Under 25 - back in school
and searching for answers ... what will they learn?
The shopping is done, supplies have been purchased. After a summer
that was way too short (for them!), it’s time to head back to school. Calendars
will soon be filled with after-school clubs, sports and social events.
For college students, sleeping in has been replaced by early morning classes,
followed by labs and study groups.
Ahhh, the routine of school.
And while all students will take classes that will augment the three R’s (reading, writing and arithmetic), many students are searching for learning that transcends academia. There is a heightened spiritual awareness among the generation often referred to as the Mosaic generation (don’t marketers love a label?), those born between 1984 and 2002.
Spiritually Active Youth
While many Generation Xers (such as myself) grew up thinking church was boring and irrelevant, faith and spirituality are very much on the minds of young people today. Teens are searching for answers about God, the meaning of life, and for a deeper understanding of the Ancient Scriptures.
Where are they getting their questions answered?
As a generation who has grown up with the Internet as a normal thing, many teens have turned to cyberspace for answers about religion. In a recent study by the Barna Group, an organization that has tracked the role of faith in America for the past two decades, researchers found that one out of every four teenagers had learned something about their faith or spirituality online. Some teens reported that they had a “spiritual experience” online where they connected with God.
While some teens look to the Internet for answers, others are seeking to learn about their faith in the context of relationships.
“Many of the ‘old fashioned’ ways of instruction and learning are now outdated for the current generation of learners,” said Dee Turner, a religion teacher at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School. “The students we now face on a daily basis are a new kind of learner and community member. They now have a vast amount of information at their fingertips via Internet, gaming devises, and cell phones which will answer any question in a matter of moments. With these readily available tools at hand, the under 25 group does not have a need for knowledge as did my generation. Their need is for the ‘real’. Not just information, they want interaction with people who represent something as far from Photoshop as possible.”
Pastor Craig Coulter would agree. He says that in his experience, teenagers are very active in church and seeking spirituality. “Yes, they’re seeking – but it’s in a different way,” said Coulter, who pastors the 800-member Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene. “They’re looking for a conversation of truth – not for someone to point and tell them, this is the truth; it is kind of like a journey along side of them where you allow them to ask questions.”
In a nationwide survey conducted by the Barna Group with a random sample of teenagers aged 13-18, the organization found that teenagers are very much interested in spiritual matters. In fact, the data are quite startling:
- 72% of teenagers say they pray in a typical week
- 48% attend some sort of worship service
- 33% attend youth group
- 31% read the Bible
In another document, the Barna Group explains the reason teenagers embrace spirituality: “Teenagers thrive on fresh experiences and new perspectives. The spiritual dimension gives teens a fertile ground for their explorations.”
Spirituality with Twentysomethings
Despite strong levels of spiritual activity during their teenage years, many twentysomethings disengage from the traditional church as they enter adulthood, according to another study conducted by the Barna Group. The study said, “In total, six out of ten twentysomethings were involved in a church during their teen years, but have failed to translate that into active spirituality during their early adulthood.”
Perhaps it is because of the transition to their college years, where students are often exposed to religious and political ideas that are far removed from the values instilled while they were still at home. While some may turn to church, they may not like, or even relate to what they find.
David Johnson, Pastor of Crossing Church, says that twentysomethings want more than what the traditional church is offering.
“In my experience, this generation is authentically searching for something real. They’re not looking for a 20-minute feel-good sermon, but an intimate relationship with God and others,” said Johnson, whose church meets near the UofA campus and is comprised primarily of college-age and twentysomethings.
“The twentysomethings that are hanging out with us are almost looking for liturgy from 100 years ago. They don’t want consumer Christianity. They don’t want to be entertained. They’re looking for the type of spirituality that says I’m actively savoring – complete involvement. They want in-depth sermons that are deep and theological. That’s what the college kids we’re dealing with are searching for.”
Johnson, while careful not to downplay the role that the traditional church has in many people’s lives, uses the analogy of dating and marriage. “Many today are ‘dating’ the church. But the people in our church and the twentysomethings who are Christian that we know want to be ‘married’ to it – actively involved as we become the hands and feet of Jesus,” Johnson said.
Why do younger people want to be actively involved? “I have seen this again and again,” said Johnson. “This generation in general wants to be actively engaged in their community. In August, for example, we are feeding the homeless right out of the community room where our church meets. Both Christians and non-Christian twentysomethings will join us for this. They want to be hands-on and very passionately engaged.”
Many teenagers also embrace “doing” as a part of their spirituality. “I am blessed to teach in a spiritually rich school where prayer, scripture, and a relationship with Jesus are embraced,” said Turner. “As a religion teacher, I have the opportunity to connect the teachings of Jesus to real life events, especially to global happenings. Students are taught the importance to reaching out the community and ‘making a difference’.”
“With this in place,” Dee continued, “I have known a student who, decided on his own, to have a birthday party where he asked everyone to bring money instead of gifts so he could send it to the schools in Haiti. He made over $1,500! I, also, have seen students bring in their favorite book to donate to children who lost everything in the New Orleans hurricane. I have observed the enthusiasm of a child who made a cheese sandwich for someone who was homeless. My mind is reeling with images of children who have acted as the hands and feet of Christ.”
The Role Parents Can Have in Shaping Spirituality
What can parents do to help shape the faith of their children? Dee Turner gives three points of advice.
1. Model Faith. “First of all, I see myself as the person who God has entrusted to raise ‘His’ children to someday be wonderful, contributing adults,” said Turner. “For me, it is a sacred perspective that has kept me humble. As part of this responsibility, modeling faith is the most significant contribution I can give our children at this age.”
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Turner said when she makes mistakes, for example, it is extremely important for her to show humility, forgiveness, unconditional love, as well as a passion for Jesus. “At the very least, I want our children to have been exposed to these traits so they can have some idea on how to solve their own struggles within this world.”
2. Read to Them. You might be thinking, “Read to them? They’re not in preschool!” But Turner believes that this is foundational to having spiritual conversations with your teens. “Do not stop reading to them!! This is a recommendation for them in high school, if you can get them to sit for twenty minutes or so,” she said. “Find some great classics where our faith leaders (i.e. Corrie Ten Boom, Billy Graham, and Dr. David Livingstone – to name a few) demonstrate their own personal struggles with faith and living a Christian life while going through trials.”
One of the main advantages of reading to them is that you will be able to spend quality time with them that bridges discussion. “The hope here is that open communication will emerge from these times spent together. Jesus taught His greatest lessons using stories and images; surely it is worth a try today when we what to reach our own children,” said Turner.
3. Pray for Them. “My mother prayed for me during those times of outside influences and I felt her constant prayers,” Turner said. “When I was in college, she was a little sneaky, sending me scriptures daily written on a 3x5 card. Everyday, I would post those scriptures as a reminder that she loved me so much, not realizing that the Word of the Lord was sinking into my heart inch by inch. My mother’s prayers changed my life, so from personal experience I know the power held therein.”
4. Consider Private School for Them. If you are concerned about what your student may be learning at school, consider a private or charter school that promotes the values you want for your child. Because of the Arizona Tax Credit Program, private education may be more available than you think.
The under 25-crowd is back in school. They will learn about many things that may challenge their faith and belief system. But today’s church and parents can play a large role in helping young people find answers to the questions they are seeking.
© 2008 Good News Tucson™
