youth camps - a response
good comments, especially the last one, and well made.
actaully, I thinkwhat Ben and his team did was great.
But these are comments that I have made before on this blog, and I have made in lots of other settings. So my comment are less at the TWAYN event and are more generally based on my ongoing expereince of going to "Anglican Events" and my worry about what they are offered in their parishes, to be honest. I reiterate: " But it pains me to see young people offered such a small idea of what Christianity is all about."
Why do I worry that so many speakers were non Anglicans. Well, because I beleive that we as Anglicans have alot to offer, but we don't. We invite others in instead. Each denomination offers a particular way of reading the bible, of seeing the world, of understanidng what it means to be chuch. None are better than others. We need them all. Which means, please Anglicans, stand up and offer what we have to offer.
In the end, what is often offered young people is such a small slice of what the gospel is about, and is so hard to live out (it is down to you and God) that I worry they are not given the tools to survive. Christianity is a community religion. It is not about me and God, is it about us and God. Why, cos often it is just too damn hard on our own. Which may be why so many zealous young people have dropped right out of any formal church life. It became too hard. (and maybe not, that is another discussion) And yes, lots of young poeple drop ourt of the exciting youth ministries as well.
I don't want young people to be like me, or to think like me. But I want them to be given the tools to grow and develop as God wills them to, and that is important to me. And my question generally about youth ministry is, "are we offering all that we could be?" and my emphatic answer is no!!!
actaully, I thinkwhat Ben and his team did was great.
But these are comments that I have made before on this blog, and I have made in lots of other settings. So my comment are less at the TWAYN event and are more generally based on my ongoing expereince of going to "Anglican Events" and my worry about what they are offered in their parishes, to be honest. I reiterate: " But it pains me to see young people offered such a small idea of what Christianity is all about."
Why do I worry that so many speakers were non Anglicans. Well, because I beleive that we as Anglicans have alot to offer, but we don't. We invite others in instead. Each denomination offers a particular way of reading the bible, of seeing the world, of understanidng what it means to be chuch. None are better than others. We need them all. Which means, please Anglicans, stand up and offer what we have to offer.
In the end, what is often offered young people is such a small slice of what the gospel is about, and is so hard to live out (it is down to you and God) that I worry they are not given the tools to survive. Christianity is a community religion. It is not about me and God, is it about us and God. Why, cos often it is just too damn hard on our own. Which may be why so many zealous young people have dropped right out of any formal church life. It became too hard. (and maybe not, that is another discussion) And yes, lots of young poeple drop ourt of the exciting youth ministries as well.
I don't want young people to be like me, or to think like me. But I want them to be given the tools to grow and develop as God wills them to, and that is important to me. And my question generally about youth ministry is, "are we offering all that we could be?" and my emphatic answer is no!!!
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