Teen Church
© 01.10.07 By Cynthia Clearwater

It is rare to find a teenager taking part in his or her church with any real enthusiasm. Mostly you will see young people attending church because it's a social time for them; they can be found sitting around and goofing off with their peers while a harried youth pastor tries to outline a lesson that should have been taught to the second graders.

Parents drag their teens along to Sunday morning services (because it's the right thing to do), hoping something will actually penetrate someday. Then its off to college and church was that place they went once when they were four - or at least that's how they remember it.

As shopworn as it may sound, today's Christian youth are the future of the Church in America. When they are not interested in the things of the Church then it seems that that future is a dark one.

Why is there this disinterest in the Christian faith in general, and Church in particular? Well, church isn't ‘cool' - just a lot of old people and little kids. To many boring sermons, lots of hard to understand words. All right, we have done our best to remedy that. Youth programs are as important to most churches as the actual service. Nothing very profound is taught because that would be boring and oh-so-very-long. Instead they discuss things like, ‘why you shouldn't take a long drive with your boyfriend at ten clock Friday nights' amid torrents of giggles. Only they would shorten the up the title to about three words of one syllable each just to make sure everyone understood. Then they have extra curricular activities: slumber parties, camp outs, volleyball. Soon you wonder if this is Church or high school. Some kids come at least one Sunday out of the month to find out about the upcoming activities but their commitment to Church on the whole is pretty much zilch. So it hasn't worked. Cooler and ‘funner' it is - by most standards - but church is still the last thing on the list.

Something very strange happened awhile ago. I visited a church that has young people in attendance. No, there were no youth programs. The teens didn't gather in the back of the church to take up the last two rows of pews, laughing and talking all the way through the service. In fact, it took me some time to realize that there were a considerable number of young adults there at all. In looking for the typical "teen attitude" I missed them, they blended with mature adults so well.

After listening to an in-depth and pertinent sermon (lots of words more than one syllable) I was even more mystified. After church the teenagers mingled with the adults (instead of just their peers), speaking with intelligence of subjects of some content. Amazing.

What was it about this church that could invite such dedication from an age group that is known for its inability to focus on anything other than themselves for more then a few minutes? When I found the answer I must say I was a little disappointed. It is so simple.

The agenda we have created to attract teens is the very thing that drives them away. Oh sure, they come if they have nothing else to do. Who would pass up free food and a chance to watch movies with their friends? But when it goes beyond that it's just plan stupid. It's shallow and cheap, certainly not helpful. I'm not saying that each and every youth program out there is this way but I'd say 90 percent are.

If we want our teenagers to grow up, why do we treat them like small children when in reality they are young adults? At this very important age, when they need something of substance to help them deal with new and increasing difficulties in life, we give them a vague and watered down presentation of Christianity. It is, in truth, the vigor and stability of a well structured, doctrinally sound church that is attractive to young people who are looking for meaning. The church has lowered its head, taken a step back, and when the young want to be a part of something that's alive they go elsewhere. America's teenagers are not stupid. They can play the game to get the treats but what they are really looking for has lost its place in the Church of America.