Daily struggles of inner city ministry, plus Godly affirmation being better than false pride

    I'll start by saying that we had a small flare-up in our Thursday night activity because of a few different things, including one of our inner city pickups using the n-word, which among other things he had done to provoke and bully kids of all races has led the troublemaker to be removed from the program. Thanks to Bomani Jones of ESPN radio for some of the race stuff as he's mentioned a few similar things over the time I've heard him, as I didn't really understand this either, at least not to a great extent.

     However, this isn't just about race; it's also about an Alpha male attitude that transcends race - while we are all one blood (see a longer video here, too), the fact there are different cultures has been used by some to try to put others down, and this is wrong. It is made worse by the injustice which exists in our culture - although aspects of this injustice only deal with worldly things; as I taught in our Youth Leaders Training Institute (YLTI) class just before this flareup, society makes you think, for instance, that you're not somebody unless you have the best shoes (yes, one kid mentioned shoes as an idol before this). However, this is where self-esteem is a major problem.

     Godly affirmation, on the other hand, says you are special to God no matter who you are, that it doesn't matter if you have the same shoes or whatever as someone else. Godly affirmation says that you are so special that if you were the only person ever, He still would have come to die for your sins and risen fromt he dead. he took the punishment we each deserve for our sins, and all you have to do is call on Him with a single, sincere prayer of repentance, admitting you fall short of His perfection, believing He died to take your punishment for your sins and rose again, and calling on Him to save you and make you new inside. You can do that right now, in fact.

          When there is extreme poverty, it makes the idea of being an Alpha male, of trying to prove you're the boss, more prominent, it seems. This Alpha male idea that they have to be challenging others and winning to be accepted is not Godly, but rather, if they let go and let God affirm them as special in His eyes and humble themselves, then they will be truly successful.

     This is more difficult, as I say, since the poverty that exists in the Northeastpart of Canton - and, indeed, in any poverty-stricken situation - makes that task more daunting, and means that spiritual warfare can erupt which we need much prayer to combat. Because people don't have material wealth they decide, "Oh, I know how I can feel better about myself, by being the top dog over someone else." This is a part of their culture that we need to help them see is not Biblical.

     That poverty has also caused problems among classes and cultures. We have had several very good black teens who have been leaders and able to help get kids out to the van and other things, and can help defuse thigns before they escalate.

Part of this is cultural because of the neighborhood and other things. There are been excellent leaders, for instance, who have taught nonviolence and worked for racial justice without fighting back. Leaving aside the fact that God's justice is better than any man's justice - it's easy for middle class blacks, or those who are very heavily into following the Lord (which many of these families aren't) to look at those like Jackie Robinson or Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and think, "Yeah, nonviolence works, standing tall and ignoring the taunts allows you to succeed." (I haveheard some say Robinson was so agressive on the field becasue he took his frustration out on the baseball, but the point is, he showed excellent self-control.) It's harder for others, since people in poorer communities haven't tasted the increase that others have. To them, looking only at their circumstances, it appears like not much has changed since 1917. They think, "What did turning the other cheek really accomplish for us?"

     Because of this, there is a tendency taught by their lives in the inner city to think that it's not worth it to be leaders, to be those who say, "Hey, be orderly and respectful and all that." Oh, they might *want* to lead, but often there are certain youth who don't know how to command respect without demanding it, and there is a clear difference. These young people see so many only looking at circumstances that they're used to just trying to force things.

    This is one reason I've tried in YLTI to teach on the fruit of the Spirit and how to avoid the lusts of the flesh to show how there is a difference which should come when we trust in God. Galatians 5:16-26 is a great passage which helps us to avoid the lusts of the flesh like revellings, seditions, etc. by being peaceful, using faith, longsuffering, etc., and listening to authority. Some of the kids did seem to be listening, but it still requires baby steps when the environment has surrounded them with other ideas. One might well say that the churched kid of whatever race is still our Judea, whereas the unchurched is our Samaria. Both are vitala nd Jesus wants us to reach them all, but the way we approach them is different. The Gospel was the same, after all, to the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11) as it was to Paul, but the Lord sure had to go about reaching them differently.

