Harmony in a Discordant World
LETTER BY GRACE POUCH
Inside every person, from the very youngest to the most senior, there is a beautiful melody in the making. A masterpiece that God wants to bring forth, with our cooperation. Brian Morykon (who is out this week) says it this way in “Song Inside” from his recent album:
There’s a song inside everyone
Pulsing like the sun
It’s the melody you’re made for
You gotta wait, wait, wait for it
Wait upon the Lord
Wait when you wanna run
Though the night may be long
The morning will come
When we consider the spiritual challenges facing today’s young people, we may fear that our noisy, discordant world will drown out the holy songs inside them.
Concern for “the next generation” is legitimate. Struggles with loneliness and distraction due to frantic schedules and mind-numbing technologies are well-documented. Many young people exhibit an underdeveloped capacity for deep thinking, deep feeling, and deep relationships. The statistics show that teens and young adults are opting out of church at record levels. Considering these and other challenges, how can young people have a thriving life with God?
That was the question behind Wednesday’s webinar: Next Gen Spiritual Formation.
If you are looking for an uplifting conversation about young people’s spiritual formation, I hope you’ll check out the webinar recording and other resources below.
And keep an eye out for more from us in the coming months on the next generation. We want to cooperate with all that God is doing to bring young people into a flourishing and harmonious life with him, and we are hoping to equip others to pull in the same direction.
Grace Pouch
Content Manager
P.S. — This week we have an abbreviated newsletter, but we’ll be back next week with our usual line-up, including the Quote, Image, and Ponder offerings.
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LET’S DIVE IN...
CURATED BY GRACE POUCH
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1.
The recording and resources are now available from our webinar called Next Gen Spiritual Formation: How Can Young People Have a Flourishing Life with God?
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“After listening to a lot of college students I came to the conclusion that they weren’t leaving church because it was too deep. They left because church was too shallow.” Ted Harro delivered a talk at the RēGathering Conference in June that included his perspective on why young people often feel disconnected from the Body of Christ. Listen to Life Together, Here and Now.
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How do we pass on to young people something true that they can rely on and something beautiful that can sustain their hope? How do we help them know that they belong? I’m pleased to share a chapter called “Reading Down” (from my forthcoming book) about the way that childhood stories cultivate a sense of belonging and a moral compass for kids…and for grown-ups, too.
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Rebecca DeYoung, Andrew Arndt, and Ron Mackey joined me for a conversation on “The Next Generation and the Church” (also from RēGathering).
Grace Pouch
Content Manager