GYKTC - fitting the mould

Rob Parsosn is a truly inspirational speaker, if you get the chance to see him speak, go, don't hesitate, just go.  The part of his talk that touched me most was that we tend to want our young people to fit the church mould, whatever that is.

"it's not that I don't like church, it's just that they don't get me, they must think I'm an awful Christian"

"the youth worker is a good bloke but he's just so pushy, he NEEDS me to come to every youth meeting. Perhaps it'd be easier if I just left."

Are these quotes resonating with you?
Have you heard them from your kids?
Or perhaps you've thought them yourself?

I know I felt them! 
And this might come as a shock, but sometimes I still feel that perhaps "the church" as an establishment doesn't get me; but I'm OK with that now because I know God gets me and my local church accepts me.

I hate the idea of moulds, always have done. 
I relish individualism, I adore difference and I encourage the embracing of each of us for what we are with personalities as varying as our fingerprints.

We all have different characters and there is no mould that is perfect; God made as as we are for a reason, we have to be ready to accept that.


So......Why do we expect teenage boys to "like" sitting still and quiet and sing hymns? It's ok that they find church hard because faith is the living out and not the attending of church. Let's not force kids into moulds of faith.

But guess what....this is hard and costly in time and energy.  To provide resources and activities that meet the needs of the full range of kids, young people and adults takes a huge amount of input.  But it's worth it; this is discipleship, this is God's work on earth.  And therefore I subscribe to the opinion that

If the roof is leaking then put a bucket under it, instead of fixing it let's pour the church resources into kids work. Help our kids act out their love for Christ in their lives and through church.