I wrote these notes to some a few weeks ago. Maybe you have some thoughts on it too.
I feel motivated to write down and share some thoughts I have recently had regarding the perceived negativity of the Wellington region youth (the presbytery in general). This negativity has been be felt by more that just me and is most noted at Queen’s Birthday Camps, where mainly the Wellington region youth attend. There is a very negative ‘vibe’, who’s cause I am unable to pin down. The vibe puts me off wanting to go to these camps. On the other hand, I love Easter Camps where mainly the Auckland region youth attend. They have such a positive and encouraging vibe. I know what I am saying is rather vague but others too have felt the contrasting atmospheres when these two groups meet.
One possible difference is that in the North they generally have a more open faith. They are more willing to share their faith with others. For example, as I think back, the majority of youth at prayer meetings come from the North. This maybe due to the North having a less cluttered faith, characterised by wanting to live their lives for their Lord and Saviour. We down South, tend to be more worried about and focused on what we should believe as part of this faith. Thus we are more often arguing about theology, than talking about the struggles and joys in our walk. The rivalry between churches on merely theological grounds doesn’t help our positivity. Is there something we, as church and youth leaders, can do to encourage the sharing and up building of our faiths? One idea I had was that at Queen’s Birthday Camps the youth could be divided up into small groups for the evening devotions which would be led by two older youth (one male, one female). The two older youth can share their faith, struggles and workings of God in their lives. I think this would be positive for both parties even though it would be scary at first.
Another area of concern is our language. We are often mocking or bringing others down for the sake of humour. We aren’t good at speaking positively or encouragingly to each other. This adds to the negative atmosphere. I think we might need to come up with creative ways to tackle this that go beyond just saying it’s wrong because we all know that.
Well these were a few thoughts I had. I am happy to discuss them further and get involved in trying to tackle these problems. Have a good week!
Cheers,
Lynton
