How to engage Youths in the Church Today

How to engage Youths in the Church Today
Posted by: "Carey Suante" mailme_carey@yahoo.com mailme_carey
Fri Jul 24, 2009 4:21 pm (PDT)



One of the many hurdles faced by the Church today is the apathy of
the youths in the Bible in general and the Church in particular. This
is amplified by the Church failing to find a suitable role for them
within the establishment or its activities . Their role seems to be
confined to that of an audience to be taught to and preached at.
For the Church to engage the youths in any meaningful ways is a must
if the Church does not want to lose the next generation. This also
means the Church should consider utilising the youths and their talents
in a productive and even creative way.
Below are a few suggestions and exercises to engage the youths in the church today:
Organise Youth Choirs: This
will help the youths in spending more quality and spiritual time with
each other. Regular choirs in the church will also attract youths to
attend church. Organising choirs also will hone skills and is a
training ground for some youths to take more active part in the church.Organise Rock Bands: There
are always youths for whom choirs are simply not enough. They may be
interested in a more modern, more upbeat songs. Organising rock bands
would pique the interest of the youths and keep then engaged in
something they love within the confines of the church.Organise Interactive Sessions/Seminars:
Today, youths are more educated and aware than ever before. Their is a
natural urge for them to discuss and debate on issues that they are
confronted with today. For instance, education, employment, social
issues, pre-marital sex, live-in etc. These are naturally subjects and
issues that confront them every single day. The church should play the
guide and host such platforms where free, frank and honest interactions
take place.Ask them to share their experiences and perspectives on the Church blog/site or newsletters:
One way for the church to understand and see the youths’ views is to
ask them to share their views and perspectives and experiences with the
church. This can be done by asking the youths to speak in the church or
asking them to write for the church blog or site and/or the church
newsletter. This will bring about more understanding of where the
youths stand today and help the church deal better with the youths and
their problems and issues.Sermons should also focus on the
problems faced by the youths today (pre-marital sex, live-in, gay
marriages, career, relationship, etc): Sermons and lectures on
topics and issues which are directedly faced by the youths today would
stimulate interest and response from the youths. Tangible, practical
and easy to follow instructions and solutions to their problems or
clarifications on their doubts will help the youths immensely in their
spiritual growth. They also want to actually know where the Church
stands on issues like say, gay marriages, abortion, live-in
relationships, etc. They want clear, definitive and rationale answers
and reasons backed by concrete Biblical evidence. Not just ‘this is wrong, this is sin’, tell them why and how.Bring in young speakers and youth leaders to speak to them:
One way to reach out to the youths today is for the church to find
young speakers and youth leaders to give sermons on topics of youths’
interests. Let them see for themselve what their own generation is
doing for the church and God.
Involve the youths in the Church’s activities: The
Church have to acknowledge the fact that the youths today are creative,
informed and responsible. Let them handle the newsletters, blogs,
websites that the church has. Give them a chance to exercise their
talents for God. They will learn their trade and have fun doing what
they love – for God.
Carey Suante
New Delhi
www.csavaphual. blogspot. com
www.zoaw.info
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Messages in this topic (2)
3b.
Re: How to engage Youths in the Church Today
Posted by: "J.M. Ngul Khan Pau" jamangpau@gmail.com
Sat Jul 25, 2009 5:53 am (PDT)



Dear Carey Tuangpu

Thank you for your article on how to bring young people to the church. I
pray that our churches in India will at least see the need to focus on the
youth. Dr. Billy Graham while emphasizing on the importance of Sunday School
says "If you don't reach the children, Christianity ends with your
generation." Similarly, if we don't reach the youth, how much longer our
Christianity last?

Pau
251 N. Oakland Ave. # 4
Pasadena, CA 91101