Segregation from NCFIC on Vimeo.

I am writing today to ask for your prayers and assistance as we now turn our attention to making Segregation, a documentary film investigating the problems with modern youth ministry and the solution of biblical youth ministry found in the Word of God.

The Storyline

The storyline of the documentary follows young Christian film maker, Philip Leclerc, around the nation as he seeks answers to what has happened to the Christian youth in his generation.

Philip’s journey takes him from talking to kids in local youth groups, to documenting popular youth events, interviewing national youth ministry leaders, listening to youth pastors, and finally to meeting with a growing number of pastors and elders who are entirely abandoning the modern method of age-segregated Sunday school and youth ministry.

Along the way, Philip also interviews youth pastors who have come to see the futility of using the world's methods of teaching children in the church. These youth pastors have fled age-segregated youth ministry after realizing that no leader in scripture ever practiced age-segregated ministry and that the practice is foreign to Scripture.

The truth is shocking. Statistics suggest that between 65% and 85% of "Christian" youth leave the church when they enter college. Our interviews confirm this over and over again. And yet, while the gurus of modern youth ministry agree that there is disaster in the church, Philip finds that their response is only to prescribe various modifications to the current model. Realizing the utter brokenness of the entire establishment, he goes in search of the origins of modern youth ministry, how we got to where we are today, and, most significantly, what the Bible says about ministry to youth. The exciting reality is that God has prescribed a perfect model of youth ministry, all we have to do is put it into practice.

Our Message

Our message is clear. Like Nehemiah, we must fall on our faces before the Lord, repent for our sins and the sins of our nation, and turn to the Word of God in humble obedience. Then we must fearlessly proclaim the sufficiency of God's Word for youth ministry and our responsibility to obey. This is the essence of Segregation! This film explains the problem in the modern American church – a rejection of the sufficiency of Scripture – and shows how we got here through compromise. We then present the solution in the Word of God and issue a passionate plea to fathers and pastors to return to God's model of training children in the church.

Why Now?

We believe that the time is ripe to make this film for many reasons.

The failure of modern youth ministry is a discussion that has become front and center in the evangelical community. However, while the problem has been identified, few are answering with clear exegetical arguments. My proposal is that there is not a shred of evidence for age-segregated ministry anywhere in the Bible and not a single godly leader in biblical history ever practiced it. So far, I have not received one credible exegetical argument against this proposition.

Now is not a time for introspection or compromise. It is not even time for more research and statistical analysis. That has already been done by many. It is time to call the church to back to the clear commands of Scripture, to repent and reject the methodology of the world, and to obey by implementing biblical, age-integrated worship and discipleship in the church.

Will You Help Us?

Would you consider helping us? We need $85,000 in order to complete this film making project. Praise the Lord: He has brought in $29,000 already which has brought us this far in the project. We are earnestly praying that the Lord would provide the remaining $55,000 in order to finish the film and have it in your hands by this fall.

Donate Now

Please join us in praying for the reformation of Christ's Church and for His blessing on our efforts to confront the disastrous "love of the world" in the modern American church and to proclaim the truth of Christ's all sufficient Word.

If you would like to donate to this film project, but would like to discuss it first, feel free to email me with your contact information and we can arrange a time for a personal phone conversation.