Great post from Lev looking at how Church percieved problems with the young people are indicative of the actual problems which affect the whole church. I also thought this quote was helpful ...........
"When leaders in churches began to see teenager's growing disinterest with the church they responded like a good mechanic: isolate and fix...but the Christian community is not a machine. In fact the "solution" of isolation created a much worse problem. Because teenagers are an integral part of the body of Christ, perhaps we would be better off to approach this problem less as a mechanic would and more as a physician would" (Family Based Youth Ministry, p43).
This effect that Lev highlights not only affects Churches but is equally true at a societal level AND goes equally un-grasped.
I don't know - could be down to approach... Isolate; take 'em off for quiet chat with no other distractions to see what the problem is... could be a fix without 'isolation' but a physician's approach could be worse; 'Well, let me see here, yes if we just cut this bit out, the rest'll get along fine...'
Isolation as a solution is to wreck havoc with the body of Christ, and this attitude is wreaking havoc with mainstream culture, as it should be modelled on the body of Christ...
Or, instead of "isolate" you could arguably read "focus" or "prioritise" - our language can reinforce a seige mentality about our work with young people, does the Church "isolate" old people? Or does it recognise their need to hang out with their peers - i.e. mid week meetings for older people, coffee mornings, trips out for the elderly to a local country park . . . a slide show of someone's stamp collection. They are doing their own thing in their peer group - and also see themselves as "the church"; cross generational relationships are vital for the health of the Church, I don't know anyone looking to employ a youth worker or where there is work going on with young people that the attitiude by "the Church" (and who is that anyway?) is to "isolate and "fix"" - as if there is something wrong being a young person. This is a myth in my experience, but a great way of getting people to buy a book.