Spiritual Journey Press

P.O. Box 3041, Mercerville, NJ 08619

Welcome to Spiritual Journey Press!  Let's explore our journeys together!  Use the mail order form  to purchase Endless Possibilities and other Spiritual Journey Press products. 

Religious Experiences in Lives of Contemporary Youth

 By Rev. Dr. Lee B. Spitzer

In reaction to the challenges posed by a twenty-first century postmodern cultural context, religious communities are grappling with how to provide effective spiritual education for youth.  The goal of these activities is to provide a firm foundation of childhood spiritual experience so that youth may subsequently take their place as committed adult members of the religious community. 

Some methods employed are traditional in nature, while others evidence a willingness to experiment.  These include cultivating knowledge and awareness of foundational sacred texts, modeling the faith for youth to observe it in action, encouraging youth to practice spiritual disciplines, including youth in religious ceremonies and services, and involving youth in mission and other cross-cultural experiences. 

Cultivation of Awareness of Foundational Sacred Texts 

Foundational sacred texts serve to ground youth in the spiritual beliefs, traditions and ethical norms of the religious community.  In Judaism, the tradition of passing on knowledge of God’s Law is as ancient as the religion itself (see Deuteronomy 6).  Since the nineteenth century, Protestant Christianity has emphasized the importance of youthful study of the Bible through the now ubiquitous Sunday School program.  Islam stresses the need for children to learn both the Qu’ran and Hadith.  Beginning in 1988, the Gita Society has embarked on an ambitious campaign to produce age appropriate children’s materials on the teachings of Hinduism’s foundational text, the Bhagavad-Gita.

Often, the teaching of a language accompanies the study of the sacred text.  Examples of this practice include the study of Hebrew by Jewish children, Sanskrit by Hindu children, and Arabic by Muslim students.

Adults Modeling Spirituality for Youth 

The interaction between youth and adults is a key component to spiritual development.  In ancient Confucian philosophy, the subordination of youth to their elders exemplified this connection.  Similarly, in contemporary practice of spiritual formation children and youth begins with the adults in their lives taking responsibility for living what they teach.  Accordingly, adult leaders are expected to practice the religion’s spiritual disciplines and model faithfulness to the precepts and values of their religious community. 

For example, in the Youth Ministry and Spirituality Project coordinated by San Francisco Seminary, adult leaders of local church youth ministries form a small supportive community dedicated to cultivating a contemplative life.  Each member is asked to practice disciplines of lectio divina (a form of spiritual reading of Scripture) or silent contemplative prayer for at least ten minutes a day, enter into a spiritual direction relationship in order to promote accountability, and engage in a monthly reflection exercise with other leaders to discover how God is moving in and through their ministry with youth.  The leaders’ lives communicate spirituality by example instead of by mere assertion.    

This spirituality based model of youth education is notable for two features – a lack of dependence on a single paid professional youth pastor and the intentional inclusion of youth into the faith community’s journey.  Layperson teams that are accountable to pastoral staff often serve as their spiritual directors.  The interaction between these lay leaders and children symbolizes the acceptance, caring and love of youth by the larger adult faith community.  Wisdom and nurture are meant to flow through intergenerational interaction.  Instead of segregating youth, this model encourages youth to interact with other generations as equal partners. 

Encouraging Youth to Practice Spiritual Disciplines 

Youth are yearning for direct spiritual encounters of the divine presence and authentic practices which will facilitate such experience.  As a result, they are very open to learning about and experimenting with classical spiritual disciplines.  In Taiwan, for example, Chinese Buddhists are emulating Christian Protestants by sponsoring youth religious camps.  Children gain experience in Buddhist meditation, chanting and singing, and also receive instruction in the Four Noble Truths.  In the United States, the Hindu community has initiated a youth meeting program called Bal Gokulam, which features prayer recitation, readings from Hindu texts and opportunities for socialization with other Hindu youth.

In regards to Christian Bible study in both Roman Catholic and Protestant settings, lectio divina is being applied in youth group settings.  Through repeated readings of a Biblical text, youth are encouraged to listen to their own hearts and the voice of the Spirit speaking through the passage.  When practiced in a group setting, sharing takes place in an atmosphere of quiet attentiveness.  The goal is to cultivate a spirit of contemplative reflection and awareness in each person, as opposed to teaching a pre-conceived lesson to the group.

Journal writing is another classical form of spiritual reflection that has gained a measure of acceptance among youth.  Whether it be in a blog (an online journal which others are invited to read and even respond to by posting reactions) or a more traditional paper journal, contemporary youth seem comfortable with examining their daily experience as an act of spiritual exploration.  This also corresponds with the postmodern emphasis on sharing one’s narrative as an act of self-expression and truth sharing.

Not all contemporary Biblical exercises for youth hearken back to classical sources for their inspiration.  Versions of the New Testament which are packaged in youth-oriented magazine style format are popular among older youth and teenagers.  These modern language Bibles focus on questions that are culturally relevant (such as how to get along with one’s parents, dating Godly partners and beauty secrets).  If lectio divina seeks to foster the soul’s desire to discern God’s subtle presence, trendy texts for teens respond to the youthful need to respond to the loud and insistent voice of contemporary culture.

