GAMES YOUTH WORKERS PLAY yHERE IS NO GETTING AROUND IT ; • Russian Roulette is plain sui cide! Ever since its origination, people have referred to it, how ever, as a game (of chance, of course). Lives have been instantly snuffed out in this bit of enter tainment. What a dangerous game to play! Now, no one would dare play such a game in church; it is diametrically opposed to this in stitution’s purposes. There are, however, some dangerous, sui cidal games being played in evan gelical churches today. These games are specialized; they relate specifically to the adult youth workers’ methods o f relating teens to Christian responsibility. STAND BACK by Charles T. Smith some friends so that they may at tend the games in which he is starring. Basically, the athlete is saying, “Here are the free tickets ; now come watch me perform.” Youth workers are frequently found playing this game, and it actually has its advantages. If the adult is talented, he can be as sured of a smooth-running pro gram. For the perfectionist, this may be the only way to have the “ ideals” of youth work realized. After all, the youth will be “ learn ing how” a program can be con ducted well, or how a social can become a success. a particular responsibility than their adult leaders. 3) Youth learn more readily the true mean ing of the Christian life and o f its responsibilities by getting in volved in it, not by sitting and watching the adults. 4) Youth leaders, often untrained, wear out quite rapidly in this game, for it’s quite difficult, if not impossible, to successfully entertain youth who are on all other levels (TV, school, etc.) being entertained, taught, and led by professionals.
GO MAN! When “ Stand Back” fails to be productive, youth leaders soon fall back upon the easier game of “Go Man,” or “ It’s Your Baby.” Possibly they have attended a Christian education conference where they heard a speaker say, “We must give our young people
There are, however, definite disadvantages involved in playing “ Stand Back,” and they are as follows: 1) Youth are not content as mere spectators, for they want to make worth-while contribu tions to the church. 2) Youth can often, after some training, do a more effective and creative job in
One game youth workers often play is called, “ Stand Back,” or “ Let Me Do It.” It is like an ath lete’s buying seasonal tickets for
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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