Keeping the faith beyond the teen years
My story on today’s cover of The Oklahoman’s “Life” section focused on the ways campus ministries seek to connect with students at several of the state’s colleges.
However, that was not the focus of researchers who reviewed the data from The Barna Group’s study mentioned in the story.
The study noted that despite strong levels of spiritual activity during the teen years, most twenty-somethings disengage from active participation in the Christian faith during their young adult years and often beyond that.
Researchers indicated that churches could do a better job at discipling teens so that they don’t fall away from the faith when they are in their twenties.
“Much of the ministry to teenagers in America needs an overhaul — not because churches fail to attract significant numbers of young people, but because so much of those efforts are not creating a sustainable faith beyond high school,” David Kinnaman, the director of research, wrote.
“There are certainly effective youth ministries across the country, but the levels of disengagement among twenty-somethings suggests that youth ministry fails too often at discipleship and faith formation. A new standard for viable youth ministry should be — not the number of attenders, the sophistication of the vents, or the ‘cool’ factor of the youth group — but whether teens have the commitment, passion and resources to pursue Christ intentionally and whole-heartedly after they leave the youth ministry nest.”
In his report Kinnaman said the Barna research team is conducting more research into what leads to a sustainable faith, but they have already observed some critical enhancements that youth workers might consider.
“One of those is to be more personalized in ministry,” Kinnaman wrote. “Every teen has different needs, questions and doubts, so helping them to wrestle through those specific issues and to understand God’s unique purpose for their lives is significant. The most effective churches have set up leadership development tracks and mentoring processes to facilitate this type of personalization.”
Here are more findings from the survey:
– Most twenty-somethings maintain outward allegiance to Christianity: 78 percent of twenty-somethings say they are Christians, compared with 83 percent of teenagers.
– Loyalty to congregations is one of the casualties of young adulthood: Twenty-somethings were nearly 70 percent more likely than older adults to strongly assert that if they “cannot find a local church that will help them become more like Christ, then they will find people and groups that will, and connect with them instead of a local church.
– Much of the activity of young adults, such as it is, takes place outside congregations. Young adults were just as likely as older Americans to attend special worship events not sponsored by a local church, to participate in a spiritually oriented small group at work, to have a conversation with someone else who holds them accountable for living faith principles, and to attend a house church not associated with a conventional church. Interestingly, there was one area in which the spiritual activities of twenty-somethings outpaced their predecessors: visiting faith-related Web sites.
What do you think? What would help young people continue to “keep the faith” from their teen years on into their young adulthood?
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Homeless finding their voice in election
The faith-based City Rescue Mission held a homeless voter registration drive this week in cooperation with several partnering agencies like the Homeless Alliance and Catholic Charities.
Tom Jones, director of the homeless shelter, 800 W California, said the mission joined other such efforts in conjunction with National Homeless and Low Voter Registration Week activities held across the country in recent days.
“So many times in their mind the homeless don’t think they’re eligible,” Jones said. “They sometimes feel bad with the way things have happened in their life, that they’re not important. This is just one of the ways that we remind them that they count and they have a voice.”
Shelter spokeswoman Tiffany Webb said City Rescue Mission held a registration drive in September and 68 people registered to vote. She said leaders had asked people attending a chapel service if they had voted in the last presidential election. When only a few people raised their hand, the registration drive was organized.
“This helps raise awareness that they are viable citizens,” Jones said. “Just because their address is City Rescue Mission does not mean their voices don’t matter and that their vote is not important.”
(PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN/THE OKLAHOMAN: Jennifer Gooden, program coordinator with the Homeless Alliance, and Kim Woods, homeless services coordinator with Catholic Charities, assist Gary Havard as he registers to vote at the City Rescue Mission in Oklahoma City on Thursday.)
