Young People and Religiosity in the European Socio-Cultural Context
English-speaking Group Discussion on 16th November 2016
with
Deli Kapani, Prakash Vijaya Maramreddy, Roshan Miranda, John Peter Savarimuthu
In discussing chapter three of the class text, we gathered our thoughts around two main questions. Since we do not work in Europe, we asked ourselves the first question. Instead, we proposed (in our imaginations) the second questions to the parents of youngsters.
1) How can we understand and bring out the Spirituality within the contemporary European young culture as to attract young people to the meaning of life and the Christian message?
The European context in religion has often been characterized as one of unavoidable secularization, particularly among young people. But still can pointed out, religious belief remains high in Europe, even where communal religious practice does not. We can characterized this as “believing without belonging”. This sentiment highlights the way some young Europeans find a sense of belonging in an ethnic or regional religious identity without necessarily practicing communally. So it is the challenge to the present Church how to touch these young souls and bring them to experience, encounter God and build strong spirituality among them.
- First, youths need a sense of belonging. They need a meaningful place in a group that they value where they feel they belong. For us, this means they are able to say, “This is my church.” But many youths don’t find a sense of belonging in church. They might be more apt to say, “This is my parents’ church.” Our goal and challenge is to help them find a sense of belonging.
- Second, youths need respect rooted in valued skills. They need to be helped to develop skills to serve within the Church, and then they need to have those skills affirmed as valued by the Church. Many youths in church feel like unneeded and unappreciated. Our goal and challenge is to equip our youths and then give them a meaningful place in meaningful ministry.
- Third, youths need a sense of self-worth. This is related to the second need, but goes even further, where youths feel accepted and valued for simply being for their presence as people, not merely for their contribution as workers. Our goal and challenge is to consistently show our youths that they are deeply valued and loved as individuals.
- Fourth, youths need reliable and predictable relationships. In particular, they need a few relatively close relationships with members in the group. Our goal and challenge is to see that each youth is connected to other youths in friendships and to at least one non-parental adult in a mentoring relationship.
Youth spend much of their lives particularly fulfillment of these needs. To do so is not selfish, nor ungodly. Rather, these needs are part of how God has made us. Youth can seek to meet these needs in unhealthy, ungodly ways (in gangs, clubs or cults, for example), but in our Church they should have these needs met in ways that help them come to know Jesus and then grow as his followers.
2) As Parents and the Church leaders today, what could be the valuable contribution that we can give to these young people to have strong spirituality among them and value Christian message?
- Personal rapport with the young: not to create age gap and impose rules and regulations instead follow them and friendly with them to spread the good news.
- Accept them as they are in order to involve them and encourage them in the mission.
- Send them to other parts of the world as a volunteer and social service in the view of experiencing, building and witnessing of the Christian value.
- Presence with them: as an animation presences evaluate Christian values and Spirituality.
Thank you and God Bless You ….
Summary by Roshan
