Lesson: Involve Me and I will Understand

INVOLVE ME AND I WILL UNDERSTAND...

by A. Allan Martin

It is an amazing phenomenon! Sometimes I amuse myself by watching the fascinating behavior of our youth group come time for Sabbath worship services. At first they come in, somewhat attending to what is going on. Then, almost instantaneously, it is like someone flipped a switch and turned something off. I call this action "zoning out." They zone out of the activity in the pulpit and engage in activity with each other, oblivious to what we call "worship." And if I am honest with myself, I really can't blame them. Sometimes I zone out too, but I prefer to call it day dreaming. Either way, I too turn off the action up front. What is the catalyst to this behavior? Why does zoning out happen?

As I wondered, I noticed that most of the participants in our worship service were male elders in the church. On occasion we may have an adult woman participant, but rarely did our youth and young adults participate in the pulpit during our regular worship services. If they did participate in regular services, it was to perform some musical skill. In addition, I found that most of the worship service was geared towards Adventist adults talking to Adventist adults. No wonder our teens tuned out of our services! They didn't want to eavesdrop on the conversations we adults were having among ourselves.

Much of our youth ministry energy goes towards developing exclusive programming and activities for teens. I know that, among some of our youth leaders, there is a strong push to have a youth church service, separate from the main service. As I talk with our youth leaders and compare notes, they too see the "zoning out" phenomenon and they hope to remedy it by "doing our own" service.

I feel that may be a useful short term solution, but my fear is for the long term. What message do we send to our youth by separating them out because our "main" worship is irrelevant to them? Further, what impact does "being separate" from the adults have on our youth? What are we communicating by this action?

Recently, we took a needs survey of our youth and young adults. The most prominent issue that emerged was their [youth and young adults'] desire to have adult church members more involved in their lives.

Another prominent issue was captured by a young person who said, "I know what I believe. The question for me is where do I fit in? Where do I belong?"

There is a Chinese proverb which says, "TELL ME AND I WILL FORGET. SHOW ME AND I MAY REMEMBER. INVOLVE ME AND I WILL UNDERSTAND."

My challenge to youth leaders is to spend some of your ministry energy integrating youth and young adults into the very core of church life. Inoculate your "main worship service" with youth and young adult participation. Place the cloak of mentorship on church elders and adult leaders, calling them into relationships with your teens and collegians. Help develop "inclusive" worship language. Involve youth and young adults in church administration, utilizing their spiritual gifts and their professional expertise. Take one or two young people under your wing, giving them the inside track on your ministry. Involve them!

I hope that by our efforts to meet this challenge, youth and young adults will not only tune in to church, but moreover they will UNDERSTAND that this is where they belong.