Once upon a time, there was the grand majesty of church youth group.  It was a simpler time from a denominational leader standpoint, as the process was formulaic and predictable. Young people were invited to a fun event at a church building (usually to a room somewhere with rotten abandoned couches, lots of haphazardly placed outdated posters of Christian bands, and walls that appear to have been painted by eight-year-olds). After playing 2 group games involving shaving cream and and taco shells, a fresh-from-college guy with a killer smile would hop up in front and do a five minute message about how Jesus loves you more than you love Doritos.  Then pizza is served, and everyone is invited to come back on Sunday to experience more.

Church leaders expected this routine.  They wanted the predictability.  It was a familiar system with measurable results;  if kids are coming on Sunday morning, the job is done right.  If numbers dwindle, the recent grad guy is encouraged to come up with new games or fun outings.  The patriarchs are more than willing to write checks to register everyone to go on the big week-long experiences, fully confident that the kids will come home changed.  But after all the games, the pizza, and the dynamic conferences, the students were still just kids trying to live in their world.

Big Acronym exists in a post-formulaic world.  The 90s church youth group model just doesn’t fit anymore.  The goal of Big Acronym is to treat the youth of the world as the church of the world.  Not a separate entity that will some day be ready to go to “big church.” The CHURCH is a living being; larger than any one building.  We can (and should) be more connected than what one congregation can assemble on its own.  There are thousands of ways of spreading love and sharing the gospel that don’t require pizza.  We can be real.