Nissan Pavilion / Bristow, VA


In an ongoing effort to keep youth workers informed as they decide whether to engage Battle Cry in New York/New Jersey in 2008, a contingent of NYC youth workers attended Battle Cry in Bristow, Virginia, this weekend: Adam Durso, Jack Redmond, Dimas Saleberrios, Rafael Fernandez, and Jeremy Del Rio. Jeremy will post reflections later, but for now, photos.

[Note: The Coalition's hosting of Ron Luce and this report of the conversation does not imply an endorsement of the upcoming Battle Cry NY event, nor does it imply any official relationship between the Coalition and Battle Cry. It merely serves as a catalyst of information and discussion. Please feel free to comment on the questions, answers, and strategy in the comments section.]

+ National Trends
Need to understand the signs of the times (Luke 12:54-58).

• 4-5% of teens are “Bible Believing Christians” (What does that mean?)

Post-Christian America — look to post-Christian Europe for example of where we are headed
Everyone in youth ministry works hard, but the numbers remain in decline
Most people come to faith before age 20. Appx 4 million/year turn 20.
We have 4-5 yrs to change the tide.

• Media consumption / oversaturation
• Sexualization of the culture

+ “Culture/virtue terrorists”
Marketeers and corporate America hijacking our kids
Target them as pre-teens, especially urban poor
Exploit them for a buck

+ Point and Click Pornography
Ages 12-17 are the largest consumers of online porn

+ Battle Cry
“Church: it’s time to wake up”
Target leaders, lay people, and senior pastors to focus on kids and invest time and resource to change the tide
Overseas, culture is being shaped by American media
If only 4-5 yrs, how can we turn this around?
Huge events –> Catalyst for churches to change paradigm to invest in kids –> Tools for youth pastors to engage pastors/deacons etc. Small group curriculum.

+ Q&A
Q: If you were afraid to come, why are you here?
A: Said partly in jest, partly not. Need to come (a) if wanted and helpful and (b) if there are local people who willing to be part of the team. “Our success depends entirely on local youth ministry success.”

Q: Have you had success in engaging business community?
A: Help fundraise by each kid paying fee. Fundraise some. “I have a love/hate relationship with NYC.” Hate media influence of Madison Ave, MTV, etc. But love the people. A $2.3 billion perfume company approached BC to see if they want to “private label” a perfume that could be marketed to values-teens.

Q: What’s the best way to deal with oversexualization?
A: 1. Unmasking for the kids what marketers are doing to them, i.e. MTV’s cradle-to-grave strategy of Mooks & Midriffs. 2. We have awakened love prematurely in 4-5-6 year old. True love waits — 90% of kids broke their TLW vows. Teach kids not to give their heart away.

Q: What’s been the response to BC in other cities?
A: So far: San Francisco, Detroit, and Baltimore. Three stadium events every year.

Q: What’s the follow-up plan?
A: Use event as a catalyst. Train teens how to be influencers with their friends. “Totally dependent on the youth pastor. … We know what to do, and youth pastors can know what to do” if they utilize the resources, podcasts, training tools, etc.

Q: How many NYC senior pastors that you’ve met are willing to refocus and restructure ministries?
A: Overwhelming response. Yes, we want you to come, but it’s not just about an event. It’s about a paradigm shift. “Our churches need to be hospitals for a broken generation.”

Q: How do we create hospitals in our churches — including those reaching out to the gay community — when Battlecry is so easily perceived as anti-gay?
A: We’re not anti-gay. We love gay people. Not the lifestyle, but we love the people. The message of gay rights groups (in SF): “As you long as you stay to yourselves, we don’t care. But if you oppose our views, we don’t want to hear you.” When asked, “If there’s one thing you could say to the gay community, what would it be?” Ron replied: “Someone who called themself a Christian probably treated them harshly, so I would ask them to forgive me on behalf of the one who offended you because that’s not how Jesus would treat you.” The anti-gay critique is “much ado about nothing.”

Q: How do we engage schools?
A: Whatever strategy must be connected to a church strategy.

Q: The success of the event is contingent on the involvement of churches. What’s the ramp-up plan — beyond PR?
A: May launch events Friday for senior pastors and Saturday for youth pastors. Summits. Gather 100s of leaders cast vision strategy, tools, and proceed from there. Possibly do that again in the fall, along with decentralized youth rallies. Summits introduce tools. Jack Redmond and others may conduct youth leader trainings.

