rethinking youth ministry

This past week I had the chance to speak at a back to school event put on by Patt Dennis at the Crossing (http://thecrossingworship.com) and a few other churches in Shelbyville, TN. I also got to meet and talk youth ministry with Marc Mclean at The Master's Church (http://www.masterschurch.com) today. It was great to meet people passionate about reaching students. Both encounters reminded me that we are going to have to rethink youth ministry if we are going to reach teenagers. As I look around the country I see guys finding the freedom to experiment and try new approaches. The best thing we can do for this next generation of student pastors is to help them dream bigger dreams and embrace creativity as we design what our ministries will be about. With twitter and facebook there is no better time to look around and learn from others. Instead of allowing our ministries to be about empowering our existing programs, let's experiment, take some risks, share ideas and reach teens in our cities.