#kendadean

[perksofbeingalez]

I guess you can say my first time at #gnjac2017 was a success. Met one of my academic celeberties and talked to her about how influencial and amazing her book Almost Christian is. Got to take a selfie with my amazing DS whom I'm so excited to be working for/with! Was able to participate in RMN's communion service. And was able to spend 2 days with my best friend and her fiance!! #KendaDean #RMN #annualconference #AlmostChristian

[stucrawshaw]

Churches Learn From Young People Too

This week I had the privilage to teach for one afternoon at the 2014 Anglican Youth Works Intensive in Sydney. We had a great class talking about the different ways people view adolescence. While some adults see the teenage years in negative terms, we discussed some of the enormous positive contributions that young people have made in history. We looked especially at the wonderful fresh expressions of Church that young Christians have initiated over the years. 

Youth Ministry Author and Professor Kenda Dean sees that the Church can learn from the experience of young people. I agree. Young people are often at the leading edge of cultural change in society. Young Christians are uniquely placed to pioneer fresh expressions of Church that engage with their culture. A good example of this is the Jesus Movement that began in the late 1960's. The Jesus People used rock and folk music to engage with the emerging Baby Boomer generation. Some of their new ideas eventually found their way into the established church. 

I call this the shock absorber effect. Ever since the Industrial Revolution 200 years ago, ministries to young people have been among the first to respond to cultural change and pass on their lessons to the broader church. Youth Ministry is like a shock absorber in a car that absorbs the bumps and pot holes on the road and allows for a smoother ride. New youth ministry expressions can absorb the initial shocks of cultural change and transfer them more gradually into the rest of the church.

However it can take quite some time for adults to learn the lessons of youth ministry. Initially the guitars and drums of the Jesus movement were viewed with suspicion by concerned adults who were used to singing only traditional Hymns in Church. It was only after a number of years that rock music became normal in many churches. A problem with the shock absorber is that by the time the church has responded to a cultural change the broader society has already moved on to the next new thing, meaning the church becomes perpetually out of date.

During the Youth Works intensive we discussed the benefits that flow when churches create spaces for young and old to come together in a Biblically based conversation about how to share the Gospel in a changing culture. Proximity between the generations allows for a more rapid response to cultural change and a more measured one. The wisdom of age is still valuable in a fast changing world and can compliment rather than quash the enthusiasm of youth. I believe intergenerational spaces in our churches are places where we can explore fresh expressions of Church in a rapidly changing world together.