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Monthly column for youth leaders

Young people - the church of today, not tomorrow

The next time you hear someone say that young people are the church of tomorrow, jab them in the ribs. Very hard. Twice. If there are young people in your church at the moment, they are the church of today. They might be the leaders of the church of tomorrow, but right now, they are the church of today.

After all, if they are Christians, they are part of God's family, now. God doesn't give them hoops to jump through. They don't have to wait until they are 18, or 21, or have got married and had children, or been baptised, or confirmed, or have been to church a certain number of Sundays-on the trot.

As far as God's concerned, they don't have to wait for anything to be part of his family once they have accepted to live with Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. If they do have to wait for anything it's because we have provided a hoop of legalism for them to jump through, not God.

Familiar face

So, it's worth checking just how good we are at making sure young people feel part of the church, today. Feeling defensive? So do most young people when they come to church. Let's think about those young people who have chosen to be baptised, or confirmed, or to be a church member. These young people have taken the very courageous step of making a public declaration of their faith. And have identified themselves with the church family. We need to make sure that they get a really warm welcome from us, though ideally, this should have been happening since they first walked in through the door.

Let's think about families. God deliberately called the church the family of God. So what does he have in mind? What characteristics might there be that a young person could enjoy? How about unconditional love, people thinking of others first, ongoing support and care, people showing a genuine interest, sharing with one another, praying for each other, learning together, celebrating and having fun together, being able to use gifts and talents for others, serving each other. Essentially, it's respect and involvement, isn't it? How much would it mean to a young person to be part of a family like this?

Dysfunctional?

Is your part of God's family not functioning as it should in some way? Any Christian is a child of God. Are there some big brothers or sisters who are being too bossy and overbearing? Are there some younger ones who never pull their weight? Are there some siblings who complain about everything? Others who never let anybody else join in? We mustn't forget that we are sinners making up this family. But that doesn't give us an excuse for bad behaviour.

We mustn't forget that we are all saved sinners who make up this family, and by his grace, God is changing us all the time. So let's not write off people in the family by saying 'They never...' or 'They always...'. And let's not place young people in a box all together and assume that we know how they are going to behave, or speak, or dress, or what they'll like or dislike.

Let's treat young people as individuals, and expect to enjoy them. And encourage them in the work of the gospel. Let's think what part young people can play in the life of the church family. Most of 'being church' happens outside meetings, so think through how relationships can be built, what experiences can be shared, how support can be given, and how communication can take place.

Now find a piece of paper and a pen, and write down some lists under the following headings.

- What young people can offer the church family, e.g. enthusiasm, commitment, time, flexibility, energy, mobility, willingness to learn, up-to-date knowledge...
- What young people can do outside a service, e.g. cooking, painting, cleaning, gardening, computering, taping, befriending, driving, praying, designing, joining a house group, coming to prayer meetings...
- What young people could do during a service, e.g. reading, praying, singing, playing music, welcoming, running the sound desk, looking after small children, acting, giving their testimony...

Now answer these questions:

- What things from the lists above can they do only if they are Christians?
- What could young people start doing for your church in the short term and in the long term?
- What would it do for your young people to be involved in this way?
- What would it do for your church family if young people were to be allowed to be involved in this way?

Excited about young people? You should be. They're great and are a real asset. Cherish them. God calls you to.

Jo Horn

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