is constructed an alternative world in which our students can find their identity and their character. More than simply telling numerous disconnected stories, we recognize that for the people of God there exists one grand narrative, beginning with the earliest chapters of the Bible and extending through the history of the Christian Church down to the present day. It is a mega-story with a grand plot: God is reconciling the world to himself through His people. In more recent years, such an approach to ministry that calls persons to find their identity within the grand Story of God has been given the name narrative. Although the name may be a recent development, the method of inviting subsequent generations to participate in the mega-story of God, to discover their identity within that story, and to develop a character in light of that identity has deep roots in Scripture and Christian tradition. Such an approach to ministry and discipleship has been the distinctive way in which the people of God have talked about God. We might call this way of talking about God narrative theology.
As teachers, mentors, parents, and youth workers, what would it mean for us to practice ministry as “narrative God-talkers?” What would it mean for us to understand our own identity as being narrative theologians? Certainly, all of us who talk about God, His nature, His activity among us, and His will for our lives, whether it be in messages, Bible studies, or counseling sessions, are God-talkers (theologians). The question for us is never “Are we theologians?” Rather, as persons whose primary responsibility is to speak about God and name His activity in the lives of students, the question is “What type of theologians are we?” As we step into the world of narrative, let us explore what it would mean for us to practice youth ministry as narrative God-talkers.
By Tim Green
This series of reflections on a narrative model for Christian ministry comes from the book Worship Centered Teaching.
I'm pumped about A World Unbroken because it is the first youth ministry resource that embodies the Christian formation model presented in Barefoot Training. If you’ve been looking for a resource that directly applies what you've learned and talked about in Barefoot Training then you'll want to CHECK OUT this resource.
My friendJason and I did a workshop onA World Unbroken a couple of weeks ago. He shared the following poem:
Then he asked everyone to answer a simple question. “What story comes to mind when you hear this poem?” One
youth pastor shared a story of a teenage boy who was living a life that
was like a crumpled-up something but had great potential, like a
blossoming dream. So the youth pastor put him in his pocket by sharing
his life with the boy and now holds on to the hope that God will
transform him. In this brief exercise, the youth pastor revealed to
everyone three simple truths about people and stories. First,
when we share a story, it reveals something about ourselves. For the
youth pastor, it was his passion to see God work in the lives of youth.
It also revealed the youth pastor’s enduring hope in a loving and
powerful God. Second,
the exercise revealed that people communicate meaning through stories.
The youth pastor shared a story with several facts. Those facts would
have no significance to anyone else if he were to list them off in
bullet-point fashion. Instead, by telling a story that incorporated
those facts, the youth pastor created meaning. He even inspired others
to hope in the God who causes our dreams to bloom. Finally,
a story can connect us, both to God and others. The youth pastor
connected to the rest of the people in the room who were youth workers,
parents, or teenagers because of his story. The words he used to
describe the teenage boy and his hopes for him resonated with everyone’s
passions and desires for youth. To
share God’s story and our stories together opens teens up to meaningfully connecting
with God and others. And those connections can inspire youth to be transformed into Christ followers. Questions to Consider: How do you incorporate sharing stories into youth ministry? What are some other truths about the relationship between people and stories? By Paul Sheneman
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Barefoot Training is designed to inspire, challenge, and equip you to guide your students into Christian
formation for the mission of God. Each training experience offers an interactive environment where you are
able to design, create, and nurture a biblically based, Christ-centered youth ministry in your church and
community.
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