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Why Young People Choose Christianity
by Sean Marston, Champion for Youth and Young Adults
20 February 2009 Recently I have been reading a few articles about what actually brings young people into a relationships with Jesus Christ. We all know that a lot of youth ministry revolves around programmes. There are social programmes, Bible studies, worship, camps, sports, youth services and many other types of programmes. These are aimed at connecting with young people, about providing them with opportunities for them to understand the Gospel, work their faith out and relate to others in a safe Christian environment. These are important ways in order to provide a basis for developing youth ministry. It is hoped that these programmes help young people understand the Christian faith, explore it and work their faith out. I wonder (sometimes) whether in fact all the teaching and working out of the faith doesn't impact young people as much as we would like to think. I think programmes provide the structure in which young people get immersed in the Christian faith and how to live as a Christian but the actual decision to live as a Christian has to do with something different. We all know they understand the Christian faith and what it means but what does it take to help young people to choose the Christian faith as they get older. I think it has more to do with young people feeling that there are people who are there to care for them and to enter their world that actually makes the most difference. A quote from a youth worker in the Philippines sums it up for me: Sometimes, I get the feeling that it’s not really what I tell them in Bible study that makes the difference but it’s the fact that I’m still THERE, attending church and caring enough to get involved in their lives. I believe that we need programmes for youth (who have social, intellectual, physical and spiritual needs) but it is the fact that people enter their world that actually becomes the key for them choosing Christ. The problem is that often it is far easier to get people to run programmes than it is to get people to give up their time and open their lives to young people. Comment on this post: Email sean.marston@sim.org 
 
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Youth and Young Adults
Champion: Sean Marston Sean Marston’s 22 years in youth ministry (part of that time as Short-Term Mission Coordinator for SIM New Zealand) have informed his passion for reaching those growing up in a “post-mission and post-church environment.” View all blog entries filed under Youth and Young Adults |
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