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May 17, 2006
Kenda Creasy Dean
Kenda presented a well constructed theory that all young people are intuitive theologians, that their lives demonstrate a search for Fidelity, Transendence and Communion. That at a pre-conscious level there is a search for a salvation figure, a quest that's acted on without thought. This exploration was well backed up with film, story and example and was an insightful analysis of the passion and quest of adolescence.
A Study of young people and religion from the States had produced the following (my note form)
1.Teenagers are not hostile towards religion (not rebellion, actually they don’t care …. It’s off the radar screen) ‘benign whateverism
2. Teenagers faith mirrors their parents faith
3. Teenagers are incredibly inarticulate about religion (but are incredibly articulate on other stuff)
4. A 40% minority say that religion is important to them and makes a difference in their lives (although only about 8% we would recognise as devout)
5. Most teenagers adhere to Moralistic Therapeutic Deism as their unacknowledged religious creed.
This fifth point of teenagers ascribing to a Moralistic Therapeutic Deism was an important one and its creed was expressed thusly:
God exists and watches over life
God wants us to be good
The central goal of life is to be happy
God doesn’t need to be involved in my life unless I need God to solve a problem
Good peoplel go to heaven
But this is not the God we know, the God of relationship, the God of suffering love. So where have young people picked this theology up from. Explored how much of it actually mirrors what they see in christians?
Challenging question: How much of our ministry could quite easily happen without Jesus?
Kenda then explored some of the Rocks that make a difference:
1. A creed to believe …………… A God worth worshipping
2. A community to belong to ……….. Who has the sense that they belong
3. A call to live out (a sense of meaning and purpose)
4. A hope to hold onto (an explicit eschatology)
and further to this, talked about our role of helping young people have a language to explore faith. Using this metaphor there was a call too ...
Teach the grammar of Christ
Surround youth with those who talk to God, who speak the faith, who tell the stories … who live baptismal lives.
Foster Faith fluency
Immerse youth in a baptismal community where people practice dying and rising in Christ
Practice Diction
Create opportunities for youth to participate in the baptismal life of ministry … to claim God’s call for themesleves
Keep your accent
Live advent lives alongside youth ….marked by un-anxious, expectant, and articulate presence
I'm not sure these brief notes do the day justice, it was a critically important day for me in terms of the way that we do youth ministry and the way we view young people.
Posted by ian at May 17, 2006 9:12 AM