ACCEPTABLE RISK IN YOUTH MINISTRY
Some peril accompanies any activity, but how much is too much?
Len Kageler
April 1, 1990
The evening was going well, I thought. Twenty-four of us-three adults and twenty-one high schoolers-were Christmas caroling and getting the expected response. Thank you, Lord, I prayed silently, that these kids are willing to take a stand for you in this setting. Keep us safe, Lord; keep us safe. No, we weren't singing at a calm retirement center or in front of a parishioner's stately home. We were strolling around "porno row" on the roughest street in downtown Seattle, regional headquarters for a variety of carnal pursuits. In fact, we carol there nearly every year, trying to bring some light into a dark world. I knew from experience, however, that at least one thing memorable would occur. That night, two things happened thirty minutes after we began. We were finishing our final song in front of a double-doored pornography shop. The left door led to live "XXX" show girls, and the right to video rentals and view booths. A few passersby had stopped to listen. One man came out the left door to enjoy the songs. As he did, we saw a woman behind the counter smile approvingly. When we finished, the woman rushed out, apparently in gratitude, and handed our youth choir director (a 16-year-old girl, Loni) a stocking filled to overflowing. Loni happily received it on behalf of the group and thanked the woman. A closer look, however, revealed that the stocking was not filled with candy, but erotic paraphernalia! As the kids came unglued in laughter, Loni delicately handed me the stocking. As we walked on, I dropped it in a trash bin. We were still trying to regain our composure when we rounded a corner and found ourselves in the middle of a youth gang. They were as shocked as we. Our kids did exactly what they had been told to do in such ...
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