Two Approaches Towards Reformation
I live around thirty minutes from Plymouth, MA - the home of Pilgrims. The children in local schools take field trips to Plymouth Plantation and they visit the Mayflower II, Plymouth Rock, and other historical sites. It’s a lovely town with a rich history. They came to Massachusetts on a search for religious freedom, hoping to establish a Christian community where Christ was honored in word and deed.
The Puritans settled in nearby Boston. They also sought freedom to worship according to their interpretation of the Bible, creating a “city on a hill” to serve as a beacon to all who would visit. Their motives were similar enough to the Pilgrims, it would seem they should get along and join forces in this dangerous new land. The Pilgrims were Separatists who sought reform by creating a new community outside of the popular culture that had gone astray; and the Puritans were Non-Separatists who pursued reform from within the broader culture. On paper, they shared much in common. But in reality, they had a difficult time partnering together.
Increasingly, it is not doctrine that divides Reformed Christians from one another, but their views on “Christ and culture.” This is particularly painful when the division takes place between fellow pastors and church leaders. It doesn’t take long to look around and find churches who are struggling to avoid church splits because of a fundamental disagreement over Christ and culture - and, in many cases, they have never articulated this as the crux of the disagreement.
In the broader ministry world, this has been coming to a head over hot-button cultural issues. Just consider the challenging questions pastors and church leaders have faced this past year: “Should the church follow state guidelines to cancel in-person worship services?” “How will I help my congregation think biblically about racial injustices?” “How do I address the events of January 6th with my congregation, if at all?” Gospel-centered pastors have been answering these questions differently, despite their significant degree of alignment on doctrine and ministry philosophy. But their approach towards culture has made all the difference and led to divisions and misunderstandings.
In the youth ministry world, the Christ and culture differences commonly show up when it comes to whether or not we use a curriculum (and from where), how open are we to partnering with other youth ministries in our area who are from a different theological tradition, and what authors we look to for guidance. Some youth workers tend to fall into a more separatist posture (like the Pilgrims), keeping to themselves and focusing on leading their own ministry in the way of the gospel. Others (like the Puritans) want to remain a part of the broader youth ministry community in order to bear a gospel-centered witness.
Reformed Separatists and Non-Separatists both bring something valuable to the table when it comes to pursuing reformation in youth ministry. My goal isn’t to argue for one approach instead of the other, or to find a middle way. instead, I believe we’ll be able to make more progress towards reformation if we understand our own approach with greater clarity. I hope this article helps that happen.
Reformed Non-Separatists
It’s time for a reformation in youth ministry. This is agreed-upon by most youth ministry leaders. The proposed solutions are abundant, as we can see through the Youth Cartel’s new book, 5 Views on the Future of Youth Ministry. Each of the views in this book casts a future vision for youth ministry that reflects a non-separatist approach, but it doesn’t include a Reformed view of youth ministry. This isn’t necessarily a critique, but an observation about the wide array of perspectives on what the future of youth ministry should look like by those who fall into the non-separatist camp.
Reformed non-separatists carry a different vision for youth ministry than non-Reformed youth workers. These gospel-centered youth workers look for ways to work for reformation within the systems in place. They are open to using curriculum, games, and other resources from the “big names” like Download Youth Ministry and Orange. Rather than withdrawing because of disagreements, there is a posture of leaning into the relational tension with non-Reformed youth workers. They want renewal; not a separate movement.
This approach requires one to get accustomed to walking a tightrope. It is easy for them to get a reputation among mainstream youth workers for being disagreeable, judgmental, and hard to work with. And yet, when they are with Reformed Separatists they can be viewed with suspicion (“are they really Reformed, or do they just claim to be - I heard they use DYM games”) or to feel like a fraud (“if only they knew how much my ministry looks like what they’re criticizing”). Faithfully swimming in this stream will require humility and courage to build bridges into the mainstream youth ministry world while not undermining one’s friendships over disagreements.
Reformed Separatists
Reformed separatists have built an excellent system for gospel-centered discipleship, but it’s like a well-kept secret because so few outside their camp know about it. Most of these ministries don’t actually look down on mainstream youth workers. They simply recognize there’s enough distance between their doctrine and practice, there’s little chance for meaningful collaboration. So they learn what they can from what’s been done before, and then they carve out a new path forward.
These ministries tend to emphasize taking students through books of the Bible, rather than teaching through topical series. Fun and games aren’t the enemy, but they aren’t always present in the weekly gathering either. Instead, games are often reserved for special events or retreats. Discipleship is clearly the emphasis, and there’s a well thought-out discipleship plan to take students through Scripture and theological books that help students build a solid understanding of what they believe and why.
Within the scope of Reformed separatists they tend to have more in common with one another. Whereas the non-separatists’ programming might look quite similar to mainstream youth ministry, a separatist’s probably won’t. This creates a shared sense of mission between like-minded youth workers, even while it reinforces the differences between them and the broader youth ministry world.
Why Does This Matter?
I’m thankful for my friends in both camps. We share a common mission to see youth ministry reframed around the gospel. We are equally passionate about the gospel, Scripture, the importance of the local church and partnering with parents.
As you continue to serve as a Youth Pastor Theologian, take some time to consider your own posture towards culture and the broader youth ministry community. Are you a Reformed Separatist (Pilgrims): hesitant to partner with or utilize resources from the mainstream youth ministry world because you’d rather invest yourself fully into what you believe youth ministry should look like? Or are you a Reformed Non-Separatist (Puritans): careful about what resources and curricula you use, but you maintain relationships among a broad spectrum of youth workers in order to learn from one another while trying to advocate for a more gospel-centered approach?
It’s a wonderful thing that “gospel-centered youth ministry” and “Reformed youth ministry” continue to grow in influence. And yet, it’s important to recognize the differences within the gospel-centered world if we have any chance of partnering together more effectively than the Pilgrims and Puritans.
