MattGlover.com

I’ve wondered about this a bit lately, but even more so after reading the news that Youth Specialties has lost its editorial role in YouthWorker Journal. The story goes that Salem Publishing has decided to reclaim that part of Youth Worker, leaving YouthSpecialties to rethink what it exists for.

Let me quote Mark Oestricher, President of YS, on the direction they are now taking:

We realised that we had mostly moved away from the challenging or prophetic role that was such a key component of our birth. We’d become all about resourcing and encouraging youth workers; but while that’s a critical part of our ministry, it seemed we lost a bit of who we were called to be.
YouthWorker Journal Jan/Feb 2006 Page 88

I acknowlege that there is the claim that YS still wants to encourage youth workers everywhere. But the overwhelming sense you get from reading the whole article is that somehow YS has lost its way because it encourages people. Encouragement is somehow a lesser calling than the prophetic.

Why is that?

As I watch the ‘prophets’ of our time speak their words of wisdom, calling the church to rediscover it’s missionary roots and the Kingdom values taught by Jesus, I marvel at how easily they simply walk away without leaving pathways for real support, nurture and encouragement. By that, I don’t mean a simple slap on the back to make you feel good, but the real, life-giving support that asks the hard questions, discusses the possibilities and walks the journey for the long term. The “It’s not my gift” excuse is a cop out.

Paul was prophetic, yet despite primitive and slow forms of communication, was still able to walk the journey with several congregations that he helped establish. The words he wrote were so encouraging, the church of the time kept his letters and they now form much of our New Testament. He shared his wisdom. He was stern when he needed to be. He was outright rude sometimes. But over and over again, you can sense his love for those he was writing to and a desire to encourage them and see them grow in their faith.

So many voices are discouraging in western culture. You’re too fat. You’re too thin. You don’t have enough money. You wear the wrong clothes. You’re marks aren’t good enough. You’re ugly. The different ‘forms’ of church aren’t much better. Traditional church is past its used by date. Emerging church is a fad. Attractional mission is better. Incarnational mission is what Jesus did. Pastors are losers….ok maybe that last one is only said to me!

Anyway, the point is that reagrdless of what type of ministry or church or family or culture or whatever you belong to, if you’re not encouraged you will wither and die. We need encouragers to counter the wave of negative, destructive voices that demand the attention of our young people. We need encouragers that can correct, rebuke and instruct. We need encouragers to walk with us. Even the prophetic need encouragers so they can still be prophetic.

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, or just happened to fluke it here somehow, go and encourage somebody before the day is out.

Please.

Update 29th January

Have a read of Mark’s blog for an inside coverage of some of the reasons for the YouthWorker/Salem split. It doesn’t cover the ‘encouragement’ issue that I’ve discussed here, but it does give a good insight into what’s going on between the two organisatons.