Paul Washer said it on several occasion that he would not send his children to 98% of Sunday schools in America.
Even in the churches I've been to here, the ministry has been ignored, pampered, ill-treated and sugar-coated by wickedness of all kinds starting from hypocrisy ending with superficial psychology. I feel so very sorry for the children for the way these dogs have been treating them. The goats, both young and old, remain in the church. The resulting youths are as liberal and nonchalant as their piers.
Something must be done at the level of their piers. It cannot be just a matter of hiring someone to take over the whole case. A penalty must be paid.
However the solution turns out, it must be geared towards the direction of making the parents become truly Christian parents. Able to teach and bear witness for Christ.
That means, the leaders themselves must be parents, or of parental quality. Not just some active youth with a little know it all, while the rest of the adults are on a kind of "opium" vacation, or feeling satisfied for finding a cheap and moral idea for baby sitting their children while they went off peacefully to work and maybe give thanks to Guan Gong or Guan Yin once a while. Yes, many Chinese-American churches are really that bad. The older they are, the prouder they are having to do less things.
Thus, this is almost building the whole ministry from scratch, which affects all the way to the pulpit of the entire Sunday Service. The pastors must confront the parents in Biblical lifestyle. There is no excuse. Either one is called by God, here lies the proof of refute.
Then, if no one can take up the case of leading the youth, which is pathetic, it is better to start with the adults. A fellowship just for the adults, gearing towards building a holy family. The youth are welcome to join. Either this fellowship nor none at all. There is no shortcut. If their parents cannot fellowship together (not having lunch or watching baseball), how then should their children be expected to do so?
I shouldn't dwell too much on this now, as it is too ridiculous. First they failed the test by kicking out one who's committed to be evangelical towards the youth, against my advice. Now they want me to be the chief of their children ministry? It is easy to refute, gracefully and justly.
I simply said 2 conditions: Allow me to invite Paul Washer, and then perhaps Michael Liu. If they are not welcomed, I am certainly not welcomed as well. Paul Washer may be more admissible for them because he is an official pastor, but I doubt they would admit either one, for that is laughable otherwise, unless they see the need to change not in the structure and programs, but in themselves. I need not waste my pearls and sacred things here.
Of course, I doubt Rev. Lin would care to admit too much wrong in the past. So, her only option would be to accuse me of having some extreme ideas: Midwest, suburban, rural Christian thinking. Or some excuse about how I do not understand the difference of urban ministry.
Whatever the excuse, the defense and response is easy: I do not have any source of example to follow except that of the Bible.
I shall illustrate using baby steps:
1. Identify what can be or what cannot be compromised.
a. Should there be teachers from the 40 years of Church ministry by now, whether it is urban or outerspace ministry.
b. If those who are attending the church are new members, where are the older ones and how long should members be considered "old"...not new.
c. Should there be a way to determine the above problems do not occur again unexamined?
2. I cannot be fully in charge nor responsible for this.
a. I am here because I was asked to help. A service to God for sure, but a favor to the congregation of this church, thus it is not my ministry. Just as Jesus was extending His grace to the gentiles while His chief ministry was to the Jews in those days.
b. When some longer than I members commend on my teaching or why I leave, I would answer: "I am doing your job, and I cannot do your job forever." When they criticize it, I shall examine their criticism humbly, seeking earnestly where I am wrong and repent of it. It's a win win strategy anyway.
c. Let's see how much they are willing to do themselves first before I have any extra involvement in this.
3. Unconventional Approach
Since I am not following my principle from anywhere Rev. Lin thinks I am following other than the Scripture itself, I shall allow her to continue with this illusion. She may carry this to her grave if she must, I can only pray she change this silly notion.
The only way to deal with her children's ministry, is to have programs that can involve Christian parents and their children first.