In the Seven Practices of Healthy Youth Ministry book, released through Concordia Publishing House, we sought to help youth leaders, parents, and those who care for young people in the church have language for what congregational youth ministry could and should look like. One of the outcomes of healthy youth ministry is that each young person develops a resilient identity in Christ. But what exactly does that mean?
Below is an excerpt from the book that might better help describe resiliency and why we should build it in our youth ministries.
The imagery we often use when we talk about resilience is a tree. When a tree is deeply rooted, connected to water, and in good soil, it is very difficult to knock over. It can face winds, storms, squirrels, and more while maintaining its health and integrity. However, if the tree’s root system is shallow or damaged, it can be much easier to uproot. Once that is done, it is incredibly difficult to stabilize and grow again.
We are deeply rooted in the identity given to us in our Baptism. Each Christian is both sinner and saint. God tells us who we are in Christ. As we understand more and more about our faith, our roots grow deeper in the rich source of God’s Word. Deeply understanding our baptismal faith is vital, as is growing an identity in Christ that can withstand the pressures and storms of life.
Psalm 1:2–3 says of the righteous man, “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season.” When we spend time in God’s Word, be it in worship, in prayer, or as the Spirit moves us to put it into action, we meditate on God’s Law. We see our need for a Savior, repent, and receive forgiveness. But notice what that time in God’s Law does. It plants deep roots so that it can bear good fruit.
We want young people to be like deeply rooted trees and have resiliency. Resiliency is the quality that allows individuals to bounce back and adapt when faced with stress, adversity, or tragedy. In some settings, resiliency means the toughness or durability of a substance. This word is used in many secular settings. Perhaps you have even used it in an educational or mental health setting. Perhaps you have used it to talk about the strength needed for a construction item or technology. In the seven practices, we will use it in a slightly different way.
Resilience is a characteristic that allows young people to meet new people, face new circumstances, ask for help when they need it, and engage in challenging situations while maintaining their identity in Christ.
Healthy youth ministry helps youth know about faith and grow in trust in the One who gives knowledge, grace, and forgiveness. Resilient youth stand firm on the foundation that is Jesus Christ. This resiliency is tough and has the capacity to stick around even through the most difficult times.
In Scripture, we don’t see the word resilience, but we do see similar words that describe what it: faithfulness, perseverance, endurance. Young people may know Bible verses, hymns, the Small Catechism, and every creed and prayer, but if they lack resiliency, they may be tossed about by the challenges of the world, the devil, and our sinful nature. Like in the parable of the sower, faith is like a seed. But when not placed in good soil, it will likely be scorched and wither.
In the Millennials and the LCMS study, we asked young adults who had grown up in the LCMS but who were now in another denomination or outside of the church altogether why they left. One thing that struck Mark and Julianna was how some were open about how they were taught what the church believed but not why. As a result, when they were faced with a more compelling argument, they changed what they believed. Certainly, this wasn’t everyone’s story, but it calls back to the trees that are well-rooted for resiliency and the ones that may not be. Fostering resiliency is about helping give youth the relationships and tools to be able to hear new ideas and be friends with those who believe differently without losing who they are in Christ.
In our divisive, sinful world, Christians are inevitably going to come across resistance. Teens will need their resiliency eventually; they cannot be hidden away in protected greenhouses forever. Youth ministry is a place of preparation for what teens face now and what they will face in the future. As they mature and develop a strong identity in Christ, they will need fewer supports.
If youth leaders are nervous about a teen’s future, they should remember to put that worry in the hands of Jesus. It is God who provides good, deep soil and water. God gives young people the ability to be humbly confident as they meet new people, discover new circumstances, or work through disagreements. Through transitions and crises, resilient young people will return to the means of grace as they face challenges in this world. We do not know what the future holds for those in youth ministry, but we pray with confidence, knowing that God has them in His hands.
To read more, click here to purchase the book.
Or read more about the Seven Practices on YouthESource.
© 2023 LCMS Office of National Mission—Youth Ministry. Published by Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved.
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