I have often struggled with this issue when trying to discern what is best for our youth ministry, and I have found that there is a fine line between too much fun and too much "deep stuff". At the church I currently serve, for example, we have three main components: Sunday morning, which is generally our largest gathering, and while ther is some discussion, it is mainly a teaching-arena, using out-of-the-box teaching methods at times, sometimes with worship singing, occasional random goofy contests, and short discussion/prayer groups. Sunday night is unapologetically the "fun time". At times we have toyed with the "short devotional" on Sunday nights (usually given by a teen to encourage them to "spread their wings" a bit), but currently we do not do this. Also to note is that the teens have often thanked me for having a "fun" time, since apparently before I got here in 2004 Sunday nights were basically "Sunday School Part 2". Finally on Wednesday we have a time of unstructured fellowship after school and then small discussion/Bible study groups after dinner. So, you can see we try to balance things out. But even so...
...I can't help but wonder where the "fun line" lies. Some of the articles in the JoSM are unapologetic in their quest for fun within youth ministry, and in life. They generally affirm the role of providing a safe place to gather and have a good time (as opposed to many of the alternatives), and that fun can have some benefits in bringing togetherness cross-generationally within the church, as well as the "fun as a way to 'hook' teens in to getting to church at all"-philosophy. All good things to consider. And to a point, I would agree with them. I have in the past defended our Sunday evening "fun" time, saying, "These kids need this. They are too stressed. There are other outlets here for deeper spiritual growth, and I actually think that group fellowship is an aspect of spiritual growth as well." So in many ways, I don't apologize for seeking to provide a place for fun.
But the articles questioning the goal of "fun" also got to me. They brought up issues such as, "Being a Christian is not about having fun..", "We need to seek joy, not fun...", and how if the focus ends up being about fun, then often true spiritual growth is hindered. These points resonated with me. There have been times where I wonder, "Do all these kids care about whether something is fun or not?" I'm sure all youth ministers would agree that they have had many kids who will walk right out the door if the "plans" for given event don't seem fun. At a former church I often had teens (it was mostly the boys for some reason) walk up after dinner, ask about the evening activities, and go call mom to pick them up. They wouldn't even give it a chance! At my current church it is not as much a problem (it has happened, though), but I have still seen teens openly decry something that is a wonderful thing (like a mission trip, study group, or church services) as not being valid for their soul because it wasn't fun. And this bothers me. It seems like our American culture has made fun it's goal, and if fun cannot be found, there is no point to a given action or activity...
I see parallels to one's faith life in general. How often do we go to a worship service and either like-or- don't like it based on whether it was fun? Oh sure, we talk about the style of music, what the pastors wear, or if the sermon "grabbed you", but isn't it ultimatley about whehter it was "fun" for you to be there? Or what about following some (most?) of Jesus' commands? Missions? Sure, mission trips can be fun (and usually, at least the ones I've attended, are fun), but we need to know that fun is NOT the goal of a mission trip! I have had to remind folks of that often, as teens in the ministries I've served have often vocally supported missions based on whether the previous trip was fun or not, instead of simply saying, "I am a Christian. I follow Jesus' lead. He said to serve the 'least of these'. I thus must obey. He has given so much to me, so I will give a week of my life to help others." Sadly, too few seem to have this attitude. What about witnessing? Too hard. Not very fun. Bible study or prayer? Boring.
So, the question we must (myself absolutely included; I am by NO MEANS immune to the "quest for fun" bug) ask ourselves is, "Is fun the point?" Ultimatley I resonated most with Ken Moser's article ("So You're the Fun Guy, Huh?"). He made a statement along the lines of this: Fun can be a byproduct, not THE product. I agree. Some of the things about the life of a Christian may result in fun, but that is not the point of things. Sometimes (and for some folks, most of the time...just ask Christians in many other countries) following Jesus results in "no fun" for a season. But we need to go beyond that, to the goal of "joy" instead. Joy from salvation of both ourselves and others; joy from knowing that God has a plan for us; joy from seeing others being blessed because of our obedience; joy from simply being grateful for God's provision! The list can go on forever. We just have to make a decision: if my life is not "fun", does that mean that things in my life do not have worth? I believe the answer is a resounding no! A mission trip might end up being harder than you thought. A boyfriend or girlfriend you thought "loved" you might suddenly break up with you. You might get ridiculed for making decisions based solely on your faith. Spending time that is just "you and God" might make you miss a TV show. And in some cases, even saying you believe in Jesus at all might take your life. But we need to have great faith and hope that despite the non-fun involved at times, God is glorified, others are blessed, and that we keep on the path (that God promises in Philippians 1:6) of becoming more like Jesus (aka "sanctification"). These are reasons enough for great joy!
So, let's make a pact to seek to have joy instead of simply seeking fun in our life of faith.
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