     It's important to reach the parents, too, in spots like this, and help them understand that we need them to work with us, at least in part, to help their kids see that it's not about not fighting back, it's about reaching out and showing them that as the skies are higher than the seas, so are God's ways higher than man's ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts.(Isa. 55:8-9) Backing down when being called names and provoked with looks and such (I presume that also happens, I know it's possible but don't really get such nonverbal things) isn't being weak. It is saying, "Your taunts don't impact me." It is letting God's strength and power be what leads them. And, this can even be done in worldly ways. You could say that, "By ignoring your taunts I am actually diminishing you because I am saying you don't matter." Each of us does matter to God, of course, but sometimes when you can show that God's ways make sense even in the world, it will help people to see that we have logic on our side and that can cause them to look further into what else we have to say.

     We are, after all, wanting to help these young people to grow to follow the Lord, to not be acting out their frustrations at life - poverty and all that goes with it - but to accept that they don't have to have all the things of this world in order to be satisfied. (Just as the example I used last night about not needing the best Air Jordans to be someone special to God, because those are things that will all pass away.)

     They may come from a different background than we do, but if we have conversations where we listen and see where they are not just spiritually but also in their mentality, we can help them (kids *and* parents) to realize it's not our word but God's Word that is going to help them. To paraphrase Lincoln said of Gettysburg, we should use this as a new birth and let it be somewhere where we can share with the families the freedom that God provides and try to understand why there are these problems so we can help guide everyone to realize the love that God has for them and how they can overcome this.

     This is likely all stuff some inner city ministries have known for years, but because we have had so many different roles in filling in the gaps, one might say, some of this is stuff we are learning on the fly as we work in this particular neighborhood. So, please continue to pray for us, and by all means, e-mail us with your own ideas for helping, knowing that we only have the one night a week and some Saturdays. And, also, go to our website and give so we can send some of these kids to a great church camp. Thanks.

Importance of God's people teaching others resilience

Odd title, I know. What is resilience, why is it needed, and why must the body of Christ work harder to build it in those outside the church?

Don't worry, this won't be twenty pages, despite the resemblance to the first paragraph of a term paper. Parts of this post will be on another blog I do, though, which I mention in case parts seems familiar.

 Why is resilience important?

An object's resilience is its elasticity. In people, it's the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. However, it is important to do this in a constructive way. People should realize God loves them just as He loves everyone, for God is love, and if they know Him personally He will always be there for them. They should also recognize other people matter because God loves them, too.

Building it is what James 1:2-5, 1 Peter 1:6-9, and other passages teach. In functional homes where people follow the Lord, that's pretty easy, though with some easier than others. Everyone has different levels because we're all built differently - not everyone has the resilience to survive a foreign mission field (though we are all called to be missionaries where we are), for instance, and some who can handle one field couldn't handle another.

And yet, people often don't realize how much they can do unless they step out In faith. That's part of why it's vital to follow God's plan for our lives. He knows us better than we do ourselves. If David had never stepped out and killed the lion and bear attacking the sheep, he never would have developed the courage and faith to slay Goliath. And yet, some people wouldn't have been able to even kill a lion or bear. It's not a bad thing if a person can't, they are just different parts of the body of Christ, just as the nose is important but you wouldn't use it to lift things. 

(To type if need be, yes - that is not it's normal use, but the notion is part of resilience. Little kids who try may just seem silly, but God is using such fun to help build resilience, becasue they learn how to improvise, that just because they might lack something doesn't mean God can't use them.)

"Okay," you may say, "people need resilience, and the Bible shows how to have it." But, I didn't write all that just to remind some people of a word they may not have used since high school, did I?

