Divided, the Movie: a Review, Part Two

This is a continuation of a review of the movie Divided. See the first part here.

The main issue in regards to youth leaving the church is an abandonment of the Gospel and true Christianity in our homes. Fathers are not teaching their children in the ways of God because they do not know God themselves. The producers of this movie are overtly concerned about what happens at our church gatherings, and they should be much more concerned about the homes of our youth. Age segregation for Sunday school will be like a drop in the bucket compared to the outpouring of teaching and love from a true, biblical father. I do not see the dismantling of age segregated teaching during church meetings as the cure-all for getting kids to "stick with" the church. Fathers will not automatically start teaching their kids in the manner that they should. The producers of the film do say that youth ministers may not necessarily go away if you follow their plan. Their role would simply shift from teachers to equippers, giving fathers the support, training, and encouragement needed to be the teachers they are called to be. I believe this a good thing. But, once again, they are setting the argument up as an either/or proposition. 

Next, if the segregated teaching of the youth in a church leads them away from the influence of their fathers and brings them into worldliness, then you have a fundamental problem in the church itself. The problem is not necessarily youth groups; the problem is youth groups in the hands of heretical men who parade themselves as ministers of God. It's not that they do youth ministry, it's that they do it in the name of God whom they do not know. Looking at the American landscape, one would have to say that the majority of our churches are really not churches anyway. They are populated and led by those who are unconverted. They have a form of Godliness . . . well, actually, most do not. They just use His name. So the problem is not the youth group itself. There is a root of evil that must be addressed.  The producers show and talk about the worst of the worst in youth ministry, but they don't address Sunday school teachers and youth leaders who are teaching solid, Biblical principles. What if a father teaches their children all week long, and for two hours a week another teacher gives them solid teaching as well? Isn't that a reinforcement, not a tearing away?   Keep Reading...

Divided, the Movie: a Review, Part One

I noticed the movie Divided popping up all over the place this past week. It is free online, and many people I know were passing it around and recommending it. So last night, I took some time to see what it is all about.

First, the movie is a platform to advocate family integrated churches. It was produced by the National Center for Family Integrated Churches. So you know going in that there is no neutrality on the topic. They are arguing for family integration, and this movie presents their case. That is neither good nor bad, but it something worth noting when you sit down to watch the movie.

If you are not familiar with family integrated churches, let me give you a short primer. Over the last decade or more, there has been a mass exodus of youth from local church bodies. The statistics are overwhelming. Most youth, by the time they've reached middle school or high school, have mentally checked out. When they reach college age, they check out all together and do not return. In looking at the problem, some pastors and church leaders began targeting the modern idea of youth groups as the culprit. According to the family integrated movement, youth groups are non-biblical and a main cause of children leaving. They assert that parents have abdicated their responsibilities to teach their children biblical principles and handed it over to youth pastors and leaders. In an effort to restore parental authority, the movement advocates that churches cease age segregating classes (i.e. Sunday school) and move back to doing church as family units.    Keep Reading...