Kids Need...

After working in the field education for seven years, spending many hours interacting with teens and young people as a volunteer for church ministries, and even having a few years of experience being a young person myself I have begun to reflect on the idea of mentorship and "what kids need" as they grow into adulthood. So far, I have come up with three broad categories.

1. Kids need to hear about God's plan for life, and, even more specifically, about God having a plan for their life. God's existence and even His attributes can be seen in creation, but the Gospel comes through a messenger. God must consider direct communication (information) important since He gave us the Bible. The transmission of GOD's message of hope and change must be passed on!

2. Kids need to see good role models. This includes parents, of course, but in the tween and teen years they need to be able to look outside of the nuclear family to see examples of how to live well.

3. Kids need to feel the love of God in a tangible way. This happens through individuals and through community. Faith and truth are not just intellectual pursuits; they are experiential as well. In fact, a postmodern generation might argue that these are more about experience and feelings than thinking and knowing.

So, kids need to hear and learn about the Bible, they need to have individuals who will take time for them (i.e. mentors), and they need to be part of a supportive community which includes their peer group as well as people unlike themselves. This may sound like a good commercial for getting kids involved in Church. I suppose it is, but what about kids who don't have a church or youth group to go to? I am not talking about kids who dislike church, but rather kids who have no church in their proximity. Kids who live in a country where they can't speak the language or kids whose parents are starting churches on the mission field. That's why I am excited to go to Croatia! I am excited to get involved with missionary's kids and other English-speaking kids living in Croatia. I am thankful that God can use my passions, gifts, and experiences to meet real needs in the world.