What's Different About Cross Current?

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If we were to ask you to search the Bible for that famous chapter on the church youth group, what would you come up with? Let's make this assignment even easier, can you find just one verse about the church youth group? Still looking? Would it shock you if we told you that we have discovered that the Bible has nothing to say about the church youth group, but has lots to say about parents instructing and training their youths in the Lord with the help and support of God's people? God has intended for children to receive their spiritual training from their parents, even through and especially during the teen years. Consider just a few the following scriptures:

Deut. 6:6-7 - "These commands that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."

Eph. 6:4 - "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."

Notice who's doing the training and discipling? It is not the youth leader, but Mom & Dad-specifically Dad.

We recognize that "pastoral parenting" is no easy job and many parents feel ill-equipped to disciple their young person. But the solution is not to replace the parents' role with a youth leader or someone else. We believe that the Bible calls the church to equip the parents in this awesome task and come along side them in the discipling of their child but not become a parental substitute. The church youth ministry should not be a "drop off your young person so the youth leader can straighten him/her out." Rather, the local church provides a context where young people and their parents can come together to learn, have fun and build memories together, experience Biblical fellowship, and apply God's Word in their daily lives and experience conformity to the imagine of Christ.

Since God gives parents the ultimate responsibility of training their child(ren) in the ways of the Lord, the pastors of Grace Community Church and youth leaders of Cross Current are committed to supporting them and their child(ren) in every way. Therefore we not only welcome parental involvement in all of our youth meetings and activities, but we strongly believe that is the Biblical standard and therefore require parental involvement in certain youth meetings. Please take a moment to look up the follow scriptures listed below as it relates to parents and their youths. Hey, maybe there is nothing new about this approach to youth ministry after all!

Want some biblical guidelines for your role in this?

For Parents:
Deut. 4:9, 6:7, 11:19, 31:13; Psalm 71:18, 78:5; Prov. 1:8-10, 19:18, 22:6, I Tim. 3:4

For Youth:
Eph. 6:1-2; Col. 3:20; Prov. 1:8, 6:20, 20:20, 30:7