Youth and Relationships

Pastor Rex DeckardCalvary Apostolic Church

Many young people Many young people struggle with loneliness, struggle with loneliness,

feelings of feelings of worthlessness, worthlessness,

relativistic confusions, relativistic confusions, anger, hurt, anger, hurt,

meaninglessness, meaninglessness, indifference, and unmet indifference, and unmet

needs.needs.

Only 12% of people Only 12% of people under 18 are coming to under 18 are coming to church in America. Even church in America. Even worse, only 10% of these worse, only 10% of these people continue going to people continue going to

church when they are church when they are adults.adults.

Eighty-eight percent of America’s more than 30 million teenagers are un-

churched. Of the 12 percent who do currently attend church, 80 percent will stop attending before they graduate from high

school.

Surveys show that 90 percent of

people who give their lives to Christ do so before the

age of 30.

Nearly 50% of the Nearly 50% of the world’s population is world’s population is

under 25. In most under 25. In most countries in the countries in the

developing world, developing world, 50% of the 50% of the

population is under population is under 15.15.

There are more than 3.5 There are more than 3.5 billion people on the billion people on the

planet who are under 20 planet who are under 20 years of age. Sadly, if years of age. Sadly, if they live to adulthood, they live to adulthood,

many of these dear many of these dear young people will not young people will not

become Christians and become Christians and spend eternity without spend eternity without

God.God.

Youth today have never Youth today have never heard of 45s or Henry heard of 45s or Henry

Kissinger. They have never Kissinger. They have never known a world without known a world without

microwaves, cell phones, microwaves, cell phones, and video games. They and video games. They

have also never known a have also never known a world without AIDS, car-world without AIDS, car-

jackings, child abductions, jackings, child abductions, gang wars, and internet gang wars, and internet

pornography. pornography.

When you asked When you asked them for their address them for their address

it often ends in “dot it often ends in “dot com.” They have com.” They have PDAs to organize PDAs to organize their day, MP3s to their day, MP3s to

organize their music, organize their music, and they still can not and they still can not

keep their room clean.keep their room clean.

Who influences youth the most?

Studies show that the top three influencers are:

Parents (or parent figures)

Peers Media

The Younger a child is, the

more they are

influenced by family

The older a child is, the

more they are influenced by

peers

"Life is made up of relationships." The foremost of these relationships would center around those involving the Lord, our families, the church, and then others. The strength that is built into these relationships is a determining factor in the content of a person's life.”

Mark Christian

We must work to seek out positive friends, and create wholesome recreational opportunities within the church for young people to socialize and bring friends

James Dobson says,

We should never take something away from youth unless we are prepared to offer something else in its place.

As society goes, so go the Youth of society

Agrarian AgeIndustrial AgeInformation (modern) Age

Agrarian Age

A long childhoodBrief adolescencesMarried young, long adulthood

Industrial Age

Shorter childhoodSlightly longer adolescence that included increased labor and education

Long adulthood

Modern Age

Brief childhoodVery long adolescence with more free time

Adulthood reached later than in previous generations

Issues this presents

Peer and media influence are much greater than ever before

Less responsibilities Delayed marriage

longer ‘dating’, delayed physical gratification

A huge market for entertainment, media

A redefined relationship within the family

One of the primary implications of this is that we must start reaching out to youth at a younger age than ever before, and continue to an older age than ever before. It isn’t just 13-18 anymore.