How can religious institutions meet the need of young adolescents for worthwhile activities?
Many families who are considering joining a new church make their choice on the basis of what the particular congregation can offer young people. Youth ministries is of concern and interest to prospective members. Although formal Christian education programs provide essential grounding for an individual's religious heritage, effective religious youth programs respond to a broad range of young adolescents' needs.
What are the characteristics of strong, exemplary religious youth programs? Successful religious youth programs are those that respond sensitively and effectively to the varied needs of young adolescents.
The program provides a comfortable setting in which young people can explore the basis of their religious faith.
The nature of the program's physical, social and emotional setting conveys a congregation's attitude towards the way young people learn and grow. The setting should reflect the congregation's support for a strong youth program that has an integral, important relationship to formal Christian education and the total life of the congregation. Ideally the physical setting for the program should be designated for use by young people, but not segregated from the congregation. In other words, it should be distinct but not disconnected. Youth groups should have social activities of their own, but they should also be a part of the congregation's social life. The youth group should foster a sense of autonomy in the exploration of religious life, without sacrificing a feeling of being supported and valued by the congregation.
The program connects religious traditions with varied opportunities for self discovery and self-definition.
Young adolescents want to know how to express religious beliefs in their own lives. Some may gain that knowledge through study, others through service, and still others through social contact. An individual may thrive on meditative study one day and may be restless for social activity the next. Thus, although the traditional formats may sometimes suit some adolescents, many young people also learn to value religious beliefs by developing friendships with others of their faith, by participating in youth activities, by singing in a choir or by helping a shut-in. Others may learn through more solitary activities that allow for personal expressiveness, like designing a banner or keeping a journal.
A good youth program should relate religious traditions-worship, study and service-to the need for self-discovery and self-definition that is characteristic of young adolescents. Effective religious youth groups recognize, respect and support the strengths in individual differences, and plan activities that accommodate this diversity.
The program involves both young people and their parents to foster mutual understanding.
Young adolescents' continuing need for parental affection, support and help can be met in part by a religious program that involves parents. The time parents spend driving, preparing meals or supervising specific activities reflects one level of their commitment and involvement. But parents are in a special position to support the spiritual growth of their adolescent children in other ways as well. The kinds of questions young people often raise about religious beliefs or religious observances can be disquieting for many families. Opportunities for young people and their parents to come together in a supportive environment to discuss religious values strengthen parents' ability to continue to guide and nurture spiritual growth.
Youth leaders can be helpful to parents who want to understand this special time of life. With appropriate training and insight into the vicissitudes of mid-life and adolescence, youth leaders can help families grow towards mature adult relationships.
The program is guided by mature adults who are comfortable with young people and are willing to explore sensitive issues with them.
Although friendships with peers become important during young adolescence, adults are important sources of values and guidance. Adults who work with young people must enjoy the age group, be sensitive to their concerns and be willing to discuss the issues that are crucial to their changing identities.
However wide the "generation gap" may seem at times, young adolescents essentially like and respect adults. They want to build relationships with adults, now instead of, but in addition to, their parents. New adult friendships give young teenagers some perspective on the variability of adult lifestyles, careers and beliefs.
Religious youth workers can be uniquely helpful to adolescents and their parents. Often trusted and admired by both groups for their religious values and their maturity, youth workers can help bridge the gap between the gradual loosening of family ties and the development of relationships in the larger community. A youth worker can be a trusted adult friend in whom a young person can confide or with whom it is safe to discuss questions about human sexuality, faith or ethics.
Mature adult leaders are also aware that they cannot solve all problems or be the only source of guidance for a young person. They should be able to identify and suggest other community resources that are valuable to teenagers, such as counseling services, tutoring programs, health clinics, libraries or recreation centers. Knowing what is important to young adolescents, how to communicate with them and how to earn their respect make the adult leader an important part of their lives.
Ceremonies such as Confirmation, which acknowledge the completion of a phase of Christian education and entrance into adult status in a congregation, frequently take place during young adolescence. For many religious youth, these ceremonies represent a commitment to a particular religious heritage and the ability to assume more responsibility within the congregation These ceremonies mark the rite of passage that. They can also demonstrate both occurs through adolescence. They can also demonstrate both achievement and competence.
An effective youth program should build on such congregational ceremonies by encouraging participants to regard them as the beginning of an active role in community life. Some congregations offer young people the opportunity to take a leadership role in community worship, as acolytes, readers, intercessors, or chalice bearers. No matter what the task, it must be one that fulfills a genuine need in the congregation.
A striking characteristic of young adolescents is their spirit, their energy, sensitivity and humor. Young people need to channel their high levels of energy through both organized and spontaneous physical activities. These activities also help the participants overcome shyness or self consciousness. Although examining and understanding religious beliefs requires time for contemplation, serious and concentrated attention, programs should also provide opportunities for play and laughter.
The program encourages mutual acceptance and friendship among the young people.
A youth program can help young people learn to make fiends. Within the supportive atmosphere of the group, they can test social behaviors and learn what is acceptable to others. They can develop poise and comfort in social situations, learning when it is right to go along with the group and when it is important to act independently.
