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Reculturing Youth Ministry: The Disciple as Critical Thinker
by Chris Folmsbee Posted in Adolescent Development"I want young people to be better thinkers."
Now What? Dealing with Kids’ Fear of the Future
by Karen Jones Posted in Adolescent Development"Who they become in the future is dependent on who they are allowed to be in the present."
My Teen Seems on the Fringe
by Mark Oestreicher Posted in Adolescent Development"The teen years, and the young teen years especially (11-14), are a natural time of change ... And a major shift in friendships is almost always part of the package."
Missing Both Ends: Adolescence Changes Youth Ministry
by Chuck Bomar Posted in Adolescent Development"Tension" is probably a good word to use for the adolescent stage of life. Typically the parent tries to keep his child in childhood, while the child pushes toward adulthood. Although approached with immaturity, adolescents want to think and act in ways that are adult-like. On this side of parenthood, I understand both sides. However, it's one thing to find the balance as a parent or fight for it as a child, but how do we address this as youth workers?
Fish Guts and Pig Intestines: Rites of Passage for Adolescent Girls
by Ginny Olson Posted in Adolescent DevelopmentIn May 2003, in a wealthy suburb north of Chicago, a mass of almost 100 high schoolers assembled in a forest preserve to observe a rite of passage that had been going on since the late ’70s—the junior vs. senior girls’ touch football game. During this annual ceremony, the senior…Read More
A Rite in the Wilderness
by Mark Yaconelli Posted in Adolescent Development"A number of questions emerged for our ministry team. How can our kids grow toward a mature, adult form of faith if their images of adulthood are so vague and negative? Don't we as a church need to help them develop a faith that can accompany them into adulthood?"
Boys to Men: Rites of Passage for Guys
by Scott Francis Posted in Adolescent DevelopmentWhen did you first feel like you were a man? Was there a moment when you thought: I guess I'm grown up now? Are you still waiting for that moment? When did your father start thinking that you were a man?
Am I an Adult or Not? There’s More to Being a Teenager than Just Growing Up
by Marv Penner Posted in Adolescent DevelopmentAdolescence is a complex blend of childhood and adulthood. As teenagers' thought processes become more sophisticated, youth workers still should be sensitive to a kid's need to be a kid.
