Sacred Heart Major Seminary is a Christ-centered Catholic community of faith and higher learning committed to forming leaders who will proclaim the good news of Christ to the people of our time. This compares unfavourably with an estimated 1 000 full time youth workers around South Africa. In every generation, all over the world young Christians face challenges. For faith development skills to take root our methodology must change. This definition came into being as a result of the preparation of the International Youth Year in 1985. Individual church members with business influence should seek ways to channel funds into community youth ministry programmes. Its so easy to get through to them. Abortion, homosexuality, poverty, capitalism, gender, sexuality, genetical engineering, affirmative action, revolution, ethnic cleansing are all old issues which will assume greater significance as the new century dawns. Assign each student one of the issues and have them break it open with a semester-long research project or term paper than incorporates some possible responses to the questions. Youth unemployment: As the name implies, it means the state where youths cannot find work to do in their communities or nation or there are no job placements available for the youths. This means that the gap between those beating the average and those sliding beneath it is also widening. The iron rod orthodoxy of the past is over. No longer will Because I say so suffice specially when the I is an older person who cant search Encyclopaedia Britannica online; isnt a member of three email forums, doesnt read nine daily newspapers from around the globe and doesnt subscribe to six of the latest scientific and theological journals from universities as far afield as Boston and Bangkok. Bauman, in other words, interprets the present cultural context as a sociological and cultural liquefaction where it is now the facility with which things can be turned upside down, disposed of and abandoned that is valued most . We say easily not because it will be without difficulty but rather because the solutions are pretty basic and will take little more than intentional effort, conscious understanding and a willingness to adapt. 4. 2 Timothy 2:2 and Ephesians 4:12-16 are probably the two most clear and direct Biblical mandates for this re-formational ministry. We therefore offer some answers to the issues we have raised. This is not entirely true, as they are able to concentrate for much longer than many adults but they cannot focus on one topic for very long. Computer presentations are the norm. So why a crash course in postmodernism? The age of being a youth ranges from one country to another, however it would fall at the age when the individual is full of life. Pg. Living in an anti-Christian culture. What about the next 24 hours?. Challenges and Lessons Learned from Mentoring. Long one way sermons will no longer communicate. Personal identity and self-image issues. Required fields are marked *. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Neil Howe and William Strauss. The United Nations defines youth as a person who is between the ages of 15 to age 24. Groome Christian Religious Education: Sharing Our Story and Our Vision. Its arduous to seek out educated folks on this topic, however you sound like you know what youre talking about! This is an estimate only. Challenges Facing Youth by Edward P. Mulvey, Ph.D. University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine With the increased attention on the rates of serious juvenile crime in the late 1980s and early 1990s, legislatures around the country passed new laws making it easier to transfer youth to adult courts. Generation 21 is going to live through the deaths of their friends over and over again in the next century. Arguably, more than non-Western peoples are facing this unravelling. Developing the ability to engage in sober conversation and dialogue with diversity is being hindered by this situation and becomes a real educational challenge where the young are concerned (#35). On the other hand, why should one spend time memorising, when hand held computers contain easy-reference word-search Bible concordances in a multitude of versions. The liquid society could easily be more solid if young people can find ways to resist individualism, especially in the form of physically moving away, and embrace the opportunity not only to stay attached to their family and parish, but to transform them into even more vibrant places of community, connectedness, reconciliation, worship and Christian service. The order then becomes Love God, bear fruit, love your neighbour. For example we must help youth see that immoral behaviour hurts people it hurts their individual development and it hurts their relationships with others. This is largely due to over-reaction of many traditional Christians to new expressions of faith and culture. 