I recently re-read the chapter about the Spiritual Formation of Adolescents in The Christian Educator’s Handbook on Spiritual Formation. It’s a pretty good chapter, and here are some of the things I gleaned from it.

“Christ did not come merely to provide a means for us to get to heaven; He came to live in us.” This should be fundamental in our thinking as we share Christ’s work with people. We are not preaching a “get you to heaven” gospel. We ought to be preaching a gospel of transformation, thinking through how Christ will change us in this life, making us who we are meant to be.

“Spiritual formation can only occur in the midst of a struggle.” There is no spiritual formation that does not include effort. The struggle is part of the formation. It is an important part. We struggle to act in accordance to who we are in Christ. Many times, we struggle just to understand what that is supposed to be.

“We must not create young imitators, sending them off to college, work, or marriage as hollow believers who can only mimic truths that are not their own. They must learn to own their beliefs.” We do a disservice to young people if we allow them to simply copy our beliefs. We must teach them to think on their own and have a personal belief system and faith. This implies risk, but it is the only valuable way for them to continue in their faith after they graduate from our ministry.

“Identity in Christ is formed through one on one relationships with individuals and spiritual disciplines.” A deep, personal relationship is necessary for everyone who wants to grow in their faith. Unfortunately, it is something that few ministries provide. Well thought out mentoring and personal discipleship are hard to find in most churches. Those who have these relationships seem to have to “get lucky” to find people who will take enough of an interest in their spiritual lives to form those necessary relationships.

“The number one cry of adolescents is self hatred. They desperately need the acceptance that God gives them.” People are looking to be accepted. We struggle every day to find acceptance in society, family, and among our peers. Young people are no different. God has accepted us beyond what we can imagine. His acceptance is not based on how we look, what we do, or the jobs we have. His acceptance is unconditional.

“Christian spiritual formation is arriving at this awareness of our true identity and letting Christ live His life in and through us.

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