One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. Psalm 145:4 ©TNIV
Sometimes we’re slow to learn. For decades, we Americans have tried to make our youth happy with church. We’ve entertained them to get them to come to church activities. When they’ve become unhappy we’ve let them disengage from church. The last thing we want is to have them resentfully say “My parents dragged me to church.” So we let them sleep in on Sunday mornings.
Now we’re learning, after decades of trying this approach, that it’s not working. High school is the time when young people are figuring out what they think. They’re developing their view of the world. There are no guarantees, but if they develop their view of the world without even a conversation about God, they probably won’t see God in the world. They’ll become, as the great cop-out of our day goes, “spiritual but not religious.” If they develop their view of the world in conversation with a community of faith, they just might grow up to be believers.
My own family reminds me that there are no guarantees: My great-grandparents raised twelve children and got eleven active Lutheran Christians. My grandfather was the exception. But then, he raised my dad not to be a believer and he became one anyway. There is nothing we can do to assure whether or not someone is a believer. But when we look at the overall pattern, it’s clear. We’re far more likely to share our faith with the next generation if we focus on doing just that.
I’ve been reading about a study of churches where the young people stay connected or come back in far greater numbers than typical congregations. What stands out first is that, in these congregations, people have lively conversations about God. The young people can find many folks who encourage them, who take an interest in their developing faith, and who talk with them.
Youth ministry is the job of the whole congregation. Do you know one of our youth? Take an interest in their life and faith. You may make a bigger difference than you can ever imagine.