No. There is a severe lack of resilience in some areas, and we must work extra hard to build it in people from there if we are to fulfill God's calling to reach and minister to others.

We must be resource for those who lack it

Not everyone has well-functioning families where everyone is Christlike, where all behave in a Godly way, or at least try to show Christlike traits. To some people you may be the only example of Jesus Christ they will ever see.

Therefore, it's vital to start slowly and help them to realize that God loves them by showing that love, compassion, positive attention, etc. - after all, some people have no clue how to be gentle, for instance, unless someone shares it with them.

Our ministry saw a kid who we hope had been saved - and part of our ministry - for several years who finally start going to church late last year. (Update - he's had more problems, please pray for him and that he has heart knowledge and not just head knowledge of salvation.) He had been saved, and he's had great enthusiasm, but his home life - with people who also lacked resilience - has meant that he needed to be around people who were going to model Christlike behavior, giving him positive attention, encouragement, etc. that he needed. Merely sitting in a church service wasn't going to help him. (The fact we didn't have a ministry van for 2.5 years also hurt.) And, while a Bible study with our founder and his wife is helping one adult in the family, even that is a very slow process because of years of turmoil.

He wasn't as bad off as some people, of course. Some people think that they have no hope. The lack of respect for human life is evident in places like New Orleans, for example. It is not a political problem, because rules can't solve the problem of peoples' attitudes. It is a heart problem. Albert Einstein, speaking in the late 1940s, considered the massive destructive power of the atomic bomb, for instance, and said, "I know not what weapons we will fight World War 3 with, but World War 4 will be fought with sticks and stones."

In other words, mankind would bounce back - resilience - but even the most brutal weapons - designed to wipe out entire civilizations and take the tech level back to the Stone Age - would not teach people to avoid warfare.

So, clearly, there is a need for Godly resilience, the kind that lets people draw closer to God - like in that individual Bible study - instead of always reacting in the flesh.

God offers hope that the world doesn't

I mentioned earlier that God's system is the right way - it respects people more than peoples' systems, since mankind's is imperfect. Many will point to the war quote and say that we have always had people that don't care about life, that increase the destructiveness of things. While that is true, the increasing number of people who feel there is no hope is sad and alarming.

This feeling stems from a focus only on this life. When one doesn't feel that one has any purpose, it becomes easier for them to decide that nothing matters. That is when they will decide to simply react and use their instincts more and more instead of using faith - and, as those verses mentioned earlier show, faith, patience, and so on are things that need to be built over time. It is rare - though it does happen - when a person has an incredible amount of faith and courage right away.

This world tears us down and tries to make us think there is no hope. However, the opposite is true. Resilience doesn't have to mean just reacting. It should be relying more and more on God to help one overcome difficulties.

Build Godly resilience in others

Each person matters; each person is important. God cares about each of us more than we can imagine. Each of us is fearfully and wonderfully made.(Ps.139:14)
 

Of course, simply being told that is not always good enough. A person needs a reason to keep going. Hopefully, this will help give some ideas as to how to encourage people to do that.

 First, get to know people, earn their trust (which in itself can be very hard at times), and be that kind, caring person they need. Be willing to conduct individual Bible studies with someone, or with a few people. Discovery Bible studies, for instance, help to stimulate conversation and bring the person closer to the Lord, and while it isn't quite the one-on-one mentoring mentioned above, it is good for helping to foster community. Although, it should be noted that it can be harder in the cities because of a lack of community at times; this is one reason why that friendship needs to be built up over time sometimes. People there are often lonelier.

One of our shows interviewing someone in such a situation is #114 here, too. (Edit: Part 2, as show #117, is now up, too.)

of course, that sense of community is needed everywhere, as I discussed here in the need for constant contact people seem to have, a need that can be fulfilled with a relationship with Christ.

