In 2010 I began meeting with youth workers, ministers, charities, parents and young people. I wanted to explore the world of teenage girls today and find out how we could encourage them, inspire them and ultimately introduce them to God.
Very quickly I was discovering that life had changed a lot for teenagers since I was one: it had only been five years! I began learning about this epic new world of youth work and saw churches and charities working hard to reach and restore lives. Then one day I met a minister in Essex. I asked him about the youth in his church and this was his reply, ‘Oh yes, we had some young people here during the war but we haven’t had any since then.’
My heart hit the floor.
I don’t know how that comment makes you feel, but it made me feel angry and incredibly sad. His words stirred me and suddenly this didn’t feel like a lovely little research trip anymore, it became a mission because for the first time I realised that not everyone is bothered about supporting young people, even Christians (this was news to me, it might not be to you).
My reaction to this was to travel around and share what I’d been hearing about young people. I spoke in churches and at minister’s breakfasts sharing stories about self-harm, suicide, anorexia, exam pressures, our sexually saturated society and the hopelessness that some young people are feeling. I watched as tears rolled down many different faces and the general comment I received was, ‘I didn’t know.’
Are you aware of apathy in your churches when it comes to reaching young people? Are volunteers in short supply? Does that Essex minister’s utter resignation echo stories from your churches? And if so, what do we do? I want to suggest two areas that we could work on.
Share stories
Tell people around you what you’re learning in this youth work journey of ours. You have a responsibility to inspire others to jump into this world youth ministry. We need more people on board with this mission, the workers are few and some are stuck in war times. Tell them what happened at youth club, the young person that is slowly warming up, the boy who prayed for the first time on Sunday and that challenging conversation you had about faith. Sharing stories and statistics can stir people to action. A new report from the World Health Organization has found that suicide is the leading cause of death for girls between the ages of 15 and 19 worldwide — outranking accidents, illnesses and complications from pregnancy. This is worth shouting about - stir people around you to support the teenagers that they know.
Build the life boat together
When I began working with teenage girls I was overwhelmed. The job at hand felt too huge, I had no clue how I could encourage these girls when some of the stories and statistics I was hearing were desperately sad. Then I was send a message by a friend:
‘God is telling some people to build lifeboats. If that's you and you feel overwhelmed then remember how Noah built it - just one plank at a time. As long as you listen for Gods instructions all you need is just one plank and then another plank. You don't need to worry about the other bits he'll provide them. If he is for us then who can be against us?’
I know that some people are feeling like it’s raining heavily in youth ministry. That we’re stuck in the mud and finding it hard to move forward. Well then perhaps we need to start building the life boat together, one plank at a time. What does that look like? I think it’s about collaboration, intentionally working with others in our area, sharing ideas and not being afraid to copy the way that others do things. I don’t know if you feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the challenge at hand but with each small plank we’re joining in with God’s mission to bring hope to young people. Unity is a must here, we need to work closely and listen for God’s instructions.
I love this verse from Peter: ‘If with heart and soul you’re doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you’re still better off. Don’t give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy.’ (1 Peter 3:15-18 - The Message)
Unite in your adoration for Christ, keep your hearts attention on him and speak up. If with heart and soul we’re doing good, we can’t be stopped. Wow! This is exciting. It might be raining, perhaps you feel it’s pouring, but get those wellies on, share stories and build the lifeboat together.
Meg Cannon is project co-ordinator of koko.
