Students are full of convictions. They are fully persuaded that YouTube and Facebook is time well spent, that Angelina Jolie is currently the hottest woman alive; and that the convictions their parents grew up with are much less than convincing.
While it is so obvious that face cards are of the devil, and Jesus was only drinking Welch’s grape juice, what is not easily apparent is how to weave true biblical convictions into the fabric of our student’s lives.
Getting students to own their faith is a tension that often surfaces in youth ministry. We frequently speak of a desire to see our students develop strong convictions, possess the ability to withstand societal pressures, and acquire the capacity to think biblically with corresponding actions. We yearn for students to grow up to be mature, assured Christ-followers who are leaving a lasting impression on the world around them.
When one thinks of conviction, William Wallace could be a man who comes to mind. Wallace, a Scottish patriot and resistance leader, was a man who oozed conviction. Braveheart, a movie loosely based on the life of William Wallace, sheds some light on his leadership and lifestyle. However, all that needs to be known of the man to understand his influence and the significance of conviction can be learned from the erection and dedication of a monument. In 1861, a monument honoring Wallace was erected at the National Monument for the Battle of Stirling. At the ceremony, more than 100,000 people attended to honor him and his legacy of conviction. One hundred thousand people might not seem like a lot to you, but what makes this number astounding is the ceremony took place 556 years after his death.
Conviction can be world-changing. A conviction is a principle that is cherished highly enough that it is practiced in life. By definition, “conviction” means “the act or process of convincing,” or “the state of being convinced.” Some would say a conviction is a strong belief of which one is fully persuaded. Perhaps it is more than that. Beliefs are something for which you will argue; convictions are something for which you would die.
When it comes to preparing our students, we must ask ourselves if our methods for equipping our them to develop convictions worth dying for, are even worth living to maintain. One approach that has entrenched itself in the very essence of youth groups nationwide is the credence that knowledge equals growth. We have come to believe that right knowledge leads to right behavior; and right behavior and right knowledge create Christians with conviction. We live with the assumption that cramming more information into our student’s frontal lobes will produce conviction-oriented followers. While this, at times, has seemed to work, the knowledge acquisition approach needs to be replaced with a methodology that places the priority on values over content.
An old adage says: “To teach is to tell, to tell is to know, to know is to do.” This is an adage to which many youth workers hold; yet, if challenged with the truth of this saying, they might all agree it is incorrect. Just because we teach certain concepts to our students does not mean they retain them, let alone integrate them. Our default has been to teach on a given subject matter and connect that truth to the will and mind, with little if any attention paid to the emotions.
So, an instruction on biblical finances would warrant a description of why finances are biblical, what stewardship is, followed by a three-step guide explaining the importance of tithing; saving; and, if necessary, spending. Instead of tackling biblical finances, why not inspire them to a life of generosity? Allow them to enter the story of God’s amazing generosity toward us and through us, and allow their desire for generosity to compel them to desire biblical finances.
William Wallace valued freedom and the principles for which it stood. His value drove him to action, regardless of the cost, to obtain his deep personal value. If Wallace had grown u in our systems, one must ask if he, instead of fighting for freedom, he would have defined it; instead of sacrificing for it he would have listened to another homily with three points and a poem on freedom. We too easily concede to, in the words of Howard Hendricks, “teaching people to take notes but not take action.” Values speak loudly and awaken conviction.
Another such methodology that seems to have a firm grasp in many church youth ministries is the institutional participation model. The basic belief of this system is that the more institutional involvement, the more spiritual growth. In other words, if a student takes part in the necessary programs, attends the required services and joins in on the obligatory youth group functions, the end result will be spiritual growth. In this case, growth equals conviction. We need to exchange the goal of institutional participation for the conviction developing approach of modeling.
Instead of getting students to commit to more activities and attend more programs, modeling believes the focus is about getting more spiritual influencers into the lives of the students. Whether parents, youth workers or genuinely concerned adults, the investment of life on life-modeling is priceless.
The passage makes clear that as always, modeling starts with us. The commandments and convictions must first be in our hearts before we are able to impart them to others. Too many disciple makers are trying to transfer what they do not already possess.
Secondly, modeling must be structured and spontaneous. Research shows that children learn through cue and consequence; adults learn through information processing. Teens however, learn best through structured and spontaneous modeling.
planned occasions outside of the church walls. Spontaneous modeling happens as you share life together. Whether it is at an event, hanging out at your house, or as Jesus demonstrated, “along the way,” modeling is a significant part of the internalization process. As we talk about what it means to live in the kingdom of God, walk through life together and tie the Word of God into everything we do, the life of Christ begins to saturate the lives of our students. We need to stop seeing ourselves as existing to be the transmitter of information, or the guardian of attendance, and begin to see values and modeling becoming part of our conviction developing curriculum.
Near the monument honoring William Wallace is a plaque, which refers to the battel in which the odds were high. Wallace challenged the troops to fight while their preference was to run and live. Wallace said, “Aye, fight and you may die; run and you’ll live. At least a while. And dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance to come back here and tell our enemies they may take our lives, but they’ll
never take our freedom?”
That is conviction. Conviction based on values and conviction modeled for all to see. Values and modeling are certainly worth fighting for, perhaps even a conviction worth dying to obtain.
