The best term I can come up with that explains this is “pushing them toward obedience.” A lot of people don’t like pushing kids spiritually because they’re afraid the teens will rebel against it or be turned off, but I see kids who are being pushed in every area of their life except their spirituality. Their athletic coaches push them hard physically, their teachers push them academically, their jobs push them to perform, etc.
In my experience, the times I've seen students really rise to the occasion in a spiritual sense has been when they've been challenged to do so. Since I love sports, the athlete illustration really hits home for me. I think back to the times when I really stepped it up as an athlete, and all of them have been when someone has pushed me (in a positive sense; I know there are negative stories out there about putting unrealistic pressure on student athletes). So why can't we expect more out of students in our ministries? Why can't we say, "These are some of the expectations Jesus has for his followers, and so that's what we'll expect of you, too." The fact is that we need to. I know that I need a push at times in my spiritual life. In fact, I've found that I'm actually bummed if I hear a sermon that doesn't tell me to do something as a result of what we've studied in the Bible during the service. And I've received the same feedback from students, too. Students are hungry to follow Jesus with all their heart, and as youth leaders and pastors, our job is to shepherd them and help them follow Jesus with reckless abandon. Unfortunately, no one program or strategy can accomplish this. It begins with the heart of the leaders who pastor the church and pastor the students. If I don't seek it in my own life, how can I help students seek it as well?
