Witnessing to your faith with teens and Young adults

One of the most important things a ministry team can do in youth and young adult ministry is witness to their faith, on a deep and personal level. Teens don't want to just be handed a bunch of facts. They can read a book or more likely look up facts on the Internet. This is the information generation. They have facts up to their ears. They know where to find facts. What they need is real life experiences. They want to know what you believe and why. They want to hear your stories of faith and struggle and all the messiness of conversion. They want to know how it impacts your life. How has your life been changed and guided by what you believe?

This is often the subject matter of retreats. [See Retreats, coming soon.]

However, faith witnessing can happen and should happen consistently throughout the ministry process, for this is what will make it real to your students, and what will encourage them to share their own faith, as it unfolds. Today's students who have grown up with TV, movies, video games, Internet, and so on crave real stories. Reality TV is tapping into that need [however unreal]. We were once an oral tradition culture. This is one place they can still experience that.

Also see <<The Sunset Story>>, a story of a special experience with Junior High youth related to this subject.

Something important to establish in a ministry is the sense of safety. It is OK for them to talk things out, as long as they are being respectful of others in the process [and not completely derailing what is going on, which sometimes happens].* Often in YM you have to be flexible. You may come with one agenda, but they may come with another need. Or something may have happened during their day or week that needs the light of the Gospel and the comfort of a faith community. In those cases, this is a more important “teachable moment.” I have had multiple experiences of something happening in the youth community or in the news that had to be processed immediately. Columbine for example, and subsequent acts of violence in the youth community. 9-11. Natural disasters. Teen suicides, which sometimes come in multiples. These are critical issues that need immediate attention and help to form a faith community and a sense of safety. Your ministry should also stress that what is shared there is not to be shared anywhere else without the person's permission. i.e. not gossiped about the next day at school.

Also see <<Warning your students that you are a mandated reporter.>>

Witnessing to your faith is something that grows with experience. You are not asked to share anything you are not comfortable with. This rule should also apply to the youth. But the more comfortable you are sharing your faith and feelings, they more they will feel you are real and the more they will feel safe expressing their own experiences of faith, doubt, struggle and grace. However, caution must be exercised that what you share is age appropriate, and ministry appropriate. If in doubt, discuss it with your pastor or team. As a team member, be sure to step in if someone else is sharing something not appropriate in ministry. Change the subject or give a reminder signal to be appropriate. Take a team member aside so as to not affect their credibility with the youth. Check with your team, your leader, your pastor and ask for other resources if you are in doubt of the appropriateness of what is being shared, or what you are thinking of sharing (such as in preparing for a retreat).

*[However, there are some instances where you will have a student who isn't really interested in learning, but is more interested in disrupting, and does this consistently. This is what I meant by derailing.]

Some things to think about when preparing to share your faith:

How did you come to your sense of faith, of your experience of God in your life?
Where do you feel closest to God?
How has your life changed as a result of these experiences?
Where were you before you found God? Where were you looking to fill your life?
How has Jesus' example, words, love made you a new person?

Please also see these sections coming soon: retreats section, the Road to Emmaus retreat, where Jesus meets us along the way for more suggestions.

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