Thinking Outside The Box

I listened to a comedian the other day joke about how times have changed.

20-30 years ago you always had desserts and goodies in the freezer ready to pull out in case company happened to stop over for a visit, which you secretly hoped would happen.

Nowadays, the moment someone knocks on your door, everyone hides. No one wants to answer the door.

If you go to your friend’s house, you have to park in their driveway and text them to let them know you are there and to ask if it is ok to approach their house.

Of course the comedian was exaggerating, but I believe there’s some truth there.

Everyone is becoming more and more closed off and increasingly suspicious of those on the outside.

We like to be comfortable.

We like to huddle up with those on the inside and take care of ourselves first.

And that has certainly made its way into the church.

There is a danger in youth ministry and it’s called being “inbound.”

It’s catering everything to those already on the inside.

What would it look like for your youth ministry to be “outbound” and to think of those teens in your community that are not yet here and don’t know Jesus?

What if you rallied your teens to The Great Commission, and the truth that Jesus doesn’t want them to just huddle up indoors, but He wants to use them to reach their friends?

We have to begin to ask ourselves the tough questions: Where in the life of our youth ministry are teens coming to Christ? What shifts need to happen in our ministry to see this begin to take place if it’s not already happening?

Let’s get back to not just expecting and hoping company comes over, but let’s actually invite them.

Let’s make this about more than us.

Let’s begin to be outbound and think outside the box.

Watch the interview below with Jeff Kiers from Beaumont Church on being outbound in your youth ministry.

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