From the October Edition of the Visitor

There is something pleasant about churches in the summertime. The pace slows down remarkably, the number of evening meetings drops dramatically, the expectations for the music and the sermons are not as high.

I’m so glad that summer is over.

Mainly, it’s because I miss the pace, the plans, and the expectations, as they show us the strengths on which we may build and the weaknesses that God’s grace permits us to overcome. What I especially miss during the summer are the regular programs for the children and youth, with their energy, ideas, smiles, and eagerness to learn things that are to them wonderfully new.

There is that marvelous moment at St. Paul’s when the children enter the liturgy, after spending a portion of the morning with their teachers, and the size of the congregation nearly doubles and our shared enthusiasm triples. I have worked in congregations with very few children and no youth, and the feeling of those places is desperate and dreary. Indeed, we are fortunate in our faith.

While it is on the verge of becoming a cliché, there is a saying that is common in contemporary ministries to young people: Our children and youth are not the future of the church, they are its present.

And what a present they present. Recently, a large and expensive study of American teenagers was completed. The results would probably not be too surprising to members of St. Paul’s. The researchers learned that American young people tend to be traditional in their beliefs and relationships. They are not particularly fond of flashy attempts by churches to attract their attention, either through “youth-oriented” liturgies [usually planned or written by middle-aged Christians] or overly simplistic music and scripture translations.

What they seek is what they’ve always sought: a place where they can be accepted and given a role and responsibility. While I appreciate that this might surprise some parents who have gone through the drama of getting a child ready for church school or rousing a teenager who has acolyte duty at 8 o’clock in the morning, when they are asked, it is this desire for a place in the community of faith that teens and children identify as important to them.

And it is this desire that we answer so well at St. Paul’s. I would ask that you now add to your prayers those who lead the church school and youth programs, those who are seeking guidance to build new programs and welcome new members. As ever, I would ask you to continue to pray for our young people. Not only are they the ones who will inherit what we enjoy, they are the ones that bring us so much delight in even the common celebrations of the church year.

And if you at all feel a call to participate in work with the young, we have plenty of opportunities available. All you have to do is ask.