Pass It On

Psalm 78
1 O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. 2 I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old- 3 what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. 4 We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD , his power, and the wonders he has done.

What are we passing on to the next generation? Are we corporately as a church, and personally as individuals, fulfilling the biblical mandate laid before us in this psalm?
These are a few thoughts that have been on my mind of late as I consider what we are about in our youth ministry at Trinity, and how we go about it more to the point.
A few points that i'm contemplating at present

• Is it solely the biblical principles and teachings of our faith that we are passing on to the next generation, or is it a tainted faith infiltrated by the prejudices and flaws of the culture and environment that shaped our lives.
• Do we simply pass on our faith and let them do church (as is hinted at in Andy Hickfords book Essential Youth) or do we insist that they conform to the traditional format and structure of churchlife as we know it.
• Are we adopting a missional outlook as we seek to engage in this cross-cultural presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ that is the basis of our faith.
• How does this all look in practice

I guess the danger we can fall into here is undermining the bible teaching by adapting too much to the culture that surrounds us, and glossing over its teaching. Another neglection on our part is not giving prayer the priority it should have, seeking Gods guidance in all we seek to do in His strength and to His glory.