Much has already changed as a result of the Covid-19 coronavirus, and many significant changes are yet to come. Businesses have closed, unemployment spiraled out of control, and factories shuttered for good. Even churches have seen the impact, forced to connect using technology new to many members, and work within budgets now stretched by increased community needs, and shrinking tithes.
In the midst of all this change, one thing remains constant—life events keep happening. Babies are born, weddings go on, loved ones pass away, and marriages dissolve. All these adult problems have the capacity to blind us to some milestones the church has the capacity to impact in profoundly important ways. These are the markers— the milestones— that affect our children and youth.
Remember your senior year in high school? Images of homecoming games and dances, skip days and cramming for finals, prom, graduation and preparing for a job, the military or college— all these may come to mind. Those are the genuine milestones— graduation, transition to the next phase of life as an adult, walking into an unknown future.
Then there are the less easily defined milestones. Moving from Kindergarten to first; meeting a new teacher; trading grade school for middle and middle for high school. And there are the other markers easily missed. Saying goodbye to a teacher who helped you navigate coming to school without breakfast; nasty comments from thoughtless peers; struggles to learn and difficulty with reading.
Each of these milestones and markers offer churches an opportunity to pay attention, and to become involved in the lives of children and youth with the potential to shift the course of their lives. Each provides a chance to engage with kids never before available to us. Each gives us an opening for sharing Jesus by serving them as Jesus would. Each allows God’s people to impact our communities for the sake of Jesus and not as a means to attract people to our church. In short, each allows us to be disciples of Jesus, and behave as Jesus would.
The ideas are endless, and you will only need to ask for input from parents, teachers, principals, youth leaders and children and youth themselves. They will share more need than you can imagine! From those ideas, find a few that resonate with your willing volunteers. A breakfast or lunch program; video chat gathering for a high school class reunion; reading program via computer video conferencing; socially distant lawn mowing program to find jobs for needy kids and lawncare for homebound senior adults; mentoring and care package program for children of “essential workers;” a weekly craft program connecting bored children with creative adults and fun activities; throw a number of experiments at the needs, and see what sticks!
Children and youth have lost a great deal to this virus— everything from special life events to saying goodbye to friends and teachers they may never see again. The church can help ease that burden through the building of genuine relationships and serving as Christian disciples just as Christ has modeled. In this time of great worldwide upheaval and loss, find a need and meet it. Note the milestones that are passing without fanfare and the shifts that have occurred in the lives of our kids. Listen well. Find opportunities to allow young people to share their sadness and loss; involve them in ways to help others, knowing that we often recover best through opportunities to take control and serve others; and most important of all— love them just as they are! God created them, loves them, and calls us to share that Good News!
Rev. Erica Van Brakle and 2 others
Much has already changed as a result of the Covid-19 coronavirus, and many significant changes are yet to come. Businesses have closed, unemployment spiraled out of control, and factories shuttered for good. Even churches have seen the impact, forced to connect using technology new to many members, and work within budgets now stretched by increased community needs, and shrinking tithes.
In the midst of all this change, one thing remains constant—life events keep happening. Babies are born, weddings go on, loved ones pass away, and marriages dissolve. All these adult problems have the capacity to blind us to some milestones the church has the capacity to impact in profoundly important ways. These are the markers— the milestones— that affect our children and youth.
Remember your senior year in high school? Images of homecoming games and dances, skip days and cramming for finals, prom, graduation and preparing for a job, the military or college— all these may come to mind. Those are the genuine milestones— graduation, transition to the next phase of life as an adult, walking into an unknown future.
Then there are the less easily defined milestones. Moving from Kindergarten to first; meeting a new teacher; trading grade school for middle and middle for high school. And there are the other markers easily missed. Saying goodbye to a teacher who helped you navigate coming to school without breakfast; nasty comments from thoughtless peers; struggles to learn and difficulty with reading.
Each of these milestones and markers offer churches an opportunity to pay attention, and to become involved in the lives of children and youth with the potential to shift the course of their lives. Each provides a chance to engage with kids never before available to us. Each gives us an opening for sharing Jesus by serving them as Jesus would. Each allows God’s people to impact our communities for the sake of Jesus and not as a means to attract people to our church. In short, each allows us to be disciples of Jesus, and behave as Jesus would.
The ideas are endless, and you will only need to ask for input from parents, teachers, principals, youth leaders and children and youth themselves. They will share more need than you can imagine! From those ideas, find a few that resonate with your willing volunteers. A breakfast or lunch program; video chat gathering for a high school class reunion; reading program via computer video conferencing; socially distant lawn mowing program to find jobs for needy kids and lawncare for homebound senior adults; mentoring and care package program for children of “essential workers;” a weekly craft program connecting bored children with creative adults and fun activities; throw a number of experiments at the needs, and see what sticks!
Children and youth have lost a great deal to this virus— everything from special life events to saying goodbye to friends and teachers they may never see again. The church can help ease that burden through the building of genuine relationships and serving as Christian disciples just as Christ has modeled. In this time of great worldwide upheaval and loss, find a need and meet it. Note the milestones that are passing without fanfare and the shifts that have occurred in the lives of our kids. Listen well. Find opportunities to allow young people to share their sadness and loss; involve them in ways to help others, knowing that we often recover best through opportunities to take control and serve others; and most important of all— love them just as they are! God created them, loves them, and calls us to share that Good News!