Life After The Youth Department
By Cary Schmidt
What happens to our graduates after high school? Have you ever seriously considered this question when it comes to their life direction, their relationship to the pastor and church, and their spiritual support? We live in a culture that has verifiably extended the “teen years” well into the twenties—and parents and churches have yet to respond! In fact, most parents and pastors literally have a mental “disconnect” when our kids turn eighteen. It’s as if we say, “Well, you’re eighteen now, so you’re on your own.”
Yet, if our young adults will stay faithful and seriously embrace God’s purpose for their futures, they will have to deliberately swim upstream against the multiple pressures of the culture around them—and they need our help to do so! This is not an easy battle, and it requires a lot of encouragement and support, but it can be won! How can we come alongside our graduates and help them navigate their late teens and early twenties? Let’s take a look at what usually happens..
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Healing A Wounded Spirit
By Troy Dorrell
 One of the keys to maintaining a positive and influential relationship with your teenager (or any other person for that matter) is to be aware of and address a wounded spirit. The Bible tells us that a wounded spirit is hard to bear, that strife can separate friends, and that offenses bring with them a hardness of heart. If an offense in our home occurs, just imagine all the damage that can be done.
In many homes parents and their teenagers may not experience a close relationship in part because of an offense that created an injured spirit, which in turn creates distance. Most of us understand that dynamic in our marital relationships; hurt results in distance and loss of closeness. The problem with teens is that they often do not articulate their hurt. They often just keep it inside and little by little allow their hearts to be moved far away from our own, until one day rebellion, resentment, or indifference has taken hold.
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Reconnecting A Disconnected Family
by Cary Schmidt
We have never been more “connected”—or less connected! The average home in America has multiple TVs, Dish Network, Pay-Per-View, wireless LAN, high-speed internet, multiple gaming systems, a few computers, internet cell-phones, Game-Boys, portable Playstations, PDAs, and video capable iPods! We’re the most technologically advanced culture on the planet, and we’re so infatuated with our toys that we’re paying a devastating price in our homes! Now, I must admit, I’m a bit of a techno-junky myself but before we get too carried away (or has that already happened?) let’s take a second look!
Unfortunately, with all the glitz and dazzle of our “connectedness,” there’s a very dark and dangerous side effect. We’ve become the most disconnected culture in human history. We’re losing our kids in record numbers (in Christian homes), and we’re living with total strangers! We’re giving precious time that can never be recovered to online chats, internet games, and the latest XBox release; and all the while our family relationships are dying on the vine.
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On the Same Page
The role of the church, concerning raising
teenagers, is to be a help to the parents. One way in which
the church helps is through age-appropriate preaching. Because this
tool is so important, it is vital that parents be made aware of what is
being preached to their teenagers each month. Below is a list of
messages that have been preached recently:
- "A Little Fire From Pudding" - Bro. T.J. Mitchell
- "God's Plan For His Chosen" - Bro. Caleb Sobin
- "How Not To Be A Demas" - Pastor Miller
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