Some friends recently told me of a church they attended which does not have a youth group for their 7th - 12th graders. Yet, this lack of a youth program isn't due to an oversight, absence of leadership, or insufficient funds - it is intentional! Supposedly, the church leadership thinks that teenagers are capable of becoming and being productive members of the flock.
I have to say, I think they have a point.
With our culture's emphasis on self-esteem, individual rights, and meeting of felt needs, is it any wonder that we have tended to see ministry to teenagers as dependent on entertaining them? While such a surface level approach may seem, initially, to meet a young person's needs, I've got to believe that, eventually, some teenage human beings will yearn for a greater fulfillment of meaning in their lives. When that happens, we may end up seeing teenagers who have a greater level of spiritual yearning and maturity than ourselves.
Albert Mohler, in Religion's Generation Gap, notes what happens when our youth become more devout than us. He states,
These young people have had to swim against the tide ever since they identified as Christians. Many know almost nothing of the easy-believism of their parents' generation, and they have had to defend their Christian commitments and beliefs from the inception. They understand cultural hostility to Christianity, and they have made their commitment. There is no room for a half-hearted approach to the faith.
Brent Kunkle, at Stand to Reason, recently returned from a trip to Berkeley, California, with a group of high school students. Their main purpose was to engage non-Christian elements within Berkeley's culture (e.g., agendas such as homosexual, atheist, pluralists, etc.) - a Berkeley Missions Trip. The results were extraordinary.
Wheatstone Academy, and Torrey Academy, both run by Biola, in Los Angeles, specifically cater to high school students, equipping them to become credible and engaging advocates for the Christian worldview. Regenerate Our Culture is an online magazine, run by homeschooled teenagers, dedicated to turning our culture's post-modern worldview back towards a Christian one.
Our children are human beings capable of much more than we typically give them credit for.
While I wouldn't advocte NOT having events and programs directed at teens, I think a lot of people underestimate what young people are capable of. Teens are in possession of massive amounts of energy and passion that, when directed into God's Kingdom, can produce incredible results.
Posted by: Andrew | March 13, 2007 at 10:02 AM