Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1990. It demanded technical, scientific answers to questions of faith and science. They dont know the difference between a tenet from the Bible and a sonnet from Shakespeare. Although the web has the potential to unite people across geographical distances, the web can also be a place of loneliness, manipulation, exploitation, and violence, up to the extreme case of the dark web. Young people are aware that risks are out there: the duplicity of technology, however, becomes evident when it leads to the development of certain vices. Have the youth read Acts 5:25-42. The liquid society could easily be more solid if young people can find ways to resist individualism, especially in the form of physically moving away, and embrace the opportunity not only to stay attached to their family and parish, but to transform them into even more vibrant places of community, connectedness, reconciliation, worship and Christian service. But not impossible. Why do we do it then? Another risk is withdrawing into an illusory and ephemeral happiness that leads to forms of addiction (#58). Well the truth of the matter is it is absolutely true. These form of violence could happen anywhere ranging from the school environment, school sponsored events and outside the school premises. George Barna. Modernism lent itself to memorisation, rote learning, recall, focus, hard and long hours of learning, long school hours (including Sunday School) and great discipline (getting up early spending hours in Gods word). 4. Teens reaching other teens create an atmosphere of trust and affirmation that enables young people who might not otherwise hear a gospel message to hear, and relate, and find release18. The youth constantly looks up to the Church for directions, support and encouragement while the Church needs the Youth for continuity and effective movement. The next question to be asked is: Do we say to new converts simply Love God and forget all else? No, because thats not the complete picture of Christian discipleship, but it is a great place to start. One of the chief characteristics of modernism was the elevation of the individual. Chicago: Moody Press, 1996. . Why? Just as it cant be linked within a specific age, its end thereof cannot be linked to a specific activity or what the individual has failed to do. Challenges facing youth today in church Therefore, school violence may be explained as physical attacks which occur between students or by students to teachers or teachers to students. The Soul Survivor9 movement in the UK is a good example of this. 1. Instead of mourning the past lets capture the present and use it for the education in Christian values of young people according to the tenor of the times. On a personal positive note, while the members of my local assembly in Liverpool, UK have not met physically since 22 . The distance between us will quickly begin to thin out our relationship. Traditional denominations are losing members, on average 19% between 1980 and 1991. They do not care who shot J.R. and have no idea who J.R. is. 7. 8. A total of 54% of the population (some 21,929,512 young people) is under the age of 25 years. Problems of youth and their solutions Essay. Staylessed man of God. Since the outbreak of the pandemicmore than ever beforeinternet-mediated technology now defines how people engage for good or for ill. The youth feels the church. This decline is in spite of the tremendous growth of so called mega-churches in most of these denominations. In 1998, Bill Price and Associates completed a Profile of South African Youth and Family, using a statistical base of over 3,000 South African young people between the ages of 13 and 27. One of the greatest challenges facing Christendom in the twenty-first century will be our response as a community of faith to the multitude of ethical dilemmas already emerging in general society. Grenz. Musicians make use of drugs and sometimes use it to avoid stage fright and to suppress stress. 6. The result is broken marriages, broken politics, broken cities, a broken culture, and broken human beings. But how did traditions slip away? Required fields are marked *. Abstract. Practical Theology & Missiology Department, University of Stellenbosch, available on-line: http://home.pix.za/gc/gc12/papers/p1008.htm. Why memorise when its on-line? 1. In these challenges lies hidden an authentic call of the Holy Spirit to rediscover the Before then, they always return false. Note: This syllabus is in the process of being further developed by the author. Dr Jay Kesler, quoted in Dean Borgman. The impact of social media in the lives of young people cannot be understated (#34). . The census results are available on-line at: http://www.statssa.gov.za/census96/HTML/default.htm. Individuality in the midst of community will be paramount in worship. Because it is the world view that is defining next centurys generation of young people (to whom we will refer as Generation 21) young people who are going to be. Required fields are marked *. Youth unemployment: As the name implies, it means the state where youths cannot find work to do in their communities or nation or there are no job placements available for the youths. Amongst other things a youth worker is a missionary, a pastor and a social worker20. Also see: Important lessons to learn in your 20s to be successful. But How can a Christian person want to remain in a culture that appears sinful? is a frequently asked question. Having a significant if not more number of youths in the society could negatively impact the economic growth of the nation, and if not checked, could cause serious economic repercussions because youths who are unemployed often tend to feel left out, leading to social exclusion, lack of hope for the future and anxiety. 