As we ate, I could tell that these college students were digesting more than their chicken sandwiches. After all, Chick-Fil-A usually brings smiles, but these people had pensive looks on their faces. So I asked, “What’s on your mind?”
It was the homily from the past Sunday. The priest had addressed a sensitive subject for most of them. They weren’t sure what to make of it because it didn’t quite match their reality. So they asked me for my thoughts.
I was tempted to recite Scripture or what the Church teaches on the subject, but I could also see that they wanted to know how it was impacting my life. Whenever a young person asks what you think it can be intimidating. There is the pressure to give them the perfect answer, but if there is one thing the synod is teaching us it’s that young people want authenticity.
I told them, “Like you, I’m still processing it, but this is what I do know…” I went on to share with them what I believed, what I knew, and what I didn’t know. I knew my role at that moment wasn’t to give them an answer but show them how to process the deep and enriching truths of our faith.
That’s where we mess up as a Church when it comes to the questions of young people in our parish. We give them answers, but we don’t show them the work, struggle, and journey that get us there. That’s because it means being authentic and vulnerable. It means admitting to mistakes and saying, “I don’t know.”
And, that’s okay. In fact, we need to promote more authenticity and we can do that in several ways:
- Viewing ministry and outreach as an apprenticeship opportunity: Inviting young people to serve is more than just getting them active. It’s inviting them into another way of learning about the God who loves them. The best way to do this is to partner them with men and women who are passionate about their involvement in the Church. Encourage them to engage in one-on-one conversations that go beyond the service opportunity. Have your active volunteers and leaders look at the young people who surround them as an investment in growing leaders. Young people crave the attention, wisdom, and passion, which will give them an authentic look at parish life.
- Training catechists to act like mentors: If you want young people to engage with the older congregation then it starts when they are small children. Have your catechists close the books so that they can invite children and teens into conversation. Use your faith formation as a guide where young people learn how to interact with adults. This means training your catechists to ask questions that lead to conversations where information is acquired. It’s about instilling trust and showing young people that your value doesn’t come from what you know, it’s based on the fact that you are a child of God.
- Asking leaders to be authentic from their platforms: Young people care about the teaching of the Church and they want to know the truth of the Gospels, but they also want to know how it’s impacting your life. That’s a responsibility the entire Church owns, but it starts with those in leadership. Pastors need to share what’s happening in their lives from the pulpit. Lay staff and volunteer leaders need to get out from behind their desks and meet with people for one-on-one conversations. The more vulnerable we can be and share what Christ is doing in our lives the more we can show young people the real God. We’ll break down the lie that you need to be perfect to connect with him and that he loves you regardless of where you are in life.
Whether you are employed or just someone who shows up on Sunday, reach out to someone young and get to know them. Invite them into your journey with God and offer to walk with them as well. Be the true Church by remembering that even though we have a lot to figure out, we’re still loved by him.
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