Lifelong Faith
Worth Your Time!
Resource Recommendations to Help You Parent and Mentor Most Effectively
This Week's Recommendation:
"The Next Generation: Forming Middle and High School Students for Lifelong Faith"
As In Heaven Podcast Episode Featuring Cameron Cole
June 28, 2023
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Also Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Etc.
".The reality is the world, from the time that they're 12 on... YouTube is not treating them as children... TikTok's not treating them as children... Social media... School's not treating them as children... These kids are being confronted with real adult conversations, younger and younger every year. And so as the church, that's where we have to be able to step into that gap and say, 'We're not going to treat you as children either. We're going to actually engage here.'"
Why It's Worth Your Time
If you're reading this, I'm guessing there are specific young people in your life who you hope will have lifelong faith. Yet studies show that we are in the midst of a "Great Dechurching," in which large numbers of "Christian" youth leave the church after high school. This podcast examines what's causing that and what parents and other adults can do to help students develop lifelong faith.
How To Use It
This might seem obvious, but take the time to listen to this all-around excellent podcast episode. They squeeze in a lot of practical and very valuable research-based content about multiple topics, including (but not limited to):
doubt and engaging teens intellectually
youth sports and the impact on lifelong faith
why young people stay involved in (or leave) the church
the importance of intergenerational connections
when kids/youth should be in the adult worship service
After you listen to it, write down 3 "takeaways" that you want to put into practice or think more about this week.
Intentionally engage with one teen or preteen this week.
To those of you who think your lack of "coolness" prevents you from engaging effectively with teens... Engage with them anyway! I'm not "cool" either. I know you're all shocked by that, which is totally understandable, but it's really true. I've never seen a Marvel movie, and I haven't seen a superhero movie in general since the Michael Keaton Batman movie in 1989. The only song on the current Billboard Hot 100 list that I've heard is Luke Combs' remake of Fast Car (one time playing in the background at euchre night at the local American Legion), and I don't even recognize the names of most of the artists (yes, I do know who Taylor Swift is...). I don't follow the NBA, NFL, NHL, or MLB - if a player doesn't have a huge contract or hasn't led their team to a championship, I've probably never heard of them. Yet in spite of all this, here we are, entering my 25th year working with youth. As Cameron Cole says in the podcast, "Kids are way more interested in a person who is comfortable in their own skin, not trying too hard to be impressive or cool, and someone who listens to them, and who asks them engaging questions about their life, and pursues them, and just genuinely cares. That trumps being cool, being relevant, everyday." So just do it. You're cool enough.
Check out all the other parenting and youth ministry resources offered by Rooted Ministry to help build lifelong faith in the teens you care about! In the youth ministry world, they're one of the most well-known and well-respected organizations.
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