How to Be Inclusive of Youth in Your Congregation

By Jason Lydon
Congregational Director
Community Church of Boston
Boston, MA

Reprinted with permission of Jason Lydon and the UUA Youth Office

It’s often said, “Youth are the future of our congregations.” While this may be true, it is important to remember that they are great assets to our congregations today. Youth can be involved at many levels of congregational life. Strong youth groups and youth-specific programming are essential parts of congregational life for Unitarian Universalist youth, but both the youth and the entire congregation benefit greatly when youth talents, skills, and experiences are included in the work of the church. The following are some ways to include youth in many aspects of our religious communities.

Social Justice

Many congregations have a social justice or social responsibility committee working on justice issues, whether it be helping at a soup kitchen, starting an anti-racism transformation team, or leading the Welcoming Congregation process. It is important to include youth in these efforts. Guided by our shared principles, youth can bring new perspectives and different issues to these groups. Young Religious Unitarian Universalists (YRUU) has been a leader in many justice issues within the UUA including anti-racism and prison reform/abolition. Learn about the issues youth are involved in and invite youth and adults to become involved. Currently YRUU is working on Education Reform as their Working Action Issue. Consider looking at the schools your youth attend and explore with them what needs to be addressed (for example, sexuality education, standardized testing, tracking, etc.). For more information, visit the YRUU website. Take the time to listen to the youth in your congregation. They likely have great ