“The Church as you
know it is calibrated for a world that no longer exists”
– Scott Cormode,
Professor of Leadership and Development at Fuller Seminary
This last
month I been living in a whirlwind called Camp Season. I have spent one weekend
every other week for the last month and a half with students. At the beginning of February, I kicked off
camp season with a couple hundred High School youth followed by several hundred
Middle School youth at the Covenant Conference Camps in Sonora. I then rounded out the season with a small
group of Young Adults in Groveland. I
loved every minute of it. I got to see each age group worship, pray, go deep in
the word, build relationships, and commit their lives to Christ. God is doing something very special in the
lives of our young people. God is moving
mountains and our young people are responding to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But,
and it’s a very big BUT, the way in which they engage the Gospel is very
different then the way I’m used to. The
way in which the church has functioned prior, and the way in which our
structures are setup to minister to young people now.
“Just how much of what
we call church, are we willing to let go of to Follow Jesus?”
-Kendra Dean, Professor
of Youth, Church, and Culture at Princeton Theological Seminary
Our young
people aren’t stagnant learners, they are rapidly changing and growing in
response to the world around them. They
are entrepreneurs who see the world differently then either you or I do, and
they need leaders who are willing to grow with them. Fuller Youth Institute is looking at what it
means to Grow With young people. In the
new book by Kara Powell and Steven Argue, they define young adults into three
categories: Learners (13-18years old), Explorers (-23years old), and Focusers
(-29 years old). Where young people
begin and end each phase is flexible based upon the individual themselves.
Learners are: In the midst of rapid physical, emotional, relational, intellectual,
and spiritual growth and change. Learners
are increasingly aware of their abilities, flaws, and possibilities. These are our 8th to 12th
graders who are attempting to discover who they are while being whiplashed by
the ever-changing culture. They are
looking for parents & leaders to teach them. They need people to prepare them for what is coming
up, endure practicing, extend grace, intro choices, foster collaboration, and
encourage reflection. As teachers we
need to be asking, where does this child/student need feedback to help them
grow in their knowledge, habits, skills, or competencies?
Explorers are: Often venturing for the first time away from home or home oriented
routines to pursue their goals, relationships, and beliefs. Explorers feel excited about the future yet
unsure about themselves. These are
our emerging young adults who defining their identity separate from their parents. They need guides to help them navigate this
new terrain. Emerging young adults are
looking for more empathy, less “parental” control, and an increase in encouragement,
& wisdom. As Guides, we should be
asking as they grow in adulting, how can I encourage them to try on their own and
how might I encourage them to reflect on their past, present, or future?
Focusers are: Have developed a clearer sense of who they are and have likely made
educational, vocational, and relational choices that set them on particular trajectories. Most focusers feel on track with life. Yet others still feel behind. These are our career focused young adults who
don’t need us to lead them as teachers or walk beside them as guides, but
instead we intersect with them as resources during critical points in their
lives. Leaders and parents might ask who is another adult whose perspective
would be beneficial or how might I help them to think about their situation
from a broader perspective?
Growing with
students is discovering how to support your kid or the student you have
influence over as they live into who God has called them to be. It’s about learning to walk with your
kid/student and not away from. So, how
will you Grow With your student?
“At
any life stage, we are either growing or stagnating. In any family’s journey, we are relationally
either growing together or growing apart…. theologically faith is a verb; it is
something we exercise so that it continues to grow. By faithing, we mean a child’s growth in
owning and embodying their own journey with God as they encounter new
experiences and information”
- Growing With, By Kara Powell and
Steven Argue
Resource // Growing With by Kara Powell and
Steven Argue
