by Reagan North

“What is teenage life to me? That’s a good question. If I said what teenage life is to me in one word, it would have to be ‘hard.’ No one really gets you, and you don’t even really get yourself. You’re just starting to figure yourself out, who you are and why you are here” – high school student.

Apart from a radical conversion experience, adolescence is the stage in life during which one’s identity is most shaped. As seen in the above quotation, this is a tumultuous, confusing, and difficult time for most teenagers, and the stakes are high. This being the case, it is quite confounding that many parents and other adults think it best to “give adolescents space” and to allow them “the freedom to make their own decisions and mistakes.” This is probably due in large part to the fact that most teenagers give the impression that they are not interested in having loving adults involved in their lives. In fact, the exact opposite is true. Teenagers “are desperate for adults who care enough to look beneath the surface of their layered living, to stand beside them in the midst of their inconsistency, and to gently and patiently lead, shepherd, and guide them into adulthood” – Chap Clark.

It is the joyful duty of both biological families (Deut. 32:46-47) and church families (Phil. 3:17) to bring adolescents in the church to maturity in Christ. At Mars Hill, we believe that parents are the primary mentors, disciple builders, and pastors of their kids. This does not, however, mean that the church family has no responsibility in the matter. In fact, the best parents will be the first to tell you that they need help in raising their kids to become faithful disciples of Jesus. Teenagers need to hear the Gospel preached to them, not only by their parents, but also by other loving members of the body of Christ. Following Jesus “is a long, complex journey, and adolescents need someone who will walk alongside them as long as it takes” – Chap Clark.

As adolescents search for their true identity, it is paramount that they come to an understanding that, if they are followers of Jesus, he is their identity. Paul says it like this:

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20

If you love Jesus, like teenagers, and are interested in walking alongside a few of them for as long as it takes, please email shorelineyouth@marshillchurch.org about volunteering with Crux (junior high ministry) or Proxy (high school ministry).

(The above quotations are from Chap Clark’s book entitled Hurt: Inside the World of Today’s Teenagers (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004).)