When we all show up, we make the agenda for the day, including all the topics we want to discuss. It’s in-the-moment, collaborative and fun as we go through the day from conversation to conversation about issues important to those in the room. It also creates a wall of topics and ideas that youth ministers want to talk about right now. After 13 UnConferences across the country, you can see an interesting mind map of what is currently in the minds of youth ministers.
Sometimes what doesn’t show up on the discussion wall is interesting, too. Looking at the lists for the past three rounds, one particular area of youth ministry seldom shows up: evangelism.
When I use the word evangelism, I mean the way we introduce teens outside the church to Jesus. Out of several hundred discussion items, only a few dealt with this aspect of youth ministry. Rather than assume youth ministers aren’t discussing it because they already excel at it, I interpret the lack of discussion on this issue to mean it may not be something we are thinking about or just aren’t sure how do anymore.
Ralph Winter, sage missiologist, came up with a model for measuring the degree of distance from the church for a given people group. If we imagine M0 being the church, then M1 would be the first band of missional distance, M2 the second, and M3, M4 further away. M1 would be those people in our culture who are not in church, though may believe in God, but currently do not follow Jesus. They are the easiest for us to reach. M2 might represent a language or travel barrier that needs to be overcome. A culture labeled M3 might be harder to reach (because of distance) and present more challenging language barriers (such as an undocumented language) and sociocultural issues. For example, U.S. missionaries might put Middle Eastern countries in the M4 region because of the language, travel and sociopolitical barriers, as well as an established national religion. Winter’s model is helpful in identifying the people groups that still have not widely received the gospel, as well as for understanding the kinds of skills and training needed to build the capacity to reach such people.
Alan Hirsch in his book The Forgotten Ways took Winter’s model of missional distance and applied it to our own culture. His premise is that we have to think about the different people our churches try to reach and what it takes to reach them. People in our culture who are in the M1 and M2 bands are the most likely people we will reach. They are open to spirituality and perhaps hold a Judeo-Christian worldview. Those in M2 might have grown up in the church but had a bad experience, though they may be open to the gospel.
M3 and M4 people are much harder to reach. They do not possess a worldview that entertains the notion of God and may be convinced God does not exist. They may see religion as a poison or evil that’s full of hate rather than love.
M1 and M2 people can be reached through attraction; they most likely are willing to respond to a church mailing, attend on Christmas or Easter. They are more likely to be responsive to a social function or special church event.
Those in M3 and M4 aren’t likely at all to be drawn into the church at such invitations. To reach them, we have to go to them. We have to be incarnational, which is very slow, hard work. We haven’t had to do this work in youth ministry since it’s inception—and for good.
It is estimated that just two decades ago, 80 percent of the population would have been categorized as M1 and M2. The church invited, and people came. If someone experienced pain or trauma, the church helped them with their needs. However, a cultural shift has occurred in time, and we now estimate that 70 to 80 percent of the population live in M3 and M4. More is required of us: our presence. We must be incarnational in our approach to M3 and M4 people.
Megachurches do very well reaching M1 and M2 people, but the greater opportunity to introduce others to Christ lies in the new uncharted territories of M3 and M4.
What does this mean? Smaller churches actually have the advantage to be the innovators for youth ministry.
Being present doesn’t necessarily require as much financial wherewithal, but requires time.
Smaller churches can risk failure where larger churches cannot. There are great opportunities to experiment.
Being present means embracing people where they are right now with little expectation of change. It requires listening and understanding versus telling and assuming.
Smaller churches can be more present by focusing on the population within a 15- to 20-minute walk from their church. Start by walking the neighborhood with your volunteers and teens. Where can you be present with those in your community?
Being present means spending time in meaningful ways where teenagers are in your community: parks, schools, study centers, coffee shops, etc. It may mean creating these spaces (permanent or temporary), where people can gather. Think about creating street fairs, swap meets, pop-up parks and book exchanges.
The polarizing of our country is evidence that more and more people do not think as we do in the church. We become more entrenched in our ways, as do those outside. Presence is hard work, and incarnation is a model we haven’t had to lean into for some time. Be ready for amazing things to happen when Jesus shows up when and where we least expect.
