"Do you go here?"

At my church, I am in the process of recruiting prayer partners - adults to pray specifically and intentionally for individual youth. (No props for me for this awesome idea - direct all respect this way This morning, I went to a particular class, populated with elderly women, and had perhaps the most hilarious conversation in my life. This will surely work its way into a message one day - but for now it will be confined to the blogosphere. Read the old lady words in an old-lady voice - that makes it even better.


JB: Good morning. My name is Jason Brown, I am the youth minister here at Broadway. First I want to thank you for the chance to come and talk to you about something that I am very excited about in the life of the student ministry -

Elderly Lady 1: Do you go here?

JB: Yes. I am actually the youth minister. I work with 6th through 12th graders.

EL1: Oh, that's a good group.

JB: It is a great group! And that's why I am here to talk to you today - so often in the church we neglect two major gifts from God, prayer and Christian community. With Prayer Partners, we are not only trying to counteract that, but also to connect you in powerful ways with our young people. If you can pray, you can be a prayer partner. All you have to do is say "Dear God, be with Johnny today." and we will get you information about Johnny so you can pray for specific needs in his life.

EL2: Well, what we do here is we (information removed to protect the innocent) and we give all the money to the ELC (Early Learning Center) because they are next - they will replace us.

JB: Yes, but you have so much still to give - that's why I am here today, to ask you about becoming a Prayer Partner.

EL3: Well, we already work with the ELC.

JB: Really? I didn't know that. Well, really, all you do as a prayer partner is pray specifically for one kid.

EL2: I will think about it. I am a bit slow these days and if I don't get something done in the morning, I don't get it done at all.

JB: Oh well, you wouldn't have to do anything beyond pray for the kid. If you wanted to give them a phone call or send them a postcard, we would bless you in that endeavor but all we are really asking you to do is pray for the kid.

EL1: Do you work with the ELC kids?

JB: No ma'am, I work with the 6th - 12th graders.

EL1: Oh that's a group that needs alot of work.

JB: Well, we all need all the prayer we can get. I think I might be making this sound a little bit more complex than it is. Basically, we do all the work and give you a picture of the kid as well as some information about them. Then, you hang it on the fridge or wherever and whenever you see it you just say "Hey God, be with Johnny today."

EL3: I will think about it. I am just so busy. I have alot of grandkids.

EL4: Will there be a communication sheet in the bulletin?

JB: Actually, we can sign you up right now if you want to. I have a sign up sheet and we can get the ball rolling.

ELs1 - 6: Well, I'll think about it.

JB: Are you on crack? How hard is it to pray? (I did not actually say that)

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I am a little bit frustrated, but I understood going in that this group of folks would potentially hear "youth" and shut down. Why do the majority of folks love the kids (birth - 5th grade) and then become psycho about 6th - 12th? Is it because they challenge you? Because they don't blindly accept what you teach? Are they intimidating because they (youth) pretend to have it together and adults feel like they too have to have it together? This is not a slight on my church. Indeed, I imagine this would be a major exception to the norm of recruiting adults to pray for our young people.

What kind of Christian community can we legitimately claim if we are afraid to even pray for each other?