There are some conversations that never expire. Forever in the background, or the forefront, is the conversation of how to maintain and train youth presence in the church. Because of the linear nature of time, we know that the elders in church leadership now, were once the subject of discussion to a collection of previous elders decades prior. The youth are our future. This is a fact known and celebrated, but not always understood. ANN InDepth has conducted many discussions on how best to prepare and equip the next generation for church leadership.

Every generation asks the question: “why are the youth leaving the church?” It seems like we are constantly wondering why the teens and twenty-somethings are not staying in the church, or if present, not active. Many leaders have witnessed this apathy and, knowing that the church is a body of believers of all ages, desire to bridge the generational gap and prepare a new generation of leaders. Yet before the responsibility of leadership can be expected, relationships must be made. Kevin Wilson, the Associate Pastor at the Oceanside Adventist Church, states “the young people who step up to the plate, at least in my church context, are the ones who have had an extra complex network of authentic relationships within the church and also a pastor [who] really supported them.” In an attempt to remove any flaws that would make young people leave, we also run the risk of turning the church into a hotel for saints, rather than a hospital for the sinner. 

Productive authenticity is crucial for any relationship. Just as the brokenness of our sinful state should not be celebrated or left to remain, the image of sinless perfection should not be upheld in the name of proving our salvation. Both must be surrendered for young people to feel encouraged and understood in the church environment. Gary Blanchard, the Youth Director of the Seventh Day Adventist World Church, also has stated that such authenticity can be daunting but is necessary for healthy relationships to develop. Benjamin Lundquist, the young adults ministries leader for the Oregon Conference of the North American Division, continues this point by saying encouraging young people to stay in the church requires creating a safe space for them and through, what he calls, “withing”. “If you want to maximize the impact of mentoring you gotta have a long term mindset,” Lundquist states. 

Relationship is a crucial, but not final, step. Authentic relationships create the space in which the real work can be done to bridge the gap in which many twenty somethings fall into. Too often it is believed that teenagers, college students, and post grad individuals leave the church because of a lack of belief or restless radicalism that is opposed to the steadfast perfection of church life. This is not always the case. From the ages of 13 to 30, young people are searching for community and identity. These are the lost and restless years that consist of confused searching. If such searching is condemned as poor spiritual character, or if the church dismisses young people as being too unsettled for the unchanging traditionalism of church liturgy, then they will look for spaces outside the church for answers and identity. 

We as Christ followers have the unique advantage of a Gospel savior that is so whole, so complete, so perfect, that it fulfills every need. In addition, Christ has told us discipleship is a key component to our faith. These truths make us as believers perfectly called to create safe spaces of growth, questioning, and development for those in seasons of confusion. Many ministries rise to that responsibility, formulating open arenas in which strong characters can be built with gentle guidance. Unfortunately, many understand the idea of fostering young people, but fall short in practice. For some, a young person’s failure to abide by rigged church standards, is seen as a failure of the young person to abide by God's word. Here is where conflict can arise. When law and tradition are seen as equal, or greater than, God's gospel, then a young person's desire to invite new methods or practices can be confused with an attack on the gospel itself. What would we say to a 17 year old Ellen G. White entering as a forerunner of the Adventist Movement, if she entered our church today? Would we listen to her radical exposure of the Bible, or reject her as a young girl, immature in the faith and a blasphemer of tradition? We don’t know the power of our youth if we do not listen and act, potentially stunting ministry. 

If the purpose of the gospel is to share the transformative salvation of Christ, then the method will always adapt to the changing attentions of people. The sooner we as a church allow young people to apply changing methods of ministry to an unchanging gospel, the sooner we can excel. If authentic intergenerational relationships have encouraged a strong biblical foundation, then we as a church can be confident that the next generation are equipped to explore new ministries and ideas for leadership. In the same way, we as a church can respect the teens and twenty something’s authority by allowing them to not be a token young person in the name of training the youth, but active voices in ministry leadership. In this way, young people don’t reject leadership positions in the fear that trial and error is not an option, but will pursue leadership, regardless of title, because their church is a space that encourages growth and respects ingenuity. 

The tools learned in these spaces will foster success in professional, personal, and academic spheres. It will teach young people how to formulate and maintain healthy intergenerational relationships which can lead to professional networking and personal fulfillment. Knowing how to ask questions, take criticism, and share innovative ideas, will give them confidence in their professional lives. And finally building bridges between students and church communities in college or academies, like the app Public Campus Ministry, will continue the cycle for generations to come.

Yet in all of this, we must allow young people a voice in the conversations surrounding their spiritual lives. Rather than sitting in speculation or talking around young people, invite them to lead the conversation surrounding what we as a church can do to better guide them. Then church, we must listen and act. If we do not listen, if we do not walk into mentorships with an open hand, ready to release our preconceived notions and the keys to our comfort zone, we run the risk of going against the very thing God called us to do. The conversation surrounding how we are to invite young people to not only stay, but lead, must be grounded in grace and the understanding that the call for discipleship is greater than our methods, our traditions, and our generational gaps.