22. They have always had an answering machine. The usual metaphors used in understanding the character of God may no longer be accessible to Generation 21. Indeed, in such a cultural context the anthropologist Bradd Shore makes the bold claim that the developmental trajectory of the middle-class American family is about to self-destruct. The youth feels the church. The Soul Survivor9 movement in the UK is a good example of this. This is once again following a trend first seen in America, as evidenced by the spate of recent school shootings. No-one continued to sing the hymns while getting drunk. Todays young people are nervous about the future, as they see themselves following their American counterparts in becoming the first generation in modern history to earn less on average than their parents15. This does not mean that they are seeking after the God of the Bible rather they realise that there is a higher reality, that there is something beyond the purely natural world we live in. South Africa is a violent country, but until recently violence was not seen as a direct youth issue. Required fields are marked *. The youth of today is confronting many serious challenges than their previous generations used to do. 5. Oh, there is another thing: I still have a Bible, which sheds divine light on the matters of life for young and old alike. If you are planning to teach this course, and would like the latest version, contact May-Ellen Colon . Local authorities endorsed these laws. Christians everywhere must be prepared to give an answer for their faith in a gracious and humble manner. One of the problems of youth work in general and South African youth work in particular is that statistics of these sort are not available. One of the greatest challenges facing Christendom in the twenty-first century will be our response as a community of faith to the multitude of ethical dilemmas already emerging in general society. Those ten years old and younger cannot remember institutionalised apartheid. We have grandparents who had a Christian belief, parents who have a memory of that belief, and now kids who have nothing2. My faith must stand questioning, but not having answers is OK. It must work. Students do not wake up on a beautiful morning to choose school violence. Physically moving only means starting all over again. They accept information in sound bites, and their music and media is equally fast paced in its visual presentation. As the liturgist Timothy OMalley recently wrote: liquid modernity reveals not a multiplicity of meta-narratives, opening up a space for religiosity. 2. The security measures of the school should be up to date in other to enable them carry out their activities effectively and they should always be present in schools and school sponsored events to ensure that the students are rid of their weapons and that they do not perpetrate any form of violence at the school functions. Not so on the eve of the third millennium how much more so for Generation 21? ABSTRACT. . 3. For the past three years, I have worked as the Children's Director with a church that has experienced physical . In slowly losing ones narratives of family, community, and faith, the individual is left seeking a new identity and to be accepted into a new social community or local parisha task not as easy as the American myth of individualism makes it out to be. P. Cain & R.T. Kendall. The fact that many Black churches, whose white counterparts would be very conservative, are mostly Pentecostal and Charismatic in practice although perhaps not in theology, is another. CHALLENGES OF THE 21ST CENTURY CHRISTIAN YOUTHS AND THE WAY OUT RESULT OF THE CHALLENGES: The Word of God warns that in the last days many professing believers in Christ will be "Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof" (2Tim.3:5). They dont know the difference between a tenet from the Bible and a sonnet from Shakespeare. This comment was made of present-day American culture. I am a creative person with a dynamic personality, and have a helpful nature. George Barna16 notes that Boomers (the parents of Generation 21) value a network of relationships and find the transient, utilitarian nature of their associations as completely acceptable. Barna goes further to say: [Generation 21] have outright rejected the impersonal, short-term, fluid relational character of their parents. April 27, 2020. It's the philosophy of the age which follows modernism. Dr. H. Jurgens Hendriks. Whenever a child talks about peer pressure, the parent(s) should not hesitate to take the necessary actions in other to restrict such. Notice: Function is_feed was called incorrectly.Conditional query tags do not work before the query is run. Instead of mourning the past lets capture the present and use it for the education in Christian values of young people according to the tenor of the times. These challenges are not one which always exists without a solution. If the churchs role is to spread the Gospel, using limited resources, then it makes the most sense to maximize those resources by using them where they are most likely to be effective: that is, in youth ministry, or on things that affect young people. These days young people are more often found quoting a pick up line from an Austin Powers movie than a poem or a bible verse. I still have eyes and ears, so I still am able to recognize what young Christians face today. Working together for an inclusive Europe These are pretty basic questions, but really important. Chicago: Northfield Publishing, 1994. Modernism is basically the world view which drew the line between science and religion, faith and superstition, truth and veracity. I remember telling Clem Sunter. Never Mind the Millennium. Cooperative Learning in the Classroom. 14. Our American cultural value system of individualism answers this question with, Hell no, go, do your own thing, find your own way, be your own person, you are not obligated to anyone except yourself. In other words, disconnect, depart, leave (abandon) your family, friends, community, past traditions, and communal rituals that rooted you and gave you a sense of belonging. Mike Regele. But it is not so today. It will focus on the goal of Christian mutual of youth and the essential role of . 