At every PCJH staff meeting, we begin by sharing where we’ve seen God’s grace at work, in our own lives and in the life of the church. Of course, Brad Griffin and this past weekend’s Growing Young event was brought up this past Monday! It was a true joy to make space for important conversation, contemplation, and learning around the empowerment and support of young people, and their vital role as part of the church body. We’re excited to continue these conversations and are praying that God continues to expand our imaginations and stir our hearts on this topic.
If you are seeking more information or resources about the Growing Young research, or about connecting with young people, check out the Fuller Youth Institute’s website here and browse through various resources, parent info, and blog postings.
Looking for a place to start? Unleashing youth as co-participants in the mission of God, by Jeremy Morelock, digs into the truth that young people are called to be co-participants with the rest of the church in the mission of God, in our community and around the world.
Start below!
“We hear it in countless books, convention keynotes and blogs: the North American church is in decline! Like a tired swimmer trying to just keep afloat, across the board churches are struggling in terms of participation, giving, faith practice, and church community life. Yet even in the midst of decline, God is doing a new thing in our churches today: inviting us to see the mission of God and the role young people have in that mission in a new light.
When we get caught up in the mindset of stopping decline, we often look for any way to engage with the culture. Many churches turn to anything that could be considered cool, relevant, or authentic. The sad truth for a lot of our churches is that God is doing a new thing, which we often miss because we’re still waiting for God to show up in the old things that we’re trying to make more hip or more attractive. Instead, we’re being invited to join what God is already doing with new imagination, passion, and creativity—and the young people entrusted to our care are at the center of this!”…