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Faithful Five: Weekend Events
Here’s my “faithful five” — five events going on in the faith community this weekend, Oct. 10-12. If what you read below intrigues you, go check it our for yourself:
1. Faith goes to the movies. “Billy: The Early Years,” a feature film chronicling evangelist Billy Graham’s childhood, early adulthood and calling to the ministry, premieres in theaters today. The film’s actors said both Christians and non-Christians alike will probably enjoy the movie on some level. Actor Armie Hammer, pictured above, portrays Graham.
2. Talking about theology. The Oklahoma Conference on Reformed Theology will be from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday at Britton Christian Church, 922 NW 91. Conference theme is “Calvin: Still Relevant After 500 Years“ with speaker W. Robert Godfrey, president of Westminster Seminary in California. Sessions are: Calvin: a Man for All Seasons, Calvin on Faith, Calvin on the Church, Calvin on Scripture. Refreshments and fellowship will be provided before and after each session. Registration is free. For more information, go online to www.reformokc.com.
3. Singles take on Red River Rivalry. Crossings Community Church is offer an OU/Texas Watch Party for singles at 11 a.m. Saturday at the church, 14600 N Portland. The gathering will be held on the church’s third floor. Doors open at 10:30 a.m. Singles are encouraged to bring their favorite football snacks. Pizza will be provided.
4. Women shine the light. A Women’s Ministry Conference begins at 6:30 p.m. tonight and continues at 10 a.m. Saturday at Fairview Baptist Church, 1700 NE 7. The theme for the conference is “Women of God Whose Purpose in Life is to Shine in This Dark World.” Registration is $25 for Women’s Missionary Union members and $10 for guests. For more information, call 232-1621.
5. In need of guidance? A Dallas-based Christian dance company called Guidance will present two performances of “Believe: the Gospel of God’s Promise” at 7 p.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church of Oklahoma city, NW 12 and Robinson and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Waterloo Road Baptist church, 3100 E Waterloo Road. “Believe” is a theatrical dance portrayal of the Gospel. For more information, call First Baptist at 232-4255 or Waterloo Road Baptist at 341-9024.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Yom Kippur: Day of Atonement
Today is the first day of Yom Kippur, which began at sundown Wednesday.
It is the Day of Atonement in the Jewish community, a day of fasting, prayer and repentance.
In addition to fasting, I learned several years ago that Jewish congregations revisit the book of Jonah on Yom Kippur.
The story of the reluctant prophet Jonah and his unsuccessful attempt to flee from God and God’s assignment is meaningful, bringing up themes of hope, repentence, forgiveness and responsibility.
Yom Kippur is a time to ask God’s foregiveness and to ask the forgiveness of those one has wronged. It is also a time to forgive others.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Holy Rowers making headway
Sam Crilly and his group of Holy Rowers from Hillsdale Freewill Baptist College are pumped and on a mission.
Crilly’s group participated in the Oklahoma Regatta Festival last week.
Now they’ve been invited to participate in a race in Houston, Texas.
For those unfamiliar with these young men from Hillsdale, they are lead by Crilly, who is a student program coordinator at the college, 3701 S. Interstate 35.
I did a story on Crilly back in March which chronicled his journey from a mean, streetwise brawler and Toughman champion to a born-again Christian passionate about winning souls for Christ.
This week Crilly is ecstatic about the way his group has taken to the sport of rowing. They can’t wait to get back out on the water again.
For information about the Holy Rowers or to make donations for the upcoming trip to Houston, call Crilly at 924-0667.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Southern Baptist prayer vigil continues
Many Oklahoma Southern Baptists are in the midst of the 40/40 Prayer Vigil which began Sept. 24 and continues through Nov. 2, right before the presidential election on Nov. 4
The prayer effort is to culminate with 40 hours of around the clock intercession during the last three days of the vigil. This 40-hour finale is to begin at 4 p.m. Oct. 31 and end at 8 a.m. Nov. 2.
Participants have been encouraged to focus personal spiritual revival, then to expand their circle of prayer concerns.
