Monday’s New York Times includes a delightful chronicle by Michael Winerip about the trials involved in turning his brood of four children into adults with a lasting passion for reading. You can read it here. As a book reviewer for the Times, we assume Mr. Winerip is invested in this passion for more than one reason.
Any parent will tell you that kids are frequently loathe to try anything new, especially if it hasn’t been on their radar, or perhaps more importantly, that of their friends. You can’t force them to like something; you have to stick it under their noses, then wait patiently for them to decide that the whole thing was their idea in the first place.
Church can be the same. Children will go where they’re taken or told, but teens want to decide for themselves. That sometimes entails acceptance at a different pace, on different terms, or in different places. Making teens feel like part of the community is essential. Involve them as competent, thoughtful people, and odds are they’ll behave that way. Letting them discover how God works in their lives can be more instructive than telling them. It can be maddening stuff; that’s why community is important.
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