1. Sexual purity in a society where pressure and temptation exists. Ecumenism. We say easily not because it will be without difficulty but rather because the solutions are pretty basic and will take little more than intentional effort, conscious understanding and a willingness to adapt. Your email address will not be published. on. 13.The difficulties and the questioning which religious life is experiencing today can give rise to a new kairos, a time of grace. When Khumbaya is not Enough : A Practical Theology for Youth Ministry. Culture is after all only culture we must recognise this fact if we are to incarnate Christ. The discipline of sociology has researched the consequences of social disconnection by compiling a body of work based on Emile Durkheims question (a founding father of sociology)what is the optimal level of social connectedness? Communication is multi-threaded to them, and interactive multi-media is king. Moreover, in physically leaving family and parish to sink temporary roots somewhere else, often far away, sociologists have found that ones familial and communal narratives or stories slowly fade as well. More details available at: http://www.youth.co.za/census. This and other factors like lack of educational and economic opportunities would leave the youths frustrated and idle and unable to participate in any major political activities. The church of the twenty-first century needs to be a warm, welcoming and loving family. The Bible is not directive and/or silent on may of the social and ethical issues with which we are confronted today. 4.Facing failure. . When we set a series of outward behaviours and actions as the standard, we introduce cultural perspectives and biases (or traditional expectations). St. Rita Catholic Church. Now as a third step, we look to the vertical dimension love your neighbour. When listed like this, it is quickly apparent that being a disciple of Christ when you have had no previous Christian grounding or experience, is really a tall order, and a daunting prospect. 10. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Youth workers need to give themselves as well, and in so doing earn the right to share the gospel with young people. Postmodernism is characterised by paradox, especially in its expression. What will happen to a generation that has become violence saturated? I will not see him every week at Church or in our golf league or at other local community events. (31) 3351-3382 | 3351-3272 | 3351-3141 | 3351-3371. umaine career center staff associe-se. Biblical Foundations 2.1 Biblical Precedent 2.2 Incarnational Theology 2.3 Relational Method 2.4 Holistic impact 2.5 Further Theological and Practical Reflection 2.6 Cultural Barriers of the Church over against the Youth Culture 2.7 A Vision of Renewal by Reaching the Youth Generation 3. The youth are faced with so many challenges and difficulties that it almost makes it hard for them to function well in the society, some of these challenges are: 1. Clem Sunter. The study of young adults focused on those who were regular churchgoers Christian church during their teen years and explored their reasons for disconnection from church life after age 15. As the liturgist Timothy OMalley recently wrote: liquid modernity reveals not a multiplicity of meta-narratives, opening up a space for religiosity. An example going to movies and wearing make-up in the early part of the century were thought to be sinful, unchristian behaviour. A church which has no input into the social life and welfare of the community is a church that is out of touch, and perceived to be out of touch, with the very people it claims to serve. The Battle for a Generation: Capturing the Hearts of Our Youth. An Overview: Youth are today's church! Thats a big job which needs great skill. They always put up a struggle in other to gain the recognition and respect of public officials and are always seen in the light of lacking the required skill and experience required for the political task ahead. They flit from one TV channel to the next, watching three or more shows simultaneously. Death of the Church. Cell-phones are normal. She is not alone. S.J. What does it mean to be radically different? The AIDS epidemic has not begun to take its toll. This will be most fully seen in worship, which to truly touch postmodern Christians will need to be eclectic. If the churchs role is to spread the Gospel, using limited resources, then it makes the most sense to maximize those resources by using them where they are most likely to be effective: that is, in youth ministry, or on things that affect young people. Cape Town: Human & Rousseau, 1999. In our society today, youth are seen in the streets abusing drugs while it has lead to the mental disability of many. Dr Jurgens Hendriks is chairman of the DRC mega-church research group, investigating the reasons that some 80 DRC churches have been able to successfully expand in size when the denomination itself declined significantly between 1985 and 1996. Its arduous to seek out educated folks on this topic, however you sound like you know what youre talking about! Bauman, in other words, interprets the present cultural context as a sociological and cultural liquefaction where it is now the facility with which things can be turned upside down, disposed of and abandoned that is valued most . Generation 21 is going to live through the deaths of their friends over and over again in the next century. 23. Bill Price and Associates3, doing similar research in South Africa, have found the statistics to be slightly better in South Africa, with only 1 in 3 young people currently experiencing family breakdown, yet the trend is downwards. Young people in the twenty-first century will know more and have access to vastly greater quantities of information than ever before. In every generation, all over the world young Christians face challenges. So what does it mean? The church in South Africa needs to envision a youth ministry culture in which qualified men and women in significant numbers make a career out of youth ministry, either in the context of the local church or through para-church agencies (specialist service agencies). 5. It is the context in which we will work to a greater extent as the years roll on. Soaring educational costs, often financed with student loans that create massive debt traps, soaring house prices in recent years which exclude first time home owners, and the increase in government benefits to older generations add to the financial fears of Generation 21. As a baby boomer, the question I would like to ask todays youth: What is so bad about staying put? The use of drugs is constantly promoted in movies and in music productions making it look appealing to the youths. Share with them these 10 Challenges for the Church of the Twenty-First Century. Communication among young people on the web is cultic in that it promotes only speaking to those who are similar to you. 2. