Stackhouse, J.G., Jr. (1997, February 3). Why our friends won't stop, look, and listen. Christianity Today, pp. 49-51.

OVERVIEW

What do you assume about kids you attend your youth program? When teaching youth about Christ, do you assume that they already know about the faith? Do you assume that the young people come to a youth group because they think that Christianity is true?

It is easiest to take the approach that the young person wants to hear about it or that the learner will accept the gospel's truth from the beginning. One of the hardest things to face in Christianity is the possibility that the learner might not believe in it. Yet, this is where teachers need to begin-teaching and convincing students that Christianity might be true. If this is done effectively, then the student will want to individually learn more. In America especially, people desire to discover for themselves if something is true or false after being given the possibility of its truth. Youth leaders should move beyond convincing his or her students that Christianity is the way to live one's life; instead, they should allow students to judge for themselves if it is the way for them. If one's faith is not a personal decision, then it will not become an integral part of a person's life.

There are several ways to help young people discover Christianity for themselves. First, understand and address their immediate, secular concerns. Offer non-believers tools that they need to survive: teach in a secular school, provide repair work, teach English as a second language to a foreigner in a nearby community. Also consider playing basketball or some other sport; developing a tutor program; or just "hanging out," drinking sodas, and talking about the day.

Furthermore, Christians can contribute wisdom to those around them. Christians participate on school boards, and in neighborhood associations, governments, and workplaces in every community. Christians can bring their own traditions about societal concerns and can share their philosophies in raising children, finances, and marriage. Christians need to act out their own personal faith. It is through a Christian's actions that people learn the most about Christ; it is hard to teach someone to accept Christianity when the person that is teaching does not also live it.

Christians should realize that it is often not the most powerful, popular people that Christianity is likely to reach. Consider 1 Cor. 1:26-29 (NRSV):

Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world…so that no one might boast in the presence of God.

Many Christians need to understand this paradox in order to understand why people are not willing to hear the gospel. Christians need also to be careful not to boast themselves to a higher standard because they have been given insights into Christ.

Finally, it is important to explain how Christianity delivers its different promises. People who inquire about Christianity may wonder about such things as a "community of believers" or if things are historically accurate. It is important that these concerns be addressed and that the inquirer be left understanding the issues that he or she has questioned. It is also essential that if a person leads another to accept the challenges and joys of becoming a Christian, the new Christian is not left alone in his or her faith. All teachers must nurture their students after the conversion process.

If youth leaders want to help teenagers to understand the gospel, it has to be explained on their level. It is important to pique the inquirer's interest and help them discover for themselves what Christianity offers them, instead of just piping them with knowledge.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

• What further study do you need to do in order to more effectively teach youth about Christ?
• How do you act out your Christian life on a daily basis?
• As a result of reading this article, what are some ways that you can motivate youth to learn about Christ on their own?

IMPLICATIONS

• Teenagers today are growing up in a different world than teenagers of twenty years ago. They watch more television and see more tragedies affect their friends. Youth leaders must design their programs to effectively addressthe changes of society.
• In his book, The Next Generation: Understanding and Meeting the Needs of Generation X, Gary Zustiak discusses different common facts that today's teenagers do not know about the history of the United States. If youth cannot remember what year Columbus discovered the United States, it is important that a youth leader not assume that teenagers know the history and events of the Bible.
• Generation X is sometimes talked about as a generation with no direction. Many people in this generation do have goals and dreams; however, it is important that they be given some standard by which they can prioritize their dreams and goals. A teenager who does not understand the benefits of being a Christian will not understand why he or she should enmesh within his or her life.

Catharine Lepic cCYS