How to catch teenagers/youth attention to religion?

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Jeremias_Thomas

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It’s always a difficult question, because they search their own ways and it’s normal bay the way. But they have often negative images of church, they can think that it’s for old people, or it’s just somthing “has been”, not in the mode any more.
But of course there are many ways to invite them. I just want to share one example.
It’s that we can join them where they are or what they are interested in, (music, sorts, videos, dance etc…) and in the same time we can show up christian values. (christian songs, dance which are kind of modern, but with a christian message.) Sometimes it’s work really good!
I share a little video example here, but as I sad it’s just one way among many others.
Share your ideas!
youtube.com/watch?v=sOhuZQJE36c
 
Live out your faith, and we’ll have an example to live by.
 
As being part of the generation you’re talking about, Church used to be really boring. I didn’t feel anything special from the masses and didn’t like getting up early to go to them. Heck I’ve been going to Catholic schools for most of my life, but what they teach didn’t get me interested in the faith. From what I have heard, a lot of other people close to my age see Catholics as too “strict” and think it would be too hard to live as a Catholic. I don’t think there is much that can be done to help us, we kind of just have to find it for ourselves. But it does help to have good examples set for us. That way we see the benefits that rise from your relationship with God. I think Saints are very inspiring for example, and interesting.
 
My church is in the middle of the city, conjoined with the surrounding buildings. So the parish basically owns like 3 little “blocks”, with a fence around it. One of these buildings they made into a youth recreation center for 13-18 year olds. Anyone can go there and play video-games, pool, ping pong, watch TV, play indoor football (read indoor soccer :doh2: ), dance and so on.

I think that is a superb way to attract young people. It also keept some of the troubled kids off the streets, which helped them ALOT. The people who volounteer to “babysit” the place are always devout christians and are good with youngins. So the teenagers got used to being at the church and associated it with a good time. Plus everyone that went there had one thing in common. Their faith. So there was a feeling of belonging.

Obviously this did not make everyone go religious, but at least they warmed up to the Catholic church. :rolleyes:
 
There was no “AHA!” moment in my journey to Catholicism. It was a gradual realization that “yes, this makes sense” and “no, Catholics aren’t a bunch of medieval misogynists.” If I had to point to one moment that I was really certain “this is for me” it’s when I texted my friend over spring break while I was camping to ask her who the new Pope was, as I didn’t have any internet access. As she was telling me more and more about Francis, and the huge impression he had already made, and I kept getting more and more excited, I realized I had never cared about anything more than this election of a man halfway around the world to lead a group I wasn’t a part of.

The thing that brought me to take my (Protestant) faith seriously was a longing for meaning in life. The thing that brought me to Catholicism was a longing to know what Absolute Truth is. I found that in the Church.

The best way that Catholics can lead teens to the Church is to be Catholic and be awesome at the same time, and never let them say “meh” about God.
 
An addition to what everyone’s said (definitely being a living demonstration of the JOY of being a follower of Christ and the miracle of Mass and the amazing privilege of being able to receive Holy Communion would be clear by one’s actions/words) - I’d say:

Sex! And by this I mean - Theology of the Body. Before I go more into this - a few observations/comments: Jazzing up Masses such that they’re more appealing to youth may entice their senses, but without a true understanding of the Holy Mass, it won’t keep them there. Having fun stuff & activities, that have youth want to come and be involved with - but without deepening in their faith and explaining the whole “why no sex before marriage”, or growing their love for the Holy Mass, encouraging personal quiet mental prayer time etc etc (the list goes on) - these youth will leave home and be in the secular world, and most likely eventually leave their faith.

I remember watching Freedom to Love (or reading?) - and Chris West said/alluded to - it’s not easy to evangelise these days, most people in the western world have heard about Jesus and have an idea who He is etc. Probably the most effective way to evangelise, is to talk about sex. Theology of the Body for Teenagers (DVD series by Jason Evert & his wife & Brian Butler?)- are REALLY great. And Freedom to Love is for Young Adults (by Chris West).

With all the media & society promoting the ideology of “do whatever you want whenever you want with whomever you want” these days - chastity will be the biggest struggle for young ones, IF they don’t understand that the church’s teachings is not a big No, but rather a huge YES to something totally beautiful and amazing!!

And whether they’ll admit it or not, we live in such a “sex-ed up” society with internet so widely available, teens & youth are pretty clued up and not as naive as we may have been 10-20 years ago. If you were interested in doing something in a parish, or diocese, besides the usual youth group activities - I’d highly recommend running Theology of the Body as part of the Catechesis - SUCH a major topic, that if not understood from the teen years could see lots of them leaving the church eventually.

God bless
 
I know this may upset some but I like the way the Protestants have Youth nights (usually Wed nite). They have fun events & then appropriate spiritual teaching. Before I converted I saw the neat work some of these ministries to the community. Even some Catholic kids would attend. Something like Life Teen nights are good, as long as they really try to bring in non-christians & address their needs.
 
White_Peony said:
Live out your faith, and we’ll have an example to live by.
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Not to be difficult, but what does this “nice” statement mean in everyday life? Give an example how to demonstrate this to a kid with no religious inclination & is probably headed to hell unless something changes.
 
ajaxbogs said:
Not to be difficult, but what does this “nice” statement mean in everyday life? Give an example how to demonstrate this to a kid with no religious inclination & is probably headed to hell unless something changes.
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People living out their faith brought Jesus to life for me.
 
White_Peony said:
Live out your faith, and we’ll have an example to live by.
Click to expand...
This is. . . IF you’re lucky that anyone spends more than 5 minutes with you or there is time for someone to really get to know you.

But life goes by too fast, and interaction too short, so the whole “show by your life” approach doesn’t work. It fails.

For teenagers, evangelization should probably try to involve getting youth to understand their social responsibilities, social dimension. . . the teen years are years of such individualism and such enjoyment of new individual freedom, that it’s tough to discuss morality in any way.
 
Captain_America said:
This is. . . IF you’re lucky that anyone spends more than 5 minutes with you or there is time for someone to really get to know you.

But life goes by too fast, and interaction too short, so the whole “show by your life” approach doesn’t work. It fails.

For teenagers, evangelization should probably try to involve getting youth to understand their social responsibilities, social dimension. . . the teen years are years of such individualism and such enjoyment of new individual freedom, that it’s tough to discuss morality in any way.
Click to expand...
Nope.
It doesn’t fail, because those few of us that are watching others participate reverently and thus causing us to be inspired, do exist. We are watching. Seeing if there is hope for our church while the smoke of sat*n does what it is doing, causing schism and heresy and liturgical abuses. With hopeful eyes we are watching.
 
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