Speak, for your Church is listening

Faith communities today struggle to respond to the prophetic, often uncomfortable voice of youth who experience God's call

By Julie Ann Levett
Summer 2006

Return to Table of Contents
Print Article

To those of us into youth work it is no secret that kids are hungry for all the gifts that a vibrant and authentic church community can offer. To know and be known, to belong and be accepted, to be held accountable and to be loved are all virtues of a Christian community which addresses the deepest needs of all people, whatever their ages. These needs are more than just social, they are spiritual needs as well. It is my conviction that teens regularly experience a sense of call much like the boy Samuel did while apprenticing to Eli (1 Samuel 3). However, our witnessing communities lack the Elis in great enough number to accompany the great number of Samuels who sense God's invitation to something deeper.

It has almost become a cliche in teen ministry that youth are the unwelcome prophets in our midst. There seems to be a developmental window for teens during which they are highly attuned to hypocrisy, acutely aware of injustice, and yearn to impact the world around them for good. As adults who minister with youth, we have the privilege of entering into that place of insistent questioning: Why eat meat? Why vote? How do I honour my sexual self in a world that commercializes the body? Why should I listen to you? What's in the Bible, anyway?

Airing these questions leads us to the deeper questions of spiritual meaning: Why am I here? What is my purpose? Who are my people? Is there reason to hope?

It is my desire that we would continue to engage these questions throughout our lives. In recent years we have begun to understand faith as a journey rather than a destination. The journey is complex, challenging – the signs ambiguous. The journey doesn't always illuminate us, our ancestors, or the world around us in a flattering way. We would do well to approach the journey with the optimism and resourcefulness of an adolescent.

I have enjoyed hanging out with teens since I was one about 20 years ago. My early attempts to make sense of the social/political world around me were mediated by older youth in a peace group where I grew up in Ottawa. Our first collective action was a peaceful public assembly, a ritual, on Remembrance Day, reading the names of ancestors killed in the century's wars thus far. Because school was to be in session that day, we also organized a school strike to get kids out of school and participating in the event.

I am grateful that I met this interesting bunch of people who in friendship provided a channel for the longing I knew then-that I still know now – to pour myself into something greater. Today's teens express that longing in a variety of ways, eating disorders and addictions being some of the more painful ones. I submit that this yearning – for self-transcendence, for becoming part of something greater than themselves – is spiritual in nature.

We don't need to delve too far into pastoral psychology to know that unmet childhood needs keep coming due until we address them with kindness and care. I feel compelled to communicate to teens that they are created in the image of God, they are deeply loved by God, and are, in truth and in beauty, a self-revelation of God here on earth.

I am committed to reducing the time it takes for young people to remember that they belong to a loving God. This ministry is relational, creative, challenging and exhilarating. It has taken me into detention centres, drop-in centres, schools, camps and churches.

As someone committed to youth ministry, I admire Eli for accompanying Samuel as he tried to recognize and respond to God's call. I admire Eli's grace and humility, his willingness to be wrong, to be corrected by one so much younger. But much more often, I think of Jesus and where he might be in our world today. I see him with his skateboard, mediating a dispute in a neighbourhood park. I see him listening, deeply. I see him fueled, fed, by his passion for God, his passion for wholeness. And on a good day, especially with a good team, I see some of that passion in me.

Julie Ann Levett is a Catholic who has served in youth ministry with the United Church of Canada.

The Future Quest Summer Experience

For youth aged 14-17 from all Christian denominations who want to explore community, theology and leadership, challenging body, mind and spirit. The program includes community living, seminars, ministry circles, a canoe trip, a social justice theme, and daily worship and spiritual practices. Contact Gonzalo Duarte at 613-533-6690
or visit www.futurequest.ca for more information.

FUTURE QUEST MANIFESTO 2005
written by participants of the 2005 Future Quest Summer Experience

Because we believe that hope begins in creation and re-creation, in Christ and in resurrection... we will defiantly imagine communities built on stewardship, service and restoration.
Because we believe that hope transforms the present... we will be daring in developing new ways to see our lives and change our world.
Because we believe that hope pulls us towards a light-filled tomorrow... we will live today in the light, embracing the light, expecting the light and seeking the light.

Return to Table of Contents
Print Article