In the book Opie Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, the author, Walt Mueller, says if we care about our kids and our youth and children’s ministries, then we need to be living signposts that points them to a destination. These signposts must be bold and clear and point in the right direction.
Today’s kids have many signposts grabbing their attention and giving them many different directions. Some kids have decided to follow the sexual signposts. These signs are so big kids just can’t miss them.
Some kids have decided to follow the signposts of postmodern relativism. Mueller says this direction points to “amoral places where the thread of commonly held standards running through the tapestry of our culture has been removed from the fabric.” In other words, we each have our own truths and those truths are right for each one of us and nobody else unless that person chooses those truths as his own.
Still other kids follow the signposts of the deconstructed God. Kids have become open about talking, singing, and reading about God. The bad news is He is not the God of the Bible; He is the God created in the image and personal preference of those talking and singing.
What do we do? How do leaders position themselves as signposts leading in the right direction?
I go on weekly field trips with summer day camp. I am responsible for 15-20 kids in my entire camp group but I have 1-3 other assistants with me. Each counselor is assigned 5-7 campers for the trip. On the journey the campers are lined up all in a straight line but counselors are standing on the outside border near their assigned campers. We are providing a “fence” to keep the kids inside the field while watching only 5-7 kids at a time instead of 15-20. It is easier for one person to keep a small group inside the field.
Leaders, stand around the edge of your group and guide your kids to follow God’s signposts. Lead a small group of kids to follow the signposts leading them in the direction of God.
