May I Just Say

I posted around a month ago about how the 'State of the Church' survey asked what age group the survey taker fell into, and how there wasn't even a category for those members of the Church who are under the age of 18.  (Fortunately, after my post, the good Connectional Table folks updated and corrected their survey. )

Well, the first phase of the survey has been completed and the data is being analyzed. . .

One of the major findings that the Connectional Table has published from the survey is this: "All those polled agreed it is important to make the church relevant to young people, and many said young people relate better to young pastors."

May I just say, that I have to wonder how many young people actually participated in the survey, considering it is young people who are being discussed?  I wonder how many young people said they can relate better to young pastors?  And I wonder of those young people who can 'relate better to young pastors', how much of that is really true and how much of that is what the church has taught them to assume?

Personally, I don't think age has all too much to do with being a good pastor,  any good pastor is relateable.

I think that many times we get caught up in the "youth pastors must be 20-something year old men, who sport goatees, wear rock t-shirts, and walk around with guitars strapped to their backs " idea of a youth pastor.  Older pastors -- and may I just include elderly pastors -- can just as effectively minister and relate to young people as the 20-something year-old can.  Sometimes, the search for the "right" person to relate to young people leads us right past the perfect older person who has been there all along.

Though, don't get me wrong, I am not at all saying that we don't need young pastors.  Quite the contrary! In the United Methodist Church, young (under the age of 35) Elders as a percentage of all Elders dropped from 15.05% in 1985 to only 4.69% in 2005.  And that's scary.

And since I'm on the subject of statistics, may I also just say that it is terribly depressing/shocking/scary/sad that only 4.6% of the United Methodist Church's members are under the age of 18? And may I just say that I knew that our Church was an old one -- with an average age of 57 -- but I didn't realize that the situations was this dire?

Often times I get caught up in statistics, and things of the sort;  things that are not concrete, if you will.  And so, I have to bring myself back from an almost indignant ( I apologize) state of mind.  With that return to "reality", I find myself asking these questions :

1) What can we do about a statistically -- and literally -- dying Church?

2) What can I do to be a faithful agent of change for the Church?

3) What can we do about assumptions regarding ministry with young people that may not be true?

4) What is there  to do?

5) How can I get past merely writing words and feeling emotion and step into grace-full action?

I would love to hear some of you reader's thoughts. . .

Comments

[David]

Natalie,
As a part of the project I am doing with the young adult clergy of Cal-Pac (we are defining this as those under 40, to have some sort of helpful representative sample) I could really use the link to the location you used for your statistics of percentages for young adult clergy. Please email me with that link.
Thanks!!!
David

[natalie]

Sure, David. You can find the statistics on the Lewis Center for Church Leadership's website at www.churchleadership.com ... I'll email you a direct link to the findings.

[DogBlogger]

Are you thinking of going for a position on your Conference delegation to GC 2008? Because you should. Did you apply to give the Young Adult address there? I hope so.

We're going to have to work within the annoyingly bureaucratic system we've got for the next decade or so, until members begin to die off in larger numbers and it really starts to crumble beyond the point that people can keep living in denial. It pains me to type that, but I'm pretty sure it's true. There's no way the UMC, the church I love, can look the same 20 years from now if it's going to survive.

Natalie, God working through you gives me hope. Keep it up.

[David]

Thanks for the link. Got it covered now, and even managed to sneak a link to you in my latest blog.
Peace,
David

[more cows than people]

Natalie, just found you through RevGalBlogPals, I guess you're next on the list after me! I really appreciate what I've read on your blog so far and wanted to make sure you are aware of the Fund for Theological Education, in particular their undergraduate fellows program. You'd be an excellent candidate for their programs and wanted to connect you. I'm sure with your YTI connections you've heard of them, but if not... www.thefund.org.

Keep blogging and I'll be back.

[will smama]

Welcome to the ring! GREAT questions... I often ask myself those things and I am twice your age (although still considered 'young' in my denomination - especially as clergy).

