Looking At Our Young Church

I've been following a series of discussions about young people and the Church today. As a pastor in a contemporary church this subject is foremost on my mind as I see the dwindling number of younger faces within our pews.

I listen to a number of young catholics and their stories are similar. They don't tend to look at their spiritual lives in the same manner that some of us older catholics do. By and large they treat their churches in the same manner they treat their families. They want to have their parish with them for their milestones: baptisms, confirmation, marriage, graduations and funerals but they do not see the need to be with them weekly.

I find that they are deeply spiritual, in a novel way, but they don't look at belonging to a faith community (read church) in the same way that we were raised. How can we as a church respond to this?

I found the following quote from a researcher in the US who has examined in depth the lives of several young catholics. The following reflect the sum of some of what she found:

"Young people today are more reachable than any generation that preceded them. Cellphones allow them to be accessed almost anywhere, anytime; emails and instant messaging can grab them when they're on a computer; text messaging allows them to "get answers" nearly free of the typical demands of interpersonal discourse; Skype and Facetime virtually beam another person into a room. Even though there are many modes of communication, opportunities for true communion with other human beings seem to be eroding.

Whenever I have the chance to speak to young adults, whether college students or young professionals, I always like to ask them what the ideal religion would offer them. I typically get the same two answers. Most young adults want a place where they can be quiet and practice some type of meditation. They also express a desire for a small group to meet with regularly just to talk.

It's not surprising. Young people are awash with noise, not only streaming from their computer speakers and ear buds, but also the constant stream of visual noise flashing on laptop, TV and smartphone screens. All of these distractions make it challenging to be present to any one thing and to be heard by any one person. Having the chance to be silent or to sit quietly with a small group and talk offers them what is lacking both in our culture and our church. McEntee and Bucko understand the challenge young adults face in finding emotional and spiritual intimacy, which is why they envision small communities based on the model of spiritual friendship.

What is also lacking for young people is the capacity to trust most religious authority. I think this is why Bucko and McEntee are so careful to insist on mentoring relationships between young adults and spiritual teachers rather than the traditional guru/disciple model. Who can blame young people for being suspicious of religious leaders? It is important to remember that today's 20-somethings were at an impressionable age when the sex abuse crisis broke 10 years ago.

When they were children, adolescents and teens, they were forced to hear about priests who were abusing of children, adolescents and teens and about bishops who were aiding and abetting the abusers. Whether or not they were raised Catholic, this is a stark image of the church they have known from childhood. How can they possibly believe in any kind of moral credibility or spiritual safety from the church when all they've heard about is children their age being violated by the church?

If there is anything about the church that still appeals to young adults, it is the social justice work, the outreach that many faith-based organizations offer to those in need and on the margins of society. The beauty of the new monastic vision is it encourages young adults to commit both to a contemplative life and to easing the suffering in the world. So it offers them what they want, which is to engage in the work of social justice, and what they need, which is a safe space for quiet contemplation and an opportunity to develop their own spiritual practice." (Jamie L. Manson)

I think this reflection should give us pause and hope as we, as Church, seek to respond to those who we are seeking to provide a comfortable place to pray. if you would like to read more you can read the whole series of articles written at:

http://ncronline.org/blogs/grace-margins/spiritual-hunger-young-adults-where-does-it-come-and-what-might-they-need