Adolescence is a period of change — there’s nothing much more obvious than that, but that doesn’t mean it is easy to cope with.
The pace of any developmental process seems to be in overdrive at this time. The child in Sunday school at eight years old is very different to the 18-year-old about to leave the youth group and it is because of this rapid physical, emotional and spiritual development that pastoral care for our young people is so vital. Change produces questions in people’s minds and young people need to have someone who can help them through these changes.
Prayer
It’s easy to get into maintenance mode in our youth ministry and to forget that we are in a spiritual battle for the hearts and lives of vulnerable people. As leaders, time spent in praying for our young people is not an afterthought — it is a key part of your ministry. If you have a team meeting, give time to praying for specific needs in the lives of your students. Some people carry round with them a list of young people to pray for during the day — pray for them while they are at school and facing many pressures. Are there people in your adult congregation who could pray for young people? One church I knew had some very senior ladies who said ‘they couldn’t do much but they could pray’ — and they did.
