articles : “are you a minister or entertainer?” : youthworker journal: “The result of this bogus question is that we’ve managed to communicate to our young people and to the artists among us some thoroughly unbiblical concepts. The first, which was pointed out to me by the English journalist and poet Steve Turner, is that God has a hierarchy in the world of work. At the top are evangelists, missionaries, and all those in full-time Christian service. The next rung would be doctors, nurses, and all other caregivers; then come teachers, veterinarians, law enforcement, the guy who invented smoothies, and close to the bottom of the list we find artists and anyone else working in entertainment.”
steve taylor – the musician – wrote this article in youthworker back in 2001 – i was subscribing to it back then but some how i missed this article. it’s a great article. he’s whole point is that we’re supposed to do all that we do to the glory of GOD so why do we pull this whole “is your rock band about ministry or entertainment” crap? praise GOD for p.o.d. and six pence and the others who “crossed over” and are now being “salt and light” in a very dark world. GOD has used them and will continue to all because they are entertaining people and being CHRISTians at the same time.
with that said, i think the real question comes down to us youth ministers are we “ministers or entertainers?”. i’m not asking if our stuff is boring or fun – ours is fun in my opinion but you would really have to ask the others around me. and i’m not trying to say that all our stuff should be serious. what i’m trying to say is that all of our stuff should be about ministry – meeting CHRISTians’ needs and helping them to glorify GOD with their lives.
the reason for this is that we are supposed to do “all for the glory of GOD” and this means doing what you’re supposed to do. ministers are supposed to minister. i’ve been around some who don’t and i go through times where i don’t. ministry can be a royal pain in the butt – though usually it is the greatest job ever. at certain times it because easier to be concerned about the “tasks” of what we do rather than the ministry to and with our people. i really think music ministers have the hardest time with this.
we’ve got to be about ministering to people.