Senior High Ministry

Hey Parents!! Here is a great article for you to read!!! Very interesting article on Senior High teens. This section of the article was taken from the "Fuller Youth Institute" website. To view the entire article, please click on the link.

http://fulleryouthinstitute.org/2005/09/youth-ministry-in-an-age-of-delayed-adulthood/

Middle Adolescence (Senior High Ministry)

1. The importance of friendships. They've always been an important aspect of the high school world. But for middle adolescents—who live in a culture where adult systems have abandoned them to discover rules, norms, values, and lifestyle choices on their own—friends play a far more significant role in their lives than in previous decades. This is no longer about "cliques"—it's about tribal-like clusters of four to eight friends who're almost like family in each other's eyes. To attempt to break down a student's tribe is to misunderstand how important it is to that student. We must understand and honor the sociological reality of clusters. The days when friendships were simply cliques are long gone.

2. Family still matters, but in a different way. A common myth in youth ministry is that teenagers want to "separate" from their families during adolescence. This is an incomplete and possibly dangerous point of view. Kids don't want to leave their families behind, even if they sometimes say it. They long to find themselves and make their own decisions while still being connected to their families! This balance is delicate for the healthiest of families, and youth workers must work to help families during these times of struggle.

3. Huge swings in commitment levels are normal. Thirty years ago, when high school students made a commitment—to Christ, to friends, to church—that meant they could be trusted to at least attempt to fulfill the terms of that commitment. But today commitment is filled with exceptions, excuses, reasons, and blaming. It's not the idea of commitment that's changed—studies show that kids still know the basic definition of commitment—it's the application of commitment that's become extremely difficult for middle adolescents to handle.

This new phase of the adolescent journey is perhaps the most difficult, for the push and pull of being stuck between child and adult with no light at the end of the tunnel creates a moral desert for someone still so far removed from a clear sense of who they are. This is a time to learn from the swings—in emotion, in loyalties, and in commitments. Youth workers must allow middle adolescents to be middle adolescents, and not try to force them into superficial or feigned levels of premature commitment and responsibility.

4. The need for immediate perceived relevance in all aspects of the program. Because they are "middle," abstract teaching and concepts must be grounded in perceived reality and everyday experience. Teaching on sexuality, for instance, cannot only focus on the "wait" idea but also on the immediate consequences of violating God's plan for human sexuality. Practicing the essence of the Christian faith is the name of the game for this stage. Loving relationships, experiencing God through spiritual disciplines, serving the poor and oppressed—these are the most helpful ways to communicate the gospel to the middle adolescent.

5. Every kid needs an older friend/mentor. Because many kids today feel abandoned by adult systems and relationships, they need older friends. They do need guides, coaches, and teachers, but they need mentors without an agenda even more. They need people on whom they can rely, adults they can trust. Postmodern youth ministry must be marked by a vast number of adults who love kids one at a time!

just a thought

Hello parents!! I found an interesting article on adolescent spirituality. Maybe it'll help provide insight! The entire article is actually REALLY long. This was taken from Youth Specialties (http://www.youthspecialties.com/). Enjoy!

To read the entire article, just visit:

www.youthspecialties.com/freeresources/articles/getting_results/adolescent.php

"Adolescent Spirituality, What Can We Expect?"

Expect spiritual starts and stops.

Spiritual development does not progress at a steady direction toward a pinnacle of maturity. Feelings of emptiness are a part of human existence, even on the spiritual journey. A young person may experience an emotional rush during the days, weeks, or even months following a new spiritual commitment, but eventually this energy dissipates and questions arise that may cause doubt. This process is natural. It is endemic to spiritual growth. A strong faith is not the result of avoiding questions, but of working with doubt.

Expect the need for healthy models.

Teenagers need models of vibrant spirituality whom they respect and in whom they have confidence. They need to see faith lived out in peers as well as in adults. Unhealthy models as spiritual authorities only compound the struggle. If young people lack a formative community of friends who share a common faith, they may have a difficult time developing a religious commitment.

Expect idealistic thinking that leads to criticism.
Because adolescents are so strongly idealistic, they easily suffer disillusion with and disappointment in the church. Yet no church can adequately fulfill every ideal of every person. Disappointed young people are bound to be critical of their religiously committed parents, their youth pastor, and their church. Their own difficulty in coping with temptations further contributes to their disillusionment. They may begin to think that the Christian life is impossible.

Expect a commitment to Christian community.
Teenagers have a powerful psychological need to belong—a longing that, for adolescents with a developing faith, can be channeled into the church. While all sorts of demands compete for teenagers' time, they respect a call of commitment to a group. Being held accountable by a group of caring peers, in fact, is exactly what many teens are looking for. A structure that is explicit and even costly (meaning that other activities may be missed) only adds to their desire to be part of something that really matters.

Expect a Christ-centered lifestyle.
We must be clear about one thing: adolescents can make a genuine and meaningful decision to accept Christ. While the ways in which they think and feel about their faith may be different than in an adult faith—and while they are inclined to live out the principles of faith differently—there is no need to doubt that adolescents can make a decision to live a Christ-centered life.