Growing Congregational Health for Teens to Thrive
This workshop explored ways in which a congregation can present an atmosphere that welcomes and encourages teens.
A congregation is a lot like a garden: there are areas of health, fruit-bearing, and beauty—along with weeds and other things that constantly threaten that health. As congregational leaders we are called to tend the garden, strengthening its health and working to contain the "weeds" so it can flourish. This workshop will focus on our role as garden-tenders as it concerns teens. What can we do to encourage growth? How might we deal with those particular toxins that teens are vulnerable to and/or those that congregations are vulnerable to concerning teens? How does our congregational approach to worship, community, and education affect our teens? This workshop will provide participants with the tools to meet with others back home to assess the state of the garden and plan strategies for greater fruitfulness.
Presented at the 2014 Calvin Symposium on Worship by Syd Hielema