Winter in June

Apparently contemporary art really has lost its way. It's in its death throes, according to one commentator .

For some of us, the question is more likely one of "Did contemporary art ever look like anything other than something in death throes?" However, setting aside our cultural prejudices and preferences for a moment, there is something worth noting here: people with a more secular outlook are - perhaps - beginning to realise the signs that we live in an age of decline.

I suppose I was intrigued by the above article because of a talk I had heard at the conference referred to in the previous post. Sy Rogers, in one of his talks, gave us some very thought provoking reasons as to why we as a society are now in a winter season. Societies, he argued, go through seasons - spring, summer, autumn and winter. Winter was a season, sent by God, to purge us and set us up for a new springtime. I had never heard this idea before, but it actually made a lot of sense. We're in a winter season and even our most celebrated artists' productions have the marks of winter.

What was also intriguing was how societies came out of winter seasons. Sy talked about a "hero generation" rather like the generation that fought WW2. Those born in the 80's and 90's are potentially that generation. (It was a little hard to accept that one is just a hardened old Gen x-er child of the 60's).

So we listened to Sy's talk on the Friday and headed off home the next day to raise up the "hero generation".

Unfortunately, most of the hero generation isn't in church or even close to it, or at least that's what the latest British Church Growth stats indicate. There is a relative absence of teenagers in the British church. 80% of under 15s and 75% of 15-29s are not church members and 59% of British churches have no-one in the congregation under 19.

The obvious answer would seem to be found in building strong youth works and making youth evangelism a priority.

I am sure that is part of the answer, but I don't think it is the whole story.

A few weeks before conference, I was given a book which had some real insights and presented some compelling research about youth and family ministry.

For a start, it argued that a strong youth ministry can be a very positive thing, but in the long run function as an orphaning structure. What was meant was that once the young person had left the youth group they didn't naturally fit into church life because the only relationships they had built were within the youth group. Now I would never have thought of that!

On that basis, therefore, it would appear that it is equally important to embed teenagers into the general life of the church.

It's one thing to recognise what teenagers have to offer and give them opportunity, but how do we help them become "successful" Christians and "successful" in life? In a Christian home a rhythm of life that includes eating together and praying together helps in the process. But what about those who don't come from a Christian background. They need a cloud of witnesses people who'll cheer them on, encourage them, believe in them.

If you're older than 29 and reading this blog, why not find a teenager or twenty-something to cheer on? You might just be playing your part in helping us through the winter season.

Special post: Elim Bible Week

I was asked on Facebook how the conference I am attending is going...so here's some - very abbreviated - notes from one of the main speakers, Dary Northrop. I tried to put it on my wall as my status, but it was too long!

A sermon on Luke 19 about reaching out to people

1. It is often difficult for people to find Jesus (1-4)

"Everyone needs a moment to see who Jesus is for himself"

2. It's never difficult for Jesus to find you (5)

Zac had a story. Everyone has a story - listen to the story

Jesus doesn't look down on people - He looks up at people

3. Jesus loves the person more than the crowd (6-7)

Jesus didn't please the crowd "if you want to end up miserable, try pleasing the crowd"

The story of Jesus is a story of ministering to one.

Jesus was fully present in the conversation he was having with Zac - the power of being "fully present" in a conversation

Jesus had the time and He took the time

4.Only Jesus can change the heart (8-9)

Jesus didn't say to Zac "You did cheat on your taxes"

We have to give the Spirit of God space to work in people's lives