A missional imagination alters the power dynamics of the church. Translating the gospel for young people amounts to entrusting them with matches, for it gives them access to holy fire, which puts the church at risk: what if young people ignite the church? Then where would we be? Indeed.
-Kenda Creasy Dean, from the book “Almost Christian”
In Acts 15 there is a council that is held. At this council there is a debate on what should be required of Gentiles to accept Jesus. The idea was that the gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses. To which the Apostle Peter responds:
“Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
When things are translated from one generation to the next sometimes things are not translated in the way that they were before. As a youth worker I have seen us, the church, tell the younger generations what we should be doing and really not asking what do you think. It is kinda scary to pass on the faith to the youth because as Kenda rightly points out what will happen if the youth ignite the church?
After reading that I had to laugh.
What would happen if the youth ignited the church?
Well, what is going to happen if they don’t?
Where will the church be if we don’t pass along the faith that we know and believe and help the youth and children ignite the faith within themselves and then ignite the church?
So in response to these questions I pose another question.
What would happen if the youth ignited your church?