More details are located on the Southern Baptist Convention’s Web site at www.sbc.net.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Faith and politics
As Election Day nears, churches and other organizations are offering lectures and forums that bring together the worlds of politics and religion.
Here are a few upcoming activities:
– Church of the Open Arms is hosting a panel discussion exploring the relationship between faith and politics on three consecutive evenings beginning at 7 p.m. Thursday at 3131
For more information call Jim Stovall at 204-0811.
– NORMAN — Charles Kimball, new director of Religious Studies at the University of Oklahoma, will present a public lecture from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 21 at the Oklahoma Memorial Union, 900 Asp. Ave. on the OU campus.
Kimball, author of the book “When Religion Becomes Evil,” will speak on the topic “Religion and Politics in the 2008 Election: Can You Tell a Sunni From a Shiite … or a Baptist From a Catholic?”
A book signing will follow the lecture. The lecture is free and the public is invited to attend.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Oct. 5 Faith Bookshelf
I’m calling this posting “Faith Bookshelf” and it is the first in a regular Sunday blog series. I get numerous books from publishers all over the country and this is a way to highlight some of them.
Sometimes I might share a few lines about recently released books or perhaps offer a short list of those books focusing on a particular theme.
Today’s books center around the theme of Judaism, appropriate since the Jewish faith community is celebrating the High Holy Days:
“Hope, Not Fear: A Path to Jewish Renaissance”by Edgar M. Bronfman and Beth Zasloff (St. Martin’s Press, released Sept. 16, $24.95).
This book is a passionate plea to the Jewish community, urging members to celebrate the joy in their culture and religion. Further, it urges Jews to recognize their responsibility to help heal a broken world.
“Who by Fire,”by Diana Spechler (Harper Perennial, released Sept. 23, $14.95).
“Who by Fire” is an emotional portrayal of a family struggle to find the role of faith in their lives. The product of four years of writing and research, the book perfectly captures the conundrums of religious fundamentalism in modern life and introduces Diana Spechler as an enormously gifted writer.
“Checkpoints” by Marilyn Levy (Jewish Publication Society, released Sept. 12, $14).
This is a young adult novel that brings to life the realities faced by teenagers in the
Middle East today, as politics and prejudice threaten to tear lives and relationships apart. The friendship between two girls, one Israeli and one Palestinian, is put to the test when a tragic incident befalls the Israeli girl and her family.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Animals receive blessings today
Today is St. Francis of Assisi Day and congregations around the country are blessing their pets in fun-filled family-oriented ceremonies.
A blessing of the animals service on Oct. 4 recognizes the ideals of St. Francis of Assisi, who wrote a Canticle of Creatures, an ode to God’s living things, according to the National Council of Churches.
“A blessing of the animals service reminds us of the values St. Francis held,” Jordan Blevins, the council’s assistant director of the Eco-Justice Programs, said in a prepared statement.
“In the Biblical story of Noah and the Ark, it is clear that God provided for the blessing of animals in the same way that God did people. There are threats to God’s creation present in our world today, particularly regarding the well-being of endangered species.”
Many Oklahomans are planning to take the family pet for a blessing today, Sunday or in the coming days. A local clergyman offers this advice:
– Make sure your pet is on a leash or in a cage.
– Be sure to bring your camera to take lots of pictures.
– Take a pooper scooper … just in case.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Muslims celebrate at Frontier City
Many Oklahoma City area Muslims are enjoying Frontier City today in conjunction with the Eid ul-Fitr holiday which ended Friday.
Eid is the celebration of the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. The three-day Eid holiday began Wednesday with prayers and celebratory gatherings at local mosques.
Saad Mohammed with the Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City, said he expected Muslims from the metro area to join together for a fun-filled day at the theme park. He said some Muslims from Lawton and other areas of the state also planned to join in the faith celebration.
“The kids will definitely have fun,” he said.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
