No doubt, the issues surrounding youths are as old as humanity. However,
the issues facing youths in the 21st Century are far much different from issues
of youths in the yester centuries. The youths in the 21st Century Church, of
course, are not exempted from this dilemma. The phenomena that
characterise this 21st Century are far numerous. Globalization,
overpopulation, abortion, gay rights, poverty, disease,
war
and terrorism, global warming, power in international relations, increasing popularity of digital formats
for entertainment media such as movies and music and the advancement of
technology are the major issues that characterise this 21st Century.
However, to say the
affected category of people is mostly the youths
is never a gainsaying. The African Youth Charter defines “youth”
as “every person between the ages of 15 and 35 years”. Every Christian youth
needs to keep him or
herself abreast of the current issues in the world and learn how to tackle
these using the Holy Bible as the standard. This is because these forces and factors impinge
upon, affect and shape the lives of young people in every sphere of
life.
Nowadays it’s like a wave of carnality is sweeping the youths off their
feet across the globe. Many of our young
people are without hope, discouraged and depressed to the point where they are
suicidal. Even within the church there is discontentment, disappointment and
loneliness. They look at the world around them, and they see no hope for the
future. There is unrest and war throughout the world.
Unemployment is a real problem among the youths. In 2011, the National
Bureau of Statistics estimates that Nigeria’s unemployment rate rose to 23.9%
compared with 21.1% in 2010. When the Nigerian youths come out of Secondary
school, College or complete their one-year compulsory National Youth Service
Corp (NYSC), there is no guarantee for a job or career. They seem to have no
goal to work to in life, many turn to drinking, gambling, drugs, partying,
prostitution and other ungodly acts. In many parts of the world, young people
are still suffering from hunger, lack of access to education, health services
and job opportunities, and are exposed to insecurity and violence.
The 21st Century Church and Her
Youths
The relationship between the Church and young people have been,
and probably will always be, a catalyst for disagreement and tension unless
some quite dramatic changes take place. There is no doubt that the church is
facing serious challenges on a number of fronts in this 21st Century. Negative and defensive reaction will
only serve to underline the status quo and push this “chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s
own special people...” (1 Peter 2:9
NKJV) which has become wordly institution;
even further onto the sand banks of history and irrelevance.
There is need for a
positive willingness to face realities, re- order priorities
and implement change that will restore the glory of
the church- salt of the earth and light of the world. The church is actually in
its last days as Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, “But know this, that in the
last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves,
lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents,
unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control,
brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power.
And from such people turn away! (2 Timothy 3:1-5 NKJV). The 21st Century Church
and her youths have been experiencing these phenomena at an alarming rate like never
before.
Dave Tomlinson touches on some
of the above last days issues in ‘The Post Evangelical’. He
quotes John Drane who writes;‘The uncomfortable truth is that the church has
been all too eager to adopt the
secular standards and practices of our prevailing Western culture’. Tomlinson
continues ‘The result of
this is that young people see in
the church just more of what they see and reject
in the outside world: hierarchies, bureaucracies and power struggles
and they know that this is not what will bring
them personal spiritual fulfillment’. He
goes on to suggest that this is an opportune moment for the church to divest
itself of power and to follow the example of her
Lord.
Youths and Technology
The world has changed. Time has changed – the pace at which we live life
has accelerated terrifically. We now have interactive teaching and learning,
more stimulations than ever before, more things to do, to read, to watch, to
experience. These days young people are more often found quoting a pick up line
from Hollywood, Nollywood, Bollywood actors and actresses than a bible verse.
It is not going to change. I could imagine myself in my younger years, at age
twelve,what I would be doing after school hours if not my school homework,
thereafter, my apportioned domestic chores? The world is different – twelve
year olds today earn cash in their spare time, hang out with friends, play
computer games, surf the internet, go to the movies, the mall, and play Sony
Playstation games. On the other hand, why should one spend time memorising,
when Androids, Tablets, Ipad and other hand held computers contain
easy-reference word-search Bible concordances in a multitude of versions. Why
memorise when its on-line?
Young people in the twenty-first century know more and have access to
vastly greater quantities of information than ever before. They have lots more
information at their finger tips than those teaching them. Which means they are
less likely to accept authoritative and definitive answers. No longer will
“Because I say so” suffice – specially when the “I” is an older person who
can’t search Encyclopaedia Britannica online; isn’t a member of three email forums,
doesn’t read nine daily newspapers from around the globe and doesn’t subscribe
to six of the latest scientific and theological journals from universities as
far afield as Boston and London. Let us face it, how many of us – the older
generation- can do that already? The youths have had a jump start – while
anyone currently over thirty is still playing catch up when it comes to
Information Technology.
