DOPCANDY

I have been musing for a while about how to be more holistic in our minstry with young people and children within our church communities. I have a nagging sense of foulplay when it comes to creating separate, unconnected groups for young people and children – i am not saying that young people don’t need space to ask “their questions” and to be “themselves”. However, I have some questions about the relevance of baptism, confirmation and nurture when many believe that young people need to be separate from the worshipping church community – and yet talk about the desire for them to be members of the church. Not only are there problems in how worship culture and tradition is passed from one generation to the next, but also the fact that adults in churches have become so climatised to child and young person free worship that it is no wonder they have no idea what to do with them!

My bugbear is about the false idea that we must “do” something with them and then going through a style battle over our gathered worship, believeing that there needs to be some concession to keep the young folk happy!! The challenge for us as churches is how do we engage with God… that is what young people need to be part of  – in fact all people. I am all up for youth congregations, services, alternative worship and fresh expressions… as long they focus on encountering God and being transformed. If the only thing that changes as a result of our gathered worship is whether i like the songs or how things are done then I am becoming a consumer rather than a participant.

Lying at the core of this, is the golden nugget of youth work: that is, it is all about relationships. Treat young people like consumers and that’s what you get… involve them as participants in our community, as part of something that is meaningful, and perhaps we might be able to see transformation occur in everyone. After all young people are not a generation that need converting to practices… but one that needs engaging in them to God and one that has something to bring as part of the community. For me Brother Roger from Taize sums it up well by describing young people as the springtime of the church… as a part of the year but not all of it -  and also a sound reminder to people in other seasons of their lives as to what it was like to be young!.

Rant over… anyway in a semi-linked way, this caught my eye on the Fuller Youth Institute web site:

By now, youth workers and parents alike are familiar with the African proverb that “It takes a village to raise a child,” but they are asking harder questions.  Is that proverb just a warm and fuzzy phrase or is it supported by actual research on real life kids?  How does that proverb fit with a biblical theology of family and church family?  What can we learn from the field of Psychology that helps us move beyond rhetoric to real support for kids?

Starting in the autumn of 2008, FYI have been releasing new articles and resources aimed at helping churches  go deeper into intergenerational ministry. Here are some of the articles so far:

• A Church in the Intergenerational HOV Lane A Ministry Case Study February 2, 2009
• Something is Not Right Revisiting our Definition of Family January 5, 2009
• A Reminder of an Often-Forgotten Reality Parents and Adults Matter in the Spiritual Formation of Kids December 1, 2008
• Theological Principles Behind Intergenerational Youth Ministry It’s Not Rocket Science November 3, 2008
• God of the Generations Raising Up Leaders in the City January 4, 2008
• Read more here