Q: How much of the defensiveness is due to the “battlecry” rhetoric and endorsements of Sean Hannity, etc?
A: Some backlash because too much “mamby pamby kumbaya … softsell” Christianity. Need to give kids a backbone. Not about meanness, but kindness. Put on the full armor of God. Why can’t policy makers regulate media and porn etc? We regulate environmental pollution, why not cultural pollution? If kids can’t go into XXX shops, why can they get XXX porn online for free? How did we get to 4%? Systemic problems. We (the church and culture) are perfectly designed to get 4%.

Q: How is Battlcry not just a “band aid”? What about the rappers, merchandisers, etc. that pollute the cutlure at its core?
A: The way we change culture is by engaging it. It’s the church’s fault that culture has decayed because we’ve disengaged. BC empowers kids to be change agents. Example of Victoria’s Secret in a mall. 30 kids, one by one go into a store and ask them to take the posters down. The manager refuses each one. Then all came in together and demanded it together. Finally the manager relented and removed the posters. Another example: “pornaments.” One youth group caused Arizona store chain to remove pornaments from their stores. Battlecry.com.

C: Senior pastor says, “Thank you.” For too long NYC has been “abandoned.”

Q: How is BC going to reach urban kids so it doesn’t come off as a white suburban event?
A: We need you to help us shape the program. Artists, speakers etc.

Q: What are the expectations on Coalition and local youth workers?
A: BC will take the onus off finances, but can’t be in grass roots. A successful effort must be “us” collective. Total and complete embracing.

Q: How are the events paid?
A: Budget for each event roughly $1.5 million. BC will “take responsibility” for this, but challenges each church to “invest.” If youth is priority, invest in the event. Registration fee is $25-35. Fundraising tools, etc for local churches, as well as scholarships. BC would do the church a “disservice” if outsiders pay for everything. Train churches to keep sacrificing to reach kids.

Q: NYC has been burned by outsiders since 9/11. Christian events with great intentions appear as commercialized as all the rest. What about facilitating individual relationships and local efforts? Is it really the best effort to try to create Jerusalem when we live in Babylon? Is $1.5 million in an event the best investment?
A: It’s not a good investment if we fail to empower youth ministries to double every year. What’s our role in the culture war? Changing the culture doesn’t help people get into heaven. But it can help preserve a teen’s heart so they’re not hard hearted when they hear the gospel. Together we’re going to rescue the kids. Together.

Q: Why come to senior pastors first and then youth pastors? Why have the senior pastor and youth pastor meetings seperately? That appears to bring more division. Come to senior pastors first, now the youth pastor is obligated. Why not challenge the pastors to invest in what youth pastors are already doing?
A: We’re having two meetings because that’s what local leaders suggested. Senior pastors won’t come on Saturday; bivocational youth pastors can’t come on Friday. So have two meetings. We’re trying to do what we can to urge pastors to change their paradigm.

Q: I didn’t have a church youth group, but big events inspired me to faith and boldness in high school. Do you advertise on secular stations, and what kind of cross-over artists like Switchfoot could be invited?
A: We’re open. Ty Tribbet, David Crowder, POD — all possibilities.

C: We need BC to catalyze united prayer in the city.

Ron Luce Q: Is this an idea worth exploring? 60/40 hands raised.

Q: What works in teaching discipleship and making culture-shapers?
A: Teach youth to be disciple makers. Teenmania offers lots of curriculum to help that. Also, the power of the testimony. Share ideas and encourage imitation. No one program or formula.

Q: We assume BC is putting in twice the effort and resources to come to NYC. Why then coming to Continental Arena, which feels very suburban?
A: More trips to NYC than any other city ever for relationship building: 12 trips in 6 months. After research, 50/50 pros & cons for NJ arenas. Plus, in good weather, can’t use NYC baseball stadiums.

C: The success of the event won’t depend on the night. The production value will be excellent. The biggest issue is how churches join together to build kids. Unless we train kids to do the ministry, we’re not going to win this generation.

C: Ramp-up is going to be critical. How are we going to reach the unchurched? What’s the strategy to get them there?

C: If the event is going to happen, the pragmatics matter, e.g. transportation to the event. Public transportation to MSG better than NJ.

Q: NYC leaders gun-shy because outside groups tend to talk from both sides of their mouth. “Ownership, buy-in” rhetoric has burned them before. Exploited for repeatedly for fund-raising purposes. Worst examples were post 9-11. How is this different?
A: We don’t need to do another dance. Too busy already. Since there are a million reasons to disagree, can we find places of agreement?

Q: If the measure of the success isn’t the event itself, but the 2-yr legacy of doubling youth ministry, how does BC invest in that process?
A: Testimonies of the success of the books and curriculums.

Q: How will the program be determined?
A: Executive committee will help shape that.

UPDATE (4/12/07)

Youth Rock and New Birth Ministries are hosting a Battle Cry Rally April 27.