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. With the birth increase and poor economic planning, the rate of unemployment of the youths would increase in the future if care is not taken. Christians everywhere must be prepared to give an answer for their faith in a gracious and humble manner. Ironically, this whole process of familial, social, and spiritual disconnection and dispersion sets one on an unconscious quest for exactly what one has walked away fromfamily, parish community, tradition, ritual practices, a place to belong. Challenges and Lessons Learned from Mentoring. They have always been able to fax. It is a direct descendant of the existentialism of the late nineteenth century where the affective took precedence over the cognitive. Challenges Facing Youth by Edward P. Mulvey, Ph.D. University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine With the increased attention on the rates of serious juvenile crime in the late 1980s and early 1990s, legislatures around the country passed new laws making it easier to transfer youth to adult courts. Ultimately there is nothing sacrosanct about our worship services. In the nineteenth century there was a golden age of mission as new frontiers were opened, difficult languages learnt and Scriptures translated. 18. Why do you have to move to prove who you are or find your identity? Pastors will be teachers and disciplers, preparing the congregation for the work of the ministry. New York: Vintage, 1993. Many of these studies document the consequences of such separation as mostly detrimental to individual and communal well-being. This compares unfavourably with an estimated 1 000 full time youth workers around South Africa. A friend, ministering at a small church in KwaZulu-Natal, recently spoke to one of his congregation, letting her know that his sermon topic for the coming Sunday was on Samson and Delilah. I say conformingbecause as the late sociologist Robert Bellah often commentedin doing ones own thing one is not being different or radical but merely conforming to the American cultural value system of individualism (for most are doing the same thing). I remember telling They are in need of models, of examples in their life, not just words. Not so on the eve of the third millennium how much more so for Generation 21? Such a culture requires a considerable infra-structure; and more importantly, such an infra-structure needs to be informed and influenced by thinkers whose ideas and writings maintain a sharp edge. Ministry in a postmodern context requires us to once again find the Biblically mandated community/relational approach to ministry. "Sexual and financial scandals; a clergy ill-prepared to engage effectively with the young; the passive role assigned to the young within the Christian community; the Church's difficulty in explaining her doctrine and ethical positions to the society can understandably discourage the youth." A focus on family education, the family as a little church. The Disillusioned Generation. The percentage whites who associated with Christian churches dropped from 92% to 78%, and coloureds from 87% to 64%. Pastors, youth workers, parents, teachers all complain of the same malaise young people are functionally biblically illiterate. The aims include to redefine marriage and. It has declined since then. The security measures of the school should be up to date in other to enable them carry out their activities effectively and they should always be present in schools and school sponsored events to ensure that the students are rid of their weapons and that they do not perpetrate any form of violence at the school functions. Programme centred evangelism will focus on the production of quality programmes with the intention of drawing large crowds of young people. 17. They have likely never played Pac Man and Star Wars looks very fake. What one consistently notices is that while it takes different strategies to reach different kids (unchurched, churched, urban , rural, leaders, followers etc), most of them can be reached if one person whom they trust builds tight community (close relationships) with them. Yet the document admits that even parishes have been affected by this liquidity in that sometimes, parishes are no longer places of connection (#21). Samuel is bent on changing the legal profession by building Web and Mobile Apps that will make legal research a lot easier. In the nineteenth century bar room tunes were retained and excellent hymns written to the same tunes. As such, it reaches out to people at the point of their need, allowing the material and physical response to bear testimony to a spiritual solution. This is relational evangelism. Abortion, homosexuality, poverty, capitalism, gender, sexuality, genetical engineering, affirmative action, revolution, ethnic cleansing are all old issues which will assume greater significance as the new century dawns. CHALLENGES OF THE 21ST CENTURY CHRISTIAN YOUTHS AND THE WAY OUT RESULT OF THE CHALLENGES: The Word of God warns that in the last days many professing believers in Christ will be "Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof" (2Tim.3:5). What it doesnt mean is outward conformity to a previously agreed upon set of standards (action and conduct) for Christian behaviour. An Accepting and Nurturing Environment. One of the problems of youth work in general and South African youth work in particular is that statistics of these sort are not available. rather than a bus stop while waiting to move on to more mature pursuits. Living in an anti-Christian culture. Young people who come to faith need help recognising the current world view for what it is not wrong, not always helpful, but definitely there. Students do not wake up on a beautiful morning to choose school violence. In an article titled, What are the 10 Biggest Challenges Christian Youth Face Today, posted on Search the Scriptures (3-15-12), Drew Kuehl wrote these answers: Personalizing and living out their faith.