The latest edition of MacLean's magazine has a cover article called OMG! What Happened to Teenagers? It is a wide-ranging look at teen trends in Canada near the end of this first decade of a new millenium. According to extensive polls they are drinking less, smoking less, and having less sex. Since these are often major areas of concern for parents, the rushing sound we are hearing may be a collective sigh of relief.
The section which grabbed me was entitled Teens Lose Faith in Droves. The number of teenagers identifying themselves as Christian has dropped by nearly 50% since 1984, and Protestants have fared even worse. This number has plummeted from 35% of the Canadian teen population to 13% during the same period. I am glad the United Church numbers weren't included because I have no doubt they would have been even bleaker. The report does say that there are now more Muslim teens in Canada than Anglican, United, and Baptist combined. About a third of Canadian teens are now in the category of "no faith at all."
I often wonder how it is that we continue to pour money into the maintenance of aging and often redundant church buildings, yet devote so little in the way of financial resources in youth ministry. We made the decision to call a minister of youth development two years ago, but it has been a challenge to convince the very households for which we are providing this ministry to support it financially. It's fine to show up asking for baptism, but what about the promises to raise these children as Christians?
My own experience working with teens is that they ask profound questions of faith on their journey to personal and spiritual maturity. They are complex, sometimes confused, and marvellous human beings. We need to develop a renewed conviction that a personal Christian experience and Christian values make a difference in the lives of our young people.
Where are you in all this?
1 comment:
....worried. At times I feel very old fashioned as a Mom who has stayed at home to raise her kids in a family that goes to church each Sunday. As I see the aging population of church congregations and its volunteers,I wonder how church will be able to remain relevant, and available to our kids and their kids. Change is required for certain, and yes too many buildings put such time and money stresses on shrinking congregations that I can see why newcomers may turn and run the other way, unfortunately missing out on the work and finacial commitments also means missing out on the worship and learning and loving and growing and sharing that happens every week in our old church buildings also. The problem is not all about buildings though...something of a.. you can bring a young horse to water but how do you get him to drink it,like his grandpa did? The world seems to be changing faster than ever and we mainline (?) churches aren't keeping up. Change implies risk but I dare say not so great a risk as the status quo. For the sake of my kids and their kids,I do worry.
Post a Comment