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. Public enlightenment and education: The solution to drug abuse is really in the hands of the people. They have, in a sense, thrown the baby out with the bath-water. 13.The difficulties and the questioning which religious life is experiencing today can give rise to a new kairos, a time of grace. Students who are found to posses the trait of being unable to manage their anger should be counseled on anger management and character development. As far as many of them are concerned, Christianity was a modernist experiment that has proved to fall short of answering some of the critical questions of postmodernity. Young people in the twenty-first century will know more and have access to vastly greater quantities of information than ever before. The Word and the Spirit. To judge the vast gulf between you and them, consider the following: They have only known one Germany. So more than merely relational evangelism the nature of our nurture and the warmth and acceptance of the nurturing environment is of paramount importance to both evangelism and discipleship of Generation 21. 3. Another risk is withdrawing into an illusory and ephemeral happiness that leads to forms of addiction (#58). Challenges Facing Youths Today and Solutions. At this stage the new convert isnt even sure of what his new family is like. Recommended: Differences between the first and second creation stories in the bible. Staylessed man of God. Steven Lottering. In 1998, Bill Price and Associates completed a Profile of South African Youth and Family, using a statistical base of over 3,000 South African young people between the ages of 13 and 27. The research project was comprised of eight national studies, including interviews with teenagers, young adults, parents, youth pastors, and senior pastors. For modernists, the truth exists objectively; things must be explainable, we must be able to demonstrate and understand it. A whole new mind set needs to be adopted if the necessary youth ministry programmes are to be adequately funded. Cain and Kendall6 speak of a post Charismatic generation, rather than merely a meeting in the middle of the evangelical and Pentecostal/charismatic traditions a new tradition that has both Word and Spirit, power and truth, spontaneity and orthodoxy. Now as a third step, we look to the vertical dimension love your neighbour. The high incidence of abuse is well documented in South Africa. rather than a bus stop while waiting to move on to more mature pursuits. We are seeing a surge in the cases of depression and other mental illnesses, which are mainly linked with high stress. There is a cost to be born to meet the challenge of ushering Generation 21 into the kingdom. But since its beginning, a new approach has been gathering momentum, and as this century ends, it claims dominant position, not only in the intellectual corridors of power, but is pervasive throughout society in all corners of the globe. 4.Facing failure. In postmodern ministry, the primary role of the pastor will look more like the one under the Apostolic paradigm. Programme centred evangelism will focus on the production of quality programmes with the intention of drawing large crowds of young people. So, Durkheim already was reflecting on the death of the social in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. And it is what we have to contend with. I like this article because it is well researched and straight on point. The distance between us will quickly begin to thin out our relationship. The other thing is, of course, the people of God are divided about things. Lets not make native Americans and Africans dress like Europeans in order to be acceptable worshippers. . Biblical Foundations 2.1 Biblical Precedent 2.2 Incarnational Theology 2.3 Relational Method 2.4 Holistic impact 2.5 Further Theological and Practical Reflection 2.6 Cultural Barriers of the Church over against the Youth Culture 2.7 A Vision of Renewal by Reaching the Youth Generation 3. Drug abuse: The rate of drug availability and intake at this present age is so alarming and it is seen in every corner of the streets. I say conformingbecause as the late sociologist Robert Bellah often commentedin doing ones own thing one is not being different or radical but merely conforming to the American cultural value system of individualism (for most are doing the same thing). South African teenagers, when asked to list the things that motivated them, rated love as the highest motivating factor3. They do not care who shot J.R. and have no idea who J.R. is. But how did traditions slip away? Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995. The Need for Leaders in Christian Youth Ministry Youth need guidance and support as they navigate through the most challenging part of their development and seek to grow in their walk with Christ. Yet the document admits that even parishes have been affected by this liquidity in that sometimes, parishes are no longer places of connection (#21). Violence in schools: Violence is defined by the world health organization as the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, which either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting to injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment or deprivation. Grenz. What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ in the twenty-first century? The world is different twelve year olds today earn cash in their spare time, hang out with friends, play computer games, go to the movies, the mall, Imax, Ratanga Junction and play Sony Playstation games. Because using social media is establishing in youth ritual practices of separation and isolation in keeping youth attached to phones and tablets instead of physically being with others. A place of nurture and not of judgment or of insistence of outward conformity. As my youngest millennial son says, It is because we dont use social media correctly the fault is our own. Please see ooredoo . Why? The church of the twenty-first century needs to be a warm, welcoming and loving family. For the past 500 years, Judeao-Christian morality has been the basis of common decency which everyone has taken for granted. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1990. Cape Town: Human & Rousseau, 1999. Being radically different means having a heart for God it doesnt mean being good enough or spiritual enough, according to anyone elses standards! Throughout the world, the gap between rich and poor is growing steadily. In the twenty-first century, as these unreached people groups are systematically targeted and reached, we will nevertheless continue to have unreached peoples living in our own neighbourhoods. The pastor of the twenty-first century must reflect many of the attributes of an entrepreneur struggling to open a niche in the marketplace of religious ideas23. It is a prophetic word for the next generation. The impact of social media in the lives of young people cannot be understated (#34). It means taking seriously the experiential and the cognitive not merely answering Its in the Bible and so its true but rather Its in the Bible because its true (and best and it works). To carry on the Catholic faith, the family name, business, or parish, is honorable and should be applauded, for it is not only within ones community that one finds identity, purpose, honor, and self-worth but also in continuing that tradition for the next generation. him I would miss him. Many young people who become Christians who are part of the Alternative11 youth culture still continue to wear black clothes, look anorexic and have more body piercings than we are comfortable with. Youth have the opportunity to form a youth group in the parish and to become part of the liturgical, catechetical, evangelical, devotional, and recreational dimensions of the parishto infuse all aspects of parish life which challenge all of us to conform more completely to Jesus Christ. A focus on family education, the family as a little church. It no longer even gets a hearing. Communication is multi-threaded to them, and interactive multi-media is king. Individuality in the midst of community will be paramount in worship. Youth could be defined as the time or stage in life when a person is young which is usually between the time of childhood and adulthood (which could be said to be maturity). Pastors, youth workers, parents, teachers all complain of the same malaise young people are functionally biblically illiterate. Durkheim spent a lifetime arguing that the social or communal is a SALVE to the traumas of liquid modernity and a place of solace in which individuals could feel themselves protected and morally unified. In an article titled, What are the 10 Biggest Challenges Christian Youth Face Today, posted on Search the Scriptures (3-15-12), Drew Kuehl wrote these answers: Personalizing and living out their faith. Message centred evangelism emphasizes the proclamation of truth, in the hope that the repetition of the biblical message in creative ways will result in Christian living. She is not alone. It demanded technical, scientific answers to questions of faith and science. These form of violence could happen anywhere ranging from the school environment, school sponsored events and outside the school premises. But most of us cant concisely describe it. I love young people! The youth are faced with so many challenges and difficulties that it almost makes it hard for them to function well in the society, some of these challenges are: 1. Christian alternative kids tend to clean up their act in terms of drugs, music, partying, anarchy, degradation, escapism, alcohol-abuse, occult involvement, rebellion, anti-social behaviours, anti-authoritarianism, hatred, defiance, misery, self-pity, terror, selfishness, suicidal tendencies, depression, destruction and condemnation. 20. A friend recently said he was moving to North Carolina because he liked the area. 12. This definition was endorsed by the United Nations Assembly in its resolution 36/28 of 1981. Most people who have rejected Christianity have at least known what they were rejecting. Family needs to be redefined and modelled in the church and people helped to learn Godly principles of family life both inside the church and in their own homes and partnerships. The surface might be rough and tough, but its only a two mm thick (or thin!) Although it is very difficult to find a simple, concise definition, it is characterised by freedom of choice, rejection of creeds, and a complete agnosticism with regards to truth. February 3, 1997 Vol. Eastbourne: Kingsway Publications, 1996. Over time (and with teaching) we challenge our new convert to growth and development. They need to be taught faith development skills which takes nurture, resources, relationships and professionals. Youths are the fulcrum of society. Ecclesial groups, institutions and associations also run the risk of turning into closed circuits. The document promotes the importance of offering formation on this topic, especially the delusional powers of social media to provide community or a sense of belonging. 