We are presently in a very new era of ministry. There is no guidebook for the age we are presently in. Cultural, political, pandemic, racial, and religious events worldwide have impacted societies during these past three years in massive yet-to-be-calculated ways! As my son said, "Mom, I am living the history my children and grandchildren will read about in textbooks or studying in Social Studies." We must recognize this about our times, and through prayer and the Holy Spirit (He knows what to do), we will follow His lead.
Here are some stats and facts that are important indicators to us as Next Gen leaders:
The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) shares this.
In an article released on December 8, 2022, CIHI states, "As Canada continues to experience the consequences of the pandemic, mental health is at the forefront of many public discussions."
CIHI's newest data shows that in 2022, three out of five children and youth (ages 12 to 24) with self-reported early needs accessed mental health and substance use services. In the winter and spring of 2022, we've had a 200% increase in numbers coming to our emergency room and an increase in a variety of disorders, including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, and suicidal behaviour.
At Minister's Gathering during our Next Gen Realities breakout, Connie Jakab, who works in the mental health arena, shared about Mental Health realities in our Next Gen, and she revealed a stat that was absolutely alarming. The second greatest cause of death in kids in America ages 12-24, is suicide!
Coming out of COVID restrictions, our Next Generation, generally speaking, is developmentally delayed in the Mental, Social, Emotional and Cognitive areas – as well, many of our Next Gen in Canada had very inconsistent, if any, Spiritual Development.
Connie also shared that she has learned in her speaking engagements at Teacher Conventions in Western Canada that teachers are stressed out! Many end their teaching days in tears, constantly feeling overwhelmed as they are expected to "bring the students up to speed" as our Next Gen are academically behind resulting from pandemic happenings. This pressure comes directly after the pandemic season of being on the front lines, where they had to develop online teaching and the neverending interruptions of isolation periods because of a positive case of COVID in their classroom.
Connie challenged us all as we find ourselves in an era where many of our Next Gen are struggling with mental health issues. Her family story emphasizes her revelatory learning: "We should never send the hurting away. We need to bring the hurting closer." This became a message she continues to share widely, writes books about, and a principle that we, as leaders of NextGen, must embrace as we think about these facts. Scripture Union’s survey in 2021 showed the effects of COVID on Children’s Ministries:
59% of churches were not sharing the Good News about Jesus with children in their community during COVID-19
83 % of Canadian Children are Unchurched
63% of people accept Jesus as Saviour before the age of 14
The other very critical topic addressed in our breakout was "Identity."
Austin Toews, Children & Family Ministries Director, BC Yukon Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, challenged us to examine identity. Identity is an important concept that has been studied and discussed by many philosophers, psychologists, and sociologists throughout the ages. Identity is the way we define ourselves and how others perceive us. It is our individualized set of characteristics and traits that are unique to us and that help to shape our sense of self. Identity can be seen as the sum of our experiences, beliefs, values, and attitudes that make us who we are. It is our personal history, our thoughts, and our self-expression. Our identity is something that is constantly evolving and changing as we take on new experiences, learn new things, and let go of old ones. It is an ever-shifting reflection of who we are and how we present ourselves to the world.
Having stated that, I believe one of the most significant issues "The Church" will have to deal with continually, especially with our Next Gen in this new era, will be gender identity and gender expression.
Austin shared this regarding ministry to the Next Gen:
"Starting with sin and heaven makes sense to someone whose cultural narrative is ‘the meaning of life is to be good.’ But for kids and students whose cultural narrative is ‘the meaning of life is to create your identity,’ we need different dots. We need to identify different starting points that help kids and students connect the felt needs they are experiencing as a result of their secular worldview to the message of Jesus. Kids and students feel lonely and disconnected because their lives feel like a performance in which they act out each identity they create for themselves. If you reject or dismiss the identity they've worked so hard to create, their worldview says your words and beliefs must be unsafe; therefore, you must be unsafe. But Jesus offers the only identity that isn't based on human whims or performance. Jesus offers an identity based on His character and His work on the cross. When we recognize the waters kids and students are swimming in and learn to meet them in the fishbowl, we create opportunities for them to feel heard, understood, and receptive to what we have to share. A good summary statement for what we share about Identity to Next Gen should be: the more I look Like Jesus, the more I am the ‘me’ I was made to be."
The best strategy for reaching out to Next Gen is creating a safe place for them to discover Jesus and His Word and to love them! Walk with them in their journey to discover Jesus, do a lot of listening, and let the Holy Spirit do His work in them.
Next Generation ministries right now are like teaching a fish to run, so instead of trying to do that, we need to get into their fishbowl (as illustrated above) as cross-cultural Missionaries and lead like Jesus, love like Jesus, and serve them as Jesus would.
"Let's go into all the world."
Kathy has worked with kids and families for over 30 years in church settings (small, medium, cross-cultural, large, and mega-sized churches), school settings, and early childhood settings. She is presently the Children and Family Ministries specialist at the ABNWT District Resource Centre. She thrives on collaborating and coaching leaders, helping them thrive.