Is Conscience Formation in Christian Youth Ministry Necessary?
Conscience formation in Christian youths may in fact be the most pressing need in ministering to modern-day adolescents.
And here's why.
As children enter and go through adolescence they become more and more autonomous in the situations they are exposed to...
such as early sexual activity, abortion, same-sex marriage...
and so forth.
Adolescents are more and more free from adult supervision as they decide how to judge or act in those situations.
And with the advent of the internet and all of its blogs and socializing opportunities...
it is probably true that cyber people have far greater opportunity to influence each day the values teenagers develop than do parents or ministers.
However, the role of Christian parents and ministers does not change.
They are still responsible to see that a Christian moral code accompanies their adolescents as they make more frequent autonomous decisions about what is right and what is wrong.
And the Christian standard for morally right and wrong interactions with the world is the Ten Commandments...
the objective standard to form judgments and take actions of which God would approve (Ex 20:1-17; Mt 19:16ff; Jn 14:15-24).
And so, active conscience formation in adolescents should be based on the Ten Commandments for several reasons...
to their parents...
and to their neighbors and friends.
Follow the link below to read examples of what happens when youth ministers teach adolescents that their feelings are the moral determinants of right and wrong.
And here's why.
As children enter and go through adolescence they become more and more autonomous in the situations they are exposed to...
such as early sexual activity, abortion, same-sex marriage...
and so forth.
Adolescents are more and more free from adult supervision as they decide how to judge or act in those situations.
And with the advent of the internet and all of its blogs and socializing opportunities...
it is probably true that cyber people have far greater opportunity to influence each day the values teenagers develop than do parents or ministers.
However, the role of Christian parents and ministers does not change.
They are still responsible to see that a Christian moral code accompanies their adolescents as they make more frequent autonomous decisions about what is right and what is wrong.
And the Christian standard for morally right and wrong interactions with the world is the Ten Commandments...
the objective standard to form judgments and take actions of which God would approve (Ex 20:1-17; Mt 19:16ff; Jn 14:15-24).
And so, active conscience formation in adolescents should be based on the Ten Commandments for several reasons...
- Following the Ten Commandments is how Christians demonstrate their love for God
- The Ten Commandments act as a brake on feelings as the moral standard...
- by requiring us to do what we may not feel like doing (e.
g.
visiting a parent with advanced Alzheimer's in a nursing home)... - and prohibiting what we feel like doing (e.
g.
illegally downloading copyrighted material from the internet).
to their parents...
and to their neighbors and friends.
Follow the link below to read examples of what happens when youth ministers teach adolescents that their feelings are the moral determinants of right and wrong.
Source...