2023, Bscholarly LLC. . Thats why we grew up on Creation Evolution debates, Disco (very tangible beat and structured dance form), long theological debates, proving the existence of God and cerebral reasoning. I have argued before about how the parish can help in this post-modern liquid society by providing community (Mosaic, 2014). Why do we do it then? Man has always walked on the moon. Social media is a tool and we have used it to separate instead of unite us. It is reasonable to assume that social medias ability to create loneliness would only exacerbate the loneliness of physically moving. 19. We have a pragmatic view of religion in our society that relegates our faith to the private sphere of personal values. Therefore, school violence may be explained as physical attacks which occur between students or by students to teachers or teachers to students. Although the web has the potential to unite people across geographical distances, the web can also be a place of loneliness, manipulation, exploitation, and violence, up to the extreme case of the dark web. Young people are aware that risks are out there: the duplicity of technology, however, becomes evident when it leads to the development of certain vices. Churches with larger youth groups are often more willing to invest in the program by increasing staffing and budgets. What it doesnt mean is outward conformity to a previously agreed upon set of standards (action and conduct) for Christian behaviour. In particular, eat meals together, especially the Eucharist. What did he do if not his Sunday School homework and school work? We need to be prepared to facilitate this. liquid modernity, a culture that does not value stability, maintaining traditions, or practicing rituals that express and create familial, social, and ecclesial identity. And if staying put means continuing your father or mothers occupation or business all the more should accolades be showered on you for maintaining the tradition. Moreover, in physically leaving family and parish to sink temporary roots somewhere else, often far away, sociologists have found that ones familial and communal narratives or stories slowly fade as well. The Cosby Show, Miami Vice, WKRP in Cincinnati and Dynasty are shows they have likely never seen. Recommended: Forms of Business Organization with their Merits and demerits. New York: Vintage, 1993. One of the clearest books on the issue is Greg Ogdens The New Reformation: Returning the Ministry to the People of God. God does not exist until proven otherwise could be a foundational principle for its atheists, although Christianity too flourished in the modernist milieu. Walsh. This strategy can work in drawing numbers, but remains faceless, and in itself is unlikely to result in a lasting impact in the life of a young person. Young people who come to faith need help recognising the current world view for what it is not wrong, not always helpful, but definitely there. In these challenges lies hidden an authentic call of the Holy Spirit to rediscover the Grand Rapids: Wm B. Eeerdmans, 1996. Chicago: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1999. Alternative youth culture is a counter-culture, which rejects mainstream trends, and is characterised by (amongst others) a music style that is neither rock nor metal but has a mixture of both elements with a melancholic and dark dress style. And its pretty close to the truth. Liquid modernity, in Durkheimian terms, is the dark desert of anomie (normlessness or the infinity of desires) where dispersion is the new normal and everything is seemingly up for sale. signature forgery detection using image processing; montgomery county texas sample ballot 2022; marion county sc most wanted; aotearoa pronunciation. The church in South Africa needs to envision a youth ministry culture in which qualified men and women in significant numbers make a career out of youth ministry, either in the context of the local church or through para-church agencies (specialist service agencies). The only growing group is that of the Independent Churches, which doubled their membership5. 2729 Lowerline Street New Orleans, Uptown/Carrollton, LA 70125 Office Phone: (504) 866-3621 Office Fax: (504) 861-0338 [email protected] cathedrals worldwide bearing the name Saint Paul, the most well-known is St. Paul's Cathedral in London, an Anglican cathedral where visitors can climb 528 steps to the Golden Gallery. As the document states: The pervasiveness of digital and social media in the world of young people is evident. This is a great work that every youth pastor and youth worker must read. To reduce the increase of drug abuse in the society, the youth should be sensitized on the effects of drug abuse to their body and the society. The Bible is not directive and/or silent on may of the social and ethical issues with which we are confronted today. If we set out sights on a target of 1 youth worker per 10 000 school going young people, we would need 1600 professional youth workers. The aims include to redefine marriage and. Am blessed and inspired! Instead, liquid modernity is the collapse of all narrative except for the angst-ridden individual, constructing the broken pieces of an identity from a series of fragmented memories. Expressive individualism turns that around. As the document states, several non-Western Bishop Conferences are wondering how they can accompany young people in dealing with this cultural change that is unravelling traditional cultures rich in solidarity, communal ties and spirituality, feeling they do not have adequate tools (p.11). Most young people would not have experienced the typical early twentieth century nuclear family. During film productions, the characters would be portrayed with cigarette sticks and drugs in their hands making it appear normal on the screen which in turn contributed to the use of drugs by a lot of youths.