One of my activities has been working with teens. When I was a teen, I attended an old brick church, Tinicum United Church of Christ in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Two formative activities were the confirmation classes and the 'Youth fellowship'. The worship services felt mechanical and I sang in the choir because my sisters were organists at the church. In the classes I remember it was the first time I felt an interest in exploring the meaning of the mystical. Even though it was a high structure curriculum the teacher was willing to engage some of my requests for proof and greater understanding in a way that was much more acknowledging than my parents concern and resistance to the topic.In the Youth fellowship we had a circle of 15-20 teens who met, discussed spiritual topics and also created and went on adventures together. From theme parks, to retreats, dances, to attending a Billy Graham crusade in NYC. These were good times, spiritually, intellectually and socially.
We have that here at the regional level, and have created that locally. Three ministers have worked with the parents and teens to create an 8 week program. We'll study these types of topics and rotate teaching duties.
- Speaking about Spiritual Topics with friends
- How, when and why we pray
- Inputs from the many sources of media
- Ways to forgive
- Knowing your prosperity
- Being in service to our community
- ... and I'm sure we'll add more.
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