Youths and Secularism
Christian young people live in a world
which is now more pluralistic than ever and the need to equip and enable them
to live as those whose faith is integrated and reflected in their everyday
living is vital. The dangers of dividing life into the secular
[weekday] and the sacred [Sunday] must be avoided. But how does the church handle the tension between a pluralistic
society which holds a world view that all truth claims are equal and the truth
as it is set
out in scripture
with its uncompromising statements regarding truth, Christ and God’s word ?
There is a real need to face
the issue of culture, to effectively contextualise the gospel [without sliding
into syncretism], to understand the difference between Christian tradition and Cultural traditionalism.
Presently, there is a rapid rate
of social
change, and its increase has also been
anticipated.
An example – going to movies and wearing make-up in the 20th
Century were thought to be sinful, unchristian behaviour. It was a church norm.
Today make-up is acceptable and Christians, rather than not going to movies at
all, are expected to be selective in what movies they choose to view. Churches
are now more tolerant on controversial issues like ladies wearing trousers and
uncovering their heads in the church than ever before. Many new generational
churches do not even care about the hairdo of brothers in the church and the
appearance of ladies. They often preach ‘just come as you are, God understands’.
All these are the influences of Western civilsation on the church. There is a redefining and
understanding of tolerance on the part of the
Church with the growth
of a ‘pick and mix’ style of faith and belief among the youths of today which created the mentality of ‘anything goes’
in them.
If the our young people in the church this contemporary time will live and have the ability to become catalysts for change in the world, and also
prepare for
the next generation, the above obstacles must be overcome. Below are some panaceas for the plights of the Youths
in the 21st Century Church.
Harnessing Technological Advancement for Youths’ Spiritual Growth and Development
Instead of mourning the past, the church should capture the
present and use it for the education in Christian values of young people
according to the tenor of the times. The Church
should encourage her youths to creatively harness Information technology via the internet, narrative theology, non-didactic
teaching methods for the their spritual growth and development. The technological advancement that has characterised this
21st Century the most can provide a more expansive overview of God’s plan
as shown in the Scriptures, providing a much needed moral and theological
framework for today’s information-overloaded young people.
Provision of Qualitative Leadership by the Church
What do young people expect from the church
as far as
assuming any leadership roles? My little experience
in church affairs clearly reveals that many churches are generally reluctant to
seriously consider leadership potential amongst the
young or to develop ways of enabling youthful leadership to emerge. It
is impossible, and dangerous, to consider the spiritual in the lives of young people
and at the same time ignore what is happening to them in terms of their
development in other spheres of life (most especially their gainful
employment).
It is no exaggeration to
state that ministering to the spiritual needs of young people requires
different styles and approaches
as compared to those used with children and adults. The absence in most
theological colleges of any
in depth training, consideration and serious thinking regarding youth work says
much. I believe right from the Seminary, a
priest-to-be should be equipped with how to handle youth matters in the church.
This should be included in their curricular. Effective youth work
is no longer a soft option.
It demands more than one night a week. It requires a leadership which is free from
other church roles and commitments. It needs the precious commodity of time -
time to be there, time for relationships,
time to be available and time which is not slotted or programmed into an hour
or two once a week.
Back to Basic Christian Education
King Solomon, the richest, wealthiest
and wisest man that ever lived challenged the Israelite nation to “Train a
child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it”- (Proverbs
22:6).
It is not only the responsibility of parents to give such discipline and
training, but also the church. The church must educate, train and prepare the young
generation to carry on the burden of leadership and management of nations and resources of the world.
There can be no doubt, then, that young people need Christ. They need His
example, they need His guidance, and they need His salvation. Solomon exhorted
the young to "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth"
(Ecc. 12: 1). There can be a tendency to put off our obedience to Christ, but
Solomon points out the time when we need to proclaim and carry out our
allegiance to God - in our youth, not years later when our ability to serve
Christ and the amount we can achieve for him have been diminished by the wasted
years (Ecc. 12).
How then can the church encourage its young people to stay close to God and
make a life-long commitment to Him by rendering obedience to the Gospel and
staying faithful in this decayed world? We must ensure that they receive a
steady diet of "the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20: 27). We should
eschew the tendency seen so often in the world of "soft-pedalling" on
sin, and instead point out the many ways in which the lifestyle being promoted
to teenagers is in contradiction to God's Word.
Solomon warned of the danger of youth following its own desires with little
regard to the consequences: “Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thine
heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart,
and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God
will bring thee into judgement” (Ecc. 11: 9). Youth must be explicitly
admonished of the consequences of sin. While the presentation of God's Word
needs to be done so as to hold their interest, this is no excuse for ignoring
the realities of sin and judgement. Indeed, as young people approach and pass
accountability, they need more than ever to know that God will hold them
accountable for their thoughts, words and deeds.