That relationship with Jesus Christ is the key, of course. We can't solve all of a person's problems, but God can, even if all He can do is give the person peace and stability so they can be more resilient in the difficult place they are in life. Here is a great page explaining further how we are all sinners who fall short of the glory of God. And, that He came in flesh, Jesus Christ is God in flesh and died to take the punishment we each deserved for our sins., and then He rose from the dead. And, all one must do is call on Jesus Christ by faith to save them and forgive them, turning from their sins and letting Him make them new inside. We won't be perfect here on Earth, but He will work in us bit by bit each day. See show #91 on sanctification and others at our website's radio page. Other shows will also help.

As a parachurch ministry, our original purpose was to come alongside churches and help with things like Bible quizzing, evangelistic rallies, and so on, while directing youth toward Gospel preaching churches. Nowadays, that has changed a little, but that is because we are starting over in some respects with the new minivan.

Greater Canton Youthquake can still be great in the body of Christ by helping our inner-city youth to have that resilience that they need. However, to do that we need help. No, don't worry, I'm not asking for donations with this post :-) (Though our site does show how.)  We need people like you to pray and - if you are in the area - perhaps even serve.

Even if you're not in our area, you can still do great things in your area to promote that resilience. In fact, contact us and we will help you learn how to set up a Youthquake club of your own, as long as you abide by our statement of faith.

 Wherever you serve the Lord, though, remember that some people are really hurting. We need to come alongside others and help and guide them so they see the love of God and realize how much He cares. We need to be that caring parent that they never had. We need to have those Bible studies with them. We need to do all those little things with them sometimes so they can do as Ephesians 6:11-18 teaches about the full armor of God.

The Bible tells us that, in the end, we should be able to put it on so that we - having done all - can stand. It's just that some can't stand on their own. Oh, sure, we all need to rely on God to stand, we can't do it ourselves. But, when a person doesn't know how, we need to come alongside them and help them to know how to stand with God.

Call to prayer

     You've likely heard quite a bit on prayer lately - or I hope you have - with the National Day of Prayer coming Thursday. Whether it's about missions like at our church (with the missions conference the weekend before last) or for our nation, we need to recall how wonderful it is to pray and use that opportunity.

     Prayer is so easy, unlike the Internet - I (Doug) am still presently the only one of our staff savvy enough with this to blog effectively, but e-mail us and check out our website with your questions and we're all good enough at e-mail to reply. :-)






     The simple explanation we give in our Sunday School and AWANA - you can pray anytime, anywhere, about anything - is  easy enough for children to learn, yet so amazing. God isn't like the false gods whose systems require such precision - He is a personal God who inhabits each believer. Sure, there are times we pray amiss, but that doesn't mean we can't do it, it's just that He's going to say "no" or flat out not hear us if we're harboring sin as we pray.

     Prayer is about letting God change us on the inside, but it's also about fighting a spiritual battle. It's about interceding for others, for his will of course but also for needs that are so personal and can be so small in some eyes. But, that bus kids who 10-12 years ago asked to pray for a lost puppy or kitten, I forget which, needed their faith to be built somewhere, and it may be that they were able to pray for something a lot bigger because God used that one smaller incident to work them up to something great. Just like He used a lion and a bear threatening the flock to prepare David to slay Goliath.

     That personal relationship with God is so awesome, it's something our contacts so often need, becasue some have let religion chase them away when in fact it's *never* been about religion, but always been about a relationship with Jesus Christ.
     It can be great to ask someone if they would like you to pray with them as a means of witnessing, too! Of course, some will know you are just joining them in prayer - I had one in my online missions program, in fact, who just had what seemed like the start of a possible major positive answer, though it will still be a difficult road. But, for others, we need to help them realize that they can speak with their Creator and Saviour themselves, and He will hear them.

     I hope you will recall the National Day of Prayer and get out and seek God's face for all the many needs in our communities and especially in our nation. We are in great need of repentance revival, but where there is life, there is still hope, till God calls us home. And, till we see Him face to face, we can always go to Him in prayer.