Why Should the Church Invest in Youth?
All too
often, it can feel as if the church overlooks a lack of investment in youth. We tell them to enjoy this time with few
responsibilities, while simultaneously saying to prepare for life as an adult. I agree with that advice, but I do maintain
that it is a disservice to our youth; to foster a belief that what they do
today doesn’t matter. Being a teenager
should not be a get out of jail free card.
Youth do matter today, not only because of what they will become, but
because of who they are today. To me,
this is the foundation of why the church should, and must, invest in youth.
No matter
how long ago it was, we can all look back on our years as a youth, probably
with at least some amount of nostalgia.
As teenagers, we struggled both within ourselves and with those around
us, for what we deemed to be freedoms, our beliefs, our friends, and most of
all, to define ourselves. During those
tumultuous years, we developed the core of our being. The foundation was laid during childhood; as
youth we began to make our own decisions.
A great deal of soul searching can be done within the church, as long as
there are people willing to invest in youth, to be there for them, help them
struggle with doubts and questions, and encourage their spiritual
development. Without that investment, we
are missing out on being a part of the process of growing up, which is
imperative within the church family, as in any family. Youth are not more important than any other
ministry in the church, but it is crucial that they be just as important.
As today’s
youth are growing up, they are developing passions and looking for a way to
make tangible differences in their world. Yes, we, as believers, are called to encourage
the relationship between our youth and their Lord; just as Jesus tells Peter in
John 21:15-19. However, it doesn’t end
there. We are also called to foster
their ability to become disciples, not just believers. Youth are a part of the church of today, not
just the church of tomorrow. Youth are
making a difference in our churches, our communities, and our world right
now. When we, as a church, invest in our
youth and set high expectations for them, they will meet or exceed them. I have seen it. As Paul so eloquently puts it in his first
letter to Timothy, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young,
but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in
purity,” (1 Timothy 4:12, NIV). The
church is called to invest in our youth.
So, invest in their ability to be what they are called to be.
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