Youth ministers – give the Holy Spirit a chance!
Monday, 7 Jul 2008
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My Christian tradition has not regarded the contemplative tradition in a favourable light. Misconceptions and unfounded ideas about this alien expression of being a child of God were plenty in my early independent adult years. Unknown practices and suspicion dominated any talk of contemplation, and it was generally thought of as boring, irrelevant and completely useless for youth.
I have worked in youth groups and ministries to young people for almost eighteen years, and in a professional capacity for six years. I have read a myriad of books, journal articles and conference materials about the great joy and responsibility of working with young people for and with Christ.
In a journal I came across an article by Mark Yaconelli, son of the legendary American youth ministry philosopher and guru Mike Yaconelli. He described a different way of youth ministry based on quiet and the contemplative tradition. As I read this, I found his words resonating in me as I agreed with his experiences of anxiety in traditional forms of youth ministry.
He then advocated a form of ministry where ancient Benedictine forms of prayer and presence were regular and frequent youth group activities. I recoiled in shock as I read this article through and thought that surely he could not be serious. After all, young people in my experience would run a mile before trying out an hour of silent prayer!!
I could not deny the power of his words though. I felt an inner certainty that what Mark had written about had some merit, and I purchased his book called ‘Contemplative Youth Ministry: Practising the presence of Jesus with young people.’ (SPCK: 2006) – readily available from Ridley Bookshop.
As I read through this book on the train during my Diocesan travel, I freely admit to weeping a number of times – on the train! Mark’s words and experiences echoed mine in so many ways. His openness to the new ways that were ancient seemed wise and well received by those who implemented them. As he expressed the anxieties and frustrations of so many youth ministers, I knew exactly what he was saying. He exposed my fears. He articulated my hopes for the young people. He had put his finger on what I knew was missing but could not define. He had joined the ancient traditions of the church with the 21st century and crossed so many barriers between generations and churchmanship. I had found the missing piece of the puzzle in my work as a Regional Youth Officer and as a local Youth Minister.
I felt that there was no use reading about this way without trying it out on teenagers. I’m not afraid to try new things with my youth group as they will quickly testify. So I had them in the hall and gathered them around in a rough circle. I lit a candle in the centre, turned the main lights off (leaving fringe lights on – I know my Duty of Care!) and ran a session of Lectio Divina (see page 23) although I never mentioned the name of the activity. I read through Psalm 23 aloud, slowly, three times. I will never forget the following hour and a half as a local delinquent, a very quiet girl and the others shared what words hit them powerfully from that Psalm.
I can honestly say that these two hours were as powerful and productive as any Bible Study, evangelistic rally or Alpha session I have been involved in. The young trouble-maker has been baptised (still a rebel), the quiet girl is committed to be open and strong in her faith in her school and the group has requested we do this “candle stuff” more often. Christ was known that night and lives were changed, I have no doubt. The Holy Spirit was free to move in lives and He did not need a second chance. God was glorified and He enjoyed it, I am certain.
After that, I jumped in and advertised a camp for young people focusing on contemplative practices. I made certain that this was not to be a silent retreat in the bush for two days, but that we would try out some of these ancient practices as well as having a great deal of fun together.
Nine young people gathered to experience the weekend, two of whom were adamant that they did not want to be there and were certainly no fans of this Jesus stuff. By the end of the weekend we had experienced many forms of prayer, Bible reading, a labyrinth and heaps of fun including a water fight, night games and regular teenager stuff. The whole group enjoyed the weekend, and the prayer times brought strong emotions from deep inside each of us. There were tears and laughter, anger and joy throughout the learning times and relationships between black and white, young and old, male and female were forged. The weekend was not planned to see conversions, or ‘good’ Christian young people formed, although these were the results. I did not aim to see the two hostile young people transformed, but it was obvious that God had worked in them. I let go of the usual anxieties of running a youth camp (how will they come out of the other side of this?) and let God do His work. I joined these kids on the journey and they walked with me.
I would not call my current ministry in my home Parish a “Contemplative Youth Ministry” although we certainly include regular elements of this tradition in our youth programs.
I recognize in my past ministry where I have “let go and let God”, and experienced magnificent and life-changing prayer and learning moments. Without knowing it, I have practised contemplative practices and seen God at work in them.
I still organize and run didactic teaching sessions with a degree of interactivity, planned Bible Studies and intentional discipleship for the young people in my programs. But I include ancient practices too. Why? Because they worked then, and they work now. And the kids want them.
Youth Ministry is wrought with anxieties – from the Church, the parents and the youth. Here are some generalisations from my observations:
The Church wants results. They want to see the ‘future of the Church is assured’ because the young people are seen. They want the ‘bang for their buck’ from their Stipendiary Youth Ministers. They want ‘good young people’ who will do church the way the older people do it, without expectation of change. They want themselves replicated in a world that simply isn’t there anymore.
The parents (in the Church) want results. They want their children protected from bad people, bad things and bad media. They want their children to be ‘good’, without making decisions that will harm themselves or others. They don’t want their children to drink or smoke. They want their children to have good friends. They want their children to do the ‘right thing’.
The youth can smell these anxieties. They hear them explicitly or implicitly. They sense why they are pushed into youth programs and paraded to the church. They are anxious about the burdens they haven’t asked for. They have choices to make, and they can do so without the baggage from the Church.
But when a young person enters an environment that is open to them (without judgment from people), allows them to spend time in silence (unheard of in today’s world), asking them to deeply ponder God’s Word and His love for them without being told what they should hear (considered risky) and experiences the overwhelming grace and love of Christ, how can we argue?
This is a challenging and confronting paradigm for me. It is hard for my tradition to let go of my authority and let God work in all His power in the lives of the young people I am charged by the Church to convert, grow and release into their own mission fields.
There is a balance – certainly – between letting God do everything and me controlling everything. That is why He gives us gifts and talents, and these are not to be denied. So I find the balance is laying Biblical foundations without imposing Church (dare I say Anglican) traditions on them, and allowing them to experience the power of God for themselves through the contemplative traditions.
They will learn the Prayer Book and the Anglican way – eventually. Without the knowledge of God, the love of Christ and the depth of the Holy Spirit they have nothing to hold on to as they continue on their journey in life. It is this depth that will draw young people to Christ, rather than anxiety driven ministry.
Steve Weickhardt is Youth Minister at Holy Trinity Bacchus Marsh