News from Fresno/Madera Youth for Christ

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As the summer races toward the finish line, so did the Olympics. What excitement! What accomplishments! And yet, what disappointment many endured after all the time and effort they spent practicing and preparing.

Can you imagine: your job interview that didn't go well was viewed publicly around the city; your attempt to repair something at your home is followed by a TV camera crew, and your failure is watched live across the globe. Aren't you glad people can't watch your every move?

Oh, but we do indeed have an audience.

Our kids are watching our every move. What life strategies are we teaching kids with our everyday agony-of-defeat and gold medal moments? On the flip side, how much grace do you think we could muster if we were gold medalists in our daily accomplishments? What part of humble do you think we might miss?

Youth Ministry and the Olympics:

What Medal do your students strive for?

by Ben Kerns

As impressed as I am with Olympic athletes and for all that their discipline and self control has to teach me about the Christian life, it is the focus on fame and celebrity of these Olympics that got me thinking about a major cultural deficiency in the life of students and therefore student ministry.

It seems to me that every one of my students is striving to be accepted, to belong, to be secure in who they are. And the way they are told to get there is through being famous.

Now, no one will say that out right, but everything they do is to gain status and recognition. If they post something on Facebook and there isn't enough likes, they take it down. If they can get something to go viral, they have "arrived."

I know this is true and the sad part is that I know this to be true because it is so alive in me, the desire to be known and famous, to get my 15 minutes of fame. But whenever I have come even modestly close to achieving some sort of fame, I realize that I am still me. Nothing fundamentally changes by being invited to speak, to have someone really important like a blog post, to work at a known church, or whatever.

The sad part is that our students, and if we are not careful, even us Youth Pastors, can get caught up in the Olympics of fame and tirelessly strive for some allusive medal and even better, 15 minutes of fame. But as the author of Ecclesiastics writes, it is all meaningless.

As youth workers we have the opportunity to re-shape the medals and fame our students are striving for. For the race in which we are called is a marathon relay with little glamor or pizzazz. We are simply called to run our leg faithfully, just as those who came before us ran theirs.

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From the Executive Director

As I think back on the Olympics, I am especially amazed, and a bit baffled, by the feats (and feet!) of Usain Bolt. This world's-fastest-man has delivered again. In every race he crosses the finish line with trademark posturing - playing to the crowd and making sure the world knows how awesome he is. One thing about Bolt baffles me: why does he always slow down before the finish line? Certainly he could break more world records if he would only run hard for two more steps! The only conclusion I can come to is that he wants to appear as if he hardly had to try to get the win. That he really didn't even give it all he's got. That he could surprise us with a higher gear, if he wanted to. In my opinion, this is a form of vanity, and a squandered opportunity.

Two more steps. Where in our lives do we need to take two more steps - to finish well? To make a difference? To change a life? To share Christ? This race ends with a face-to-face encounter with Jesus Christ - for ALL of us. As for me, I want to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" I want to run all the way through the tape.

Running as if to win the prize,