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teenagers

Youth 2011 and Claiming Space

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Last week Kevin & I spent the week alongside my nephew & Josh Vegors putting together the ‘Sacred Space’ for Youth 2011 in Purdue. So what was this ‘Sacred Space?’ Well, it was a contemplative prayer & arts space that we set up that the youth could experience God on their own, where they were, and express that however they felt it.

The thing with crafting contemplative space is that you give up control. In a contemporary worship environment you can control the flow or the highs and lows of emotion through the time. When we do these contemplative spaces you set the stage, but whatever dance that happens after that is out of your control.

I was completely and beautifully reminded of this in this one moment at our Youth 2011 Sacred Space. Josh who was helping out started to take pieces of the artwork that the youth created and placing them in the hallway in a display type manner. Not part of my original plan but it is what he was led to do so we went with it. Hours later I was coming out of the sacred space room and I see this girl sitting on one of the chairs in the hallway. She looks distressed enough that it gave me some cause for concern. So I was just about to walk up to her and ask her if she was okay when I realized that she was actually visually meditating on the art pieces and probably in prayer. So I backed off.

To my surprise even more. She, just then, fell from her chair to her knees and proceeded to hold that prayer posture for some five to eight minutes. It was crazy. This was the freaking hallway.. There was not anything sacred about this hallway, until now. This youth broke some of my ideas of the space we set up in a contained room and took the sacred into the hallway and claimed it as something special.

I think it is neat that teens are wild and uncontrollable. God probably thinks they take after him.

Claiming Space as Sacred
Claiming Space as Sacred

 

Lap Bands for Teenagers & our Failure

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I am really troubled this morning to be reading this article in the LA Times about a leading producer of lap-bands targeting overweight teenagers.

The Irvine company has asked the Food and Drug Administration to approve Lap-Band surgeries for adolescents as young as 14, and is conducting clinical trials on teenage patients, said Cathy Taylor, a company spokeswoman.

Allergan says the device — a silicon ring fitted around the stomach to reduce food intake — has proved a safe and effective way for obese adults to shed pounds. With an estimated one-third of U.S. children now overweight, the benefits should be extended to teenagers, Taylor said.

“We identified a significant need with this patient population in terms of the increasing rate of obesity in younger populations,” Taylor said. “Obesity, if left untreated, correlates to life-threatening diseases.”

Disclosure: I’m not the best (or maybe I am) about talking about weight and health. I’m probably at close to my heaviest weight in my life & I take flack for being clinically ‘obese.’ However, it is not a problem with my body in my opinion. I eat too much and exercise very little. It’s a Gavin psyche issue & it is Gavin who will handle this.

I am trouble by our need in a culture to not take accountability for our selves. Obesity has its population that is predisposed to the illness & the illnesses and psychological affects that come along with it. However, that population is not so large that a medical surgery product company would be angling to market to a niche of that population. We have an alarming issue & a slippery slope we are apparently going to participate in.

Should something like this happen (which teens can already get the surgery if parents sign off on it, the company is just wanting to start marketing to teens) teens will get marketing messages tapping into their fears of being alone or ridiculed (which might be real already). Now they have a medical company telling them they have a magic solution that takes little change to their life except an outpatient day of surgery. It’s an easy fix… That would be the marketing message.

True change in a life, whether it be weight, spiritual growth, education, deeper relationships, health, family enrichment, etc. take intentionality effort & sacrifice. Marketing messages cannot capture that…

As a pastor with teenagers I’ve struggled with the health & eating portion that comes along with ministry programs. Where are we going to stop to eat on the way to the ski slope or missions camp? McDonald’s Wendy’s?… What do we do for our youth swim party/lock-in/Wednesday night worship/visiting group? Cheap Pizza Pizza Pizza…

So here are some quick thoughts in planning for your teenagers if you care for their health:

  • Find low calorie meals that volunteers can multiply easily enough for the number of people in your group
  • Have a parent volunteer (might even have a nutritionist in your congregation) who coaches you & volunteers on nutrition and food vs food product)
  • Stop serving cokes/sodas/pop
  • Pack lunches for the road and stop at rest stops
  • Throw in some frisbees & footballs, maybe a badminton set to have active games while hanging out, that’d be a cool scene at a rest stop
  • Stop looking at travel as a “gotta get there” thing and more of a pilgrimage experience

In other fun listening, check out Spurlock’s latest product placement documentary.

Any other ideas on helping teenagers with food, health and self concept in ministry?

Freaks Geeks Cool Kids & American Consumption

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This post originally written on YouthWorker Movement

I will never forget this one day at youth, I pulled out my reasonably new cell phone that was all cool with a horizontal flip technology and enhanced screen, and one of the teens spouted out “Oh My Gosh! How old is that?” Now truth be told it wasn’t more than 6 months old, but it seemed that the day after I bought it the new improved version (way slicker than mine) went onto the market with a ton of advertising. So before I put in my wife’s phone number it seems my phone was outdated.

Up to that point & certainly since I’ve been fascinated with what I call the “ill” of our nation. Consumption.. and specifically how it affects our youth & young adults. Was totally into thinking like Branded & Story of Stuff, so it was not a real stretch to draw towards a title of “Freaks, Geeks, and Cool Kids: American Teenagers, Schools, and the Culture of Consumption.”

This is not a ministry book in intent, but the lessons drawn from its research are totally applicable into today’s youth ministries. Teenagers behaviors exhibited in how they treat others and place themselves into levels is totally ingrained in them & plays out in our youth communities (not to mention likely in our ‘big’ church environments).

As a sociology research piece it has a lot of dry reading, footnotes & research references are not my favorites to continually read through. The nature of the reading is not captivating as one might find some fictional writings. But, in between these pieces there is a ton of great insight into teens motivations to their behaviors. If you are wanting a break & challenge from the normal ministry book, this is a good choice to make.

If you do think of purchasing, go for a used version, or do like I did, get the Kindle or other electronic format. The price is always the big pain in purchasing research based writings.