[Susan]

Hi!
Welcome to RGBP!!! I so enjoyed reading your latest comments. Also, appreciated knowing your thougths about clergy (working w/ youth) not necessarily having to be "young." I am just past being "young" and a major part of my work as associate pastor is youth and children. I throughly enjoy it, occasionly worry about being "old", but love just talking with my youth. I just like to know what they are thinking about.I want to get a copy of Practicing Passion. Hope to hear some of your thoughts as you are reading it. It is refreshing to hear your viewpoints and see your depth.
Peace,
1-4 Grace

[Cathy]

Welcome to RevGalBlogPals! We are glad you joined us!

[Deb]

How to keep the church from dying? Keep it biblical AND relevant. How to do that? Eh. No clue. That's what I'm stumbling along musing about every day. The one thing I do know - I have to keep MY heart fresh with God, MY faith steeped in His Word. The rest I pray about, occasionally screw up and frequently wonder about...

Welcome to RGBPs! :)

d

[Quaker Pastor]

Welcome to RGBP!

[Lorna]

hi
welcome to Rev Gals.

I like what you write. I don't think it's true that only youthful pastors can relate to youth - but it is true that young people can easily be ignored in church. The way I see it is that we all are the church of today - not only of the church of tomorrow. I'd like to explore ways of getting older teens and young adults involved in the real life of the church - also in leadership roles - leading cell groups etc because I think what God is doing in your life is very important - as important as what he's doing in mine.

[Melissa]

It's definitely hard to be a young voice in the UMC. My Conference had severe problems with youth presence, and oftentimes, I wasn't taken seriously because I was a youth. As a young adult, especially one preparing for ordained ministry, I face the same challenges.

The church is facing a crisis like it's never faced before, and the culture in society is changing faster than the church can get a handle on it. Youth and to a certain extent, young adults are caught in that weird culture gap...and the church can help fill it, if it only gets its act together.

At this point, I think conversation is called for -- lots of it! Contact your conference leaders, and ask to sit down with them and have a conversation about your concerns. Ask about ways that you can be involved and ways to empower other young voices to get involved. Organize something at a district (or even conference!) level. Contact your CCYM. This is the best way to get people to realize that the way they've been doing youth ministry might not be working anymore.

It's hard to change a culture that treats youth as something to be seen and not heard. People will want to say "oh, look...isn't that cute...a youth!" Unfortunately, agism is alive and well in our church.

[Shawna R. B. Atteberry]

Welcome to RevGals.

[beth]

When I was in seminary, I worked as a youth pastor where the congregation assumed youth would flock to me because I was young too. It just doesn't work that way. In fact, I'm the youth coordinator here in NCNY, and I think I do good work, but I'm no where near to the coolness factor of our sister conference's youth coordinator, who is twice my age.

Making change? I think the hardest part is bridging the gap between those of us who are already 'in' - you know, young United Methodist nerds who, despite frustration, are involved in all the crazy hierarchy and systems and agencies - and those who are 'out - those who don't know it, and don't care about it, and have a hard time believing they'd care if they knew...

[revabi]

good questions, I haven't found an answer myself.

[revabi]

Hi Natalie, I took your blog post and lifted it up on The MethoBlog. I hope people come over an post some thoughts for you.
What thoughtful questions for a young person. I don't have answers, I am searching too. I do believe though with young people like you asking the questions, seeking, praying, the future is in good hands.

[Aaron]

I almost laughed out loud when I read what you said about "I have to wonder how many young people actually participated in the survey, considering it is young people who are being discussed?" Unfortunately I missed this meeting, but a couple months ago an older member of our church said "We need more young people. They [being the young people] need to work on that." He missed the point, and you made it a few lines down--some of the best people I've known in ministry have been older. Let's see, there was Jackie, a retired grandmother, who led my small group in high school. Raymond is a youth pastor I've known for years who's over 70, past numerous health problems and still making a difference in the lives of young people. Maybe us young leaders aren't doing enough to help empower the older generation to help us out and walk alongside us in ministry...

[Griffey Shoes]

Classic exposition, I have also mentioned it in my blog article. But it is a pity that almost no friend discussed it with me. I am very happy to see your article.

[Griffey Shoes]

I don't know how to receive my responce.