Stickyfaith developing faith that will last a lifetime
I was able to attend the Stickyfaith seminar by Brad Griffin from the Fuller Youth Institute at the Amor Ministries adviser’s conference. I thought I would rewrite my notes here.
1. 6 out of 7 seniors don’t feel equipped with faith that prepares them for college.
a. It’s like church/youth group is a fun and wonderful driver’s ed program where students never learn to drive.
b. Though 80% of students say they intend to stay in church after graduation, 40-50% drift from the Lord and church 18 months after graduation.
i. Even if they come back later in life, some of the biggest life decisions are made in that time period.
c. College freshmen see faith as valuable, but not integrated into their lives.
2. Sticky leaders are leaders centered on Jesus.
3. Seniors want more:
a. Not games
b. Deep conversations
c. Mission trips
d. Service projects
e. Accountability
f. One on one time with leaders
4. The Red-Bull Rip Off (calories and caffine, no nutrition)
a. Gospel of sin management (a la Dallas Willard)
i. Do’s and Don’ts as opposed to the gospel that is centered on the person and work of Jesus Christ.
b. The real gospel can handle doubs
c. Kid’s need to be able to share their doubts:
i. Does God exist?
ii. Is Christianity the only way to God?
iii. Does God love me?
iv. Am I living the life God wants?
5. Sticky Churches
a. #1 influence in student’s faith is parents. “When it comes to faith, parents tend to get what they are.”
b. The Kid’s table catastrophe
i. The more resources your church has, the less connected the youth are to the church
ii. Youth need to be integrated into church life, not hanging out on their own.
iii. The more students were involved in intergenerational worship before graduation, the stickier their faith in college.
c. Instead of 5 kids to every 1 adult, we should have 5 adults influencing and targeting every 1 kid.
i. The more adults can call a kid by name, the more chance the kid has of thriving.
ii. Parent’s: ask your kid who the adults are in their lives. Be intentional about 5 Christian adults in their lives.
iii. Ideas:
1. Joint Sunday schools
2. All-church campouts
3. Serve work together.
4. Invite parents to share testimonies to youth group
6. Train students for life after youth group
a. Finding a church/faith community
b. Time and money
c. The critical first 2 weeks of college
d. Recovering from poor choices
So, what do you think?
ReplyDeleteHigh Schoolers: What can we do to help you in your faith journey? How can I help you develop a faith in Christ that lasts for a lifetime?
Parents: What do you think? How can we team up to do this better?
Kari H emailed me this response:
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot to discuss here. The thing that popped out to me the most was point #5.ii: Youth need to be integrated into church life, not hanging out on their own.
I think this is true for life in general. I think the "youth problem" or general bad reputation that teenagers have in our society is the result of kids growing up in groups made up of mainly their peers, coupled with the fact that we don't expect much from children in the way of work. Our kids are catered to from the cradle to graduation--and even beyond. They are not expected to be an integral part of family life, much of their life is spent being dropped off at peer group events (daycare, school, sports, dance, youth group) which are supposed to "keep them busy" or "keep them happy" or "provide opportunities" for them. In so doing, they miss out on being a contributing and valuable part of their family. Instead of being part of the Family Team, with a purpose and reason, they see the parents as their gophers who do their bidding. They are spoiled, bored and are given way more money than they should. This state of affairs is reflected in the Church, where everyone is segregated by age group and everything is made sure to be "fun" to keep them coming back.
A couple generations back, a 15 year old was capable of doing a "man's" work, even to being a major source of family financial support. My grandfather only went through the 8th grade, and after that he had to work to support his family, including his alcoholic father. He ended up founding his own business, a laundry company, and growing it to be the best in the city, and did very well. Of course there are elements of his story that are tragic and I wouldn't choose those sorts of hardships for anyone, but my point is that teens can rise to the occasion and we do a great disservice to children by stunting them with our well-meaning, but misguided, attempts to "give them everything" and keep them from hardships.
It is difficult to envision a different model of church ministry than the traditional one--grade level classes, etc. As I sit and try to think of ideas on how to integrate youth into church life, I think it needs to start when they are young, not just when they suddenly become a "teen" on their 13th birthday. What can your child do to serve at church today, now, at age 7, 10 or 13? In our home, each child begins learning to help in the family just about as soon as they can walk--a child who can pull toys out of a toy box can learn to put them back--and the helping/serving grows as they grow. We need to give children opportunities to SERVE the Lord, not just be served. One thing we do (although not very well--we should do it more often) is visit nursing homes to sing and recite poetry and Bible verses, strictly for the purpose of blessing those who live there. What are some ways children can serve at church? I'm going to start exploring this with my family today!
~Kari H.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful response Kari! I love your statement "we do a great disservice to children by stunting them with our well-meaning, but misguided, attempts to "give them everything" and keep them from hardships."
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