Just for fun

After church this Sunday, Amanda and I are going with a group of teens to Boston.  We’re not doing street evangelism, or going to play in an ultimate frisbee tournament in the common, or even having a Bible study on the T.

We’re just going to spend time together on a (hopefully) nice spring day.

On the surface, it doesn’t look like anything special.  Unless parents consider it a good opportunity to get the kids out of their hair, it could just look like another opportunity for their teenager to fill up their already busy schedule, spend more money, and of course, require an additional trip to Andover at the end of the day.

I have a different perspective on such outings.

<Teens, don’t read the following; it is secret youth pastor scheming.>

They are actually pretty deliberate opportunities for the youth group to grow in a number of ways:

• First, they are fun and devoid of any sort of perceived “pressure” a church event might have.  That means friends or teens on the periphery might want to give it a shot, find out that we’re not that weird, and come to another function down the line.
• They facilitate building relationships – both teen/teen and teen/adult.  One of the biggest concerns parents have these days is the influence of peers and friends.  In moments of clarity, teens even admit the need to be in the proximity of good influences.
• Another huge reason is the inevitable prospect of teachable moments.  When we go downtown and see a homeless person, instead of staring we can discuss what our reaction should be.  When we pass a beautiful church that now hosts a Universalist congregation, we can talk about their worldview.  When we hear the screaming street evangelist, we can debate how beneficial such approaches are.

Does an outing like this have the potential to be “just fun?”  Sure it does.  Here’s the thing though – I’m not going to let it be.  Paul talks about the “fellowship of the spirit” (2Cor 13:14, Phil 2:1), and encourages us to make it an occasion for love, compassion, grace, and encouragement.  In my opinion, when all of things are clicking you can have a whole lot of fun.