ENGAGING THE NEXT GENERATION

Key Takeaways

• The value of the next generation: Children should not be marginalized by the church. They are inherently valuable to us, the world, and the future because they are going to lead us into that future.
• Children are the church: Children need to be valued and know that they matter. We need to empower them to discover their gifts and to use those gifts. They are not just the future church – they are the church.
• Generational faith: Our job as adults is to create a catalyst for passing faith from one generation to another – and to empower the entire community to pass faith on to the next generation.
• Fostering developmental relationships: Intentionally recruit people to care for and be a community for that young person. To get adults more engaged with youths, conduct service projects or hold small-group sessions so that they can learn from each other.
• Youths as agents of change: Really listen to what youths have to say. Allow them to fully engage in the process, as they’re naturally open to change because they’re in a developmental stage of life. Everything about their lives is changing.
• The role of empathy: Those who are going to champion children are going to be the ones who recognize their pain and joy, feel it, and share it with them. We need people in this world who feel what teenagers and children feel as they're going through those stages of development.