Participating in Religious Ceremonies and Services 

Religious rites and ceremonies for children are characteristic of most religions.  Hindu rituals are related to the conception, birth, naming, first feeding of the new born child, and later on in childhood, his or her religious initiation (for boys born into the Brahmin caste, for example, at age eight), while Yoruba Muslims living in West Africa practice naming ceremonies for children upon their birth (see Carmody and Carmody).  The Jewish practice of circumcision for male infants and the bar/bat mitzvah for teenagers are well-known rites of passage.  In Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism and some Protestant denominations, infant baptism and confirmation are analogous to the Jewish practices.  In Protestant denominations which reserve baptism for those consciously embracing their faith, child/parent dedication ceremonies are now commonplace.

Many children and youth prefer to be active participants in the intergenerational religious ceremonies and worship experiences their faith community offers.  To be sure, there has always been a place for youth participation in the past (for example, children’s messages), but the current generation of youth desire to be leaders as well as congregants.  They want to impact others and not just receive instruction.  Inclusion and partnership with adults rather than passivity characterize their understanding of their place in worship services. 

With the rise of contemporary praise worship in Protestant churches, youth can help direct worship service experiences by being part of the praise and worship team (which leads the singing) or the instrumental praise band.  Variations on this theme include youth bell choirs and puppet ministries.  Youth are involved in such innovative areas as liturgical dance and religious drama.  In some settings, the traditional acolyte team is being retooled to include more youth in worship leadership roles (candle lighting, public Scripture reading, leading of responsive readings, and prayers).  The rising use of multi-media presentations is also an acknowledgement that youthful expressions of devotion are informing the worship experiences of all generations. 

Challenges also have emerged in this regard.  Many children and youth who are visiting and attending youth groups come from home environments where religious teaching, training and practice have been non-existent or from families challenged by divorce and relational disruptions.  Such youth often need to be oriented to the expectations and norms of the youth group setting in regards to acceptable behavior, dress, and use of language.  It cannot be assumed that they will have even a cursory knowledge of the faith community’s beliefs, religious ritual or behavioral expectations.  Meeting their psychological, social and religious needs while simultaneously serving the different needs of youth raised in the religious tradition is often difficult.  There is no consensus on how to address this challenge.  Some youth groups create parallel tracks which tailor lessons according to the level of assimilation or spiritual maturity youth manifest and provide social activities which include all youth.  Other youth groups encourage core youth to be positive role models and mentors for new and less assimilated members.

Embracing Mission and Cross-Cultural Experiences 

Children in the twenty-first century live in a multi-cultural world.  Diversity for them is not a theoretical idea, but a commonplace aspect of daily existence, whether it be in their neighborhood, school, or house of worship.  In order to foster understanding and peaceful coexistence, many youth groups add a comparative religion component to their youth group experience.  This may entail using curriculum which examines other religions and compares their beliefs and practices to one’s own, or visiting other houses of worship. 

The familiar youth group trip is also being transformed by the desire to experience other cultures.  Many youth groups are forsaking such time-worn activities as ski trip retreats for more adventurous undertakings, such as short-term trips to other countries.  Although educational in nature, there is almost always some service component built into the cross-cultural encounter.  A youth group from the heartland of the United States may visit a Mexican church and teach in a Vacation Bible School.  A youth choral or bell choir might organize a tour and visit several locations over two weeks.  Or, teenagers might travel to the Caribbean to help build a church school wing.  Increasingly, cross-cultural travel is becoming a two-way street.  Countries which traditionally have hosted visitors are now sending youth delegations to other countries.   

   The benefits from these cross-cultural experiences are many.  For the youth themselves, exposure to other cultures enlarges their worldview, increases their appreciation of their own culture, and gives them an opportunity to express and apply their faith.  Congregations which sponsor the youth mission events also benefit from this exchange.  Their adult members are given an opportunity to express support for their youth (financially as well as through prayer) and are often surprised by how the youth group’s post-mission trip presentation affects their own religious presuppositions and perceptions.  The host congregations benefit as well.  Resources for needed projects are received, supportive relationships and positive friendships are established, and follow-up opportunities for continuing interaction (such as ongoing sister church relationships) become possible.

References and Further Reading

            Brooker, Wendell.  Storyweaving: You and Your Faith Journey.  (Judson Church Membership Resources for Growing Disciples Series).  Valley Forge: Judson Press, 1990.

Carmody, Denise L. and Carmody, John T.  Ways to the Center: An Introduction to World Religions, Fourth Edition.  Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1993.

            Huesser, D-B and Phyllis.  Children as Partners in the Church.  Valley Forge: Judson Press, 1985.

            Revolve: The Complete New Testament.  Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2003.

San Francisco Theological Seminary, Youth Ministry and Spirituality Project web site home page -  www.sfts.edu/nc/resources/index.cfm/fuseaction/ymsp/fuse/welcome/

            The Gita Society web site home page – www.gita-society.com

Copyright © 1998-2007 Spiritual Journey Press.  All rights reserved.