In this last year at All Saints I have been prayerfully
seeking God’s direction on how to structure the Christian Formation of our
young people. During this transitional
time as we concluded our traditional youth ministry program to today, Kate and
I have co-led Sunday school class that morphed into a confirmation class. We enjoyed our weekly conversations with
youth about Christian faith, teaching and where God is acting in the lives of
our young people.
The youth preparing for confirmation were in regular attendance, but other youth were hit and miss, unable to attend these Sunday morning meetings. There are a number of factors that contribute to this inconsistancy.
The youth preparing for confirmation were in regular attendance, but other youth were hit and miss, unable to attend these Sunday morning meetings. There are a number of factors that contribute to this inconsistancy.
- Families do struggle to get out of the house on Sunday mornings and/or they are coming from farther out.
- The curriculum we used for confirmation was geared toward a junior high age group, and so we did lose interest in some (not all) of our senior high youth.
- There is also lethargy toward traditional forms of education.
I think it helps to consider that “Sunday School” originated in the industrial
age as an outreach ministry to teach children how to read. The source text used in reading was the
bible. For generations children were
taught to read in church not in public or parochial schools.
Today, young people are taught to read in regular
schools. In my studies of the subject it
occurs to me that over one hundred years ago there was an alternative motive
for being engaged in Sunday school. The motive
to read is no longer the same in Sunday school.
(Please take a moment to read this article http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/asktheexpert/whendidsundayschoolstart.html
)
Similarly our youth ministry is in the midst of change and
re-shaping. As Ed James retired Tracey
Spiller and I stepped into the gap to create opportunities for fellowship and
outings for our junior and senior high youth. There was an initial enthusiasm and we had consistent attendance until Spring Break where we saw a decline of interest in the field trips.
I have intentionally drawn back on major events such as the annual summer mission trip which adds strain to a tired volunteer base. The last two summers we have focused on sending youth to camp and local outreach missions that serve in the Houston area. In the last year and a half we have dramatically reduced the number of youth fund raisers.
I have intentionally drawn back on major events such as the annual summer mission trip which adds strain to a tired volunteer base. The last two summers we have focused on sending youth to camp and local outreach missions that serve in the Houston area. In the last year and a half we have dramatically reduced the number of youth fund raisers.
Recent reflections from veteran youth ministers indicate
that the youth movements of the 1970-90s may have had some unexpected consequences
to the formation of youth as Christians. While many youths
continue to be enthusiastically engaged in ministry throughout junior and senior
high school, by the time they leave for college or set out on life’s journey
they lacked the ability to relate to church in adult ways.
Some ministers are concluding that we have formed a generation of adults looking for their youth group experience. This reflects the current Christian propensity toward consumer Christianity. The consumerism is a mentality that says, “What can I get from my church?” as opposed to, “What can I give to Christ’s Kingdom?”
Some ministers are concluding that we have formed a generation of adults looking for their youth group experience. This reflects the current Christian propensity toward consumer Christianity. The consumerism is a mentality that says, “What can I get from my church?” as opposed to, “What can I give to Christ’s Kingdom?”
(Please take time to read these articles.
http://thegospelside.wordpress.com/2012/08/25/memo-to-senior-pastors-what-to-do-about-these-youth/ )
Having experienced these struggles personally, and being equipped with modern perspectives on youth movements and Sunday school we are confronted with a system of youth ministry that is no longer working for us.
Next week-- Children
and Youth: So what are we going to do about it?
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