For example, we have already mentioned the new range of temptations youths
are confronted with. They need to be equipped with the knowledge of how, and
why, to deal with such temptations - they need to know up-to-date and useful
information about drugs, drinking, smoking, sex and the like. They need to know
about a Christian's attitude to sex and dating; here single-sex classes(as in
brothers’forum or sisters’forum) will be more appropriate, but we should ensure
that both sexes receive this information. They need to be equipped with solid
proof of the reliability of God's Word, and given the ability to use it. We
must also accept that they will have questions and problems with all of these
things, and the classes must be presented in such a way as to allow or even to
encourage this involvement.
Establishment of Spiritual and Functional Youth Group
Young people should be encouraged to seek out the right kind of company.
The Bible tells us "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good
manners" (I Cor. 15: 33). Here youth groups and similar arrangements can
be of great help. There are those who oppose such groups on the grounds that
churches ought not to support activities which are primarily social. However,
there are several things which need to be taken into consideration. First, when
there is any kind of financial expense involved, such groups are usually funded
by parents, not the church treasury, so the funding issue is something of a
straw man.
Second, Bible teaching and discussion and community outreach can, and
should, be incorporated into the format of such groups no matter the activity. Any
youth activity that lacks spirituality is carnality. Sound spirituality must be
encouraged amongst the youths. Thirdly, we can be assured that if the young
people of the church do not learn to enjoy the company and friendship of fellow
Christian youth, they will look elsewhere for such companionship. It is
absolutely vital that churches encourage and cherish an active and vibrant
youth group, whether it be a formally organised group or simply occasional
gatherings and outings. The time and effort expended on these should be
regarded as valuable and well-spent.
Providing a Nurturing Environment
It has been said that “God
has so ordained things that we grow in the Spirit only through the frail instrumentality
of another”. The
fourth century leader Basil told his readers to find someone: ‘who
may serve you as a very sure guide in the work of leading a holy life’, whilst
warning that ‘to believe that one does not need counsel is great pride’. Augustine
likewise emphasised that: ‘no one can walk
without a guide’. By this means,
young people should be nurtured, mentored and discipled by role models.
However, we must understand that discipleship is more than mentorship.
Mentorship is part of the process of discipleship. But it does not equate with
it. The word “discipleship” is the process by which one learns or follows a
Master with the purpose of becoming like Him. A mentor and his/her mentee must remain Disciples of Christ. The role of
the mentor is to help and encourage his/her mentee to
always make the right decision.
We have heard and seen so many cases
that even the mentor fall from the grace because of ‘I have arrived’ syndrome.
Both the Mentor and his/her mentee must
never graduate out of the school of Discipleship. One who graduates from the school
of discipleship ceases to be the disciple of Christ. This is the reason
discipleship is more than any activity or program set up by any church. It is a
life long journey. It is a path that must be followed throughout one’s life. The youths of this generation must be willing to follow
the path.
I know young
people want to make their own choices but to do so they require not only clear
leadership but also to know
all the relevant facts and acquire the necessary skills. Church Leadership
should promote role models who illustrate the
contents of the Gospel. The church
community at large must play an active role in this aspect. It has been
observed that in more "primitive" societies the whole tribe or
village participated in the upbringing of children and young people, this is
what the sociologists call ‘Socialisation’. Truthfully, it has been observed
that this process tends to produce young people who mature into active, functional
and independent adults.
Parents can as well provide their children with admirable and godly role
models, in a way which is virtually impossible in the wider community. When
young people are hurting, or confused, or upset, they can know that there is a
supportive, godly and loving community that they can rely upon. Eventually, they
will take their rightful place in that community and be able to offer that same
support to others.
Conclusively, there is no doubt that it can be a difficult thing for any young
person to live godly in this 21st Century. But the life of a young person who
has devoted him or herself to God is a beautiful thing with great reward in
this contemporary time. The older generation in the church should bear in mind, however, that in a very real sense the youths are the church of today. They should also understand that the youths are the future of the church and they must be
taken care of. Without their youthful strength and energy the church would
rapidly stagnate and grow old. They form a vital and
essential part of the Lord's body, and we must ensure that in this 21st Century
they have every opportunity to remember God and fashion their lives after His
Son. The Church should value the input the youths have into the church community, celebrate their achievements, cherish their open and trusting hearts, and help to guide them in their walk in Christ. Each young person can take heed to Paul's exhortation to Timothy: “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity (I Tim. 4: 12). The people of God must encourage the young amongst them to strive to do
this, and they must hold out their hands to support them as they do so.
The Rev. Olabanji
O. Onamuti (an alumnus of Immanuel College of Theology and Christian Education, Samonda, Ibadan, Nigeria) is a Priest in Ibadan Anglican Diocese. He served as Assistant Diocesan Youth Chaplain II in the diocese between 2014 - 2020. He was the Assisting Priest at St Mary's Anglican Church, Oluyole, Ibadan, where he
also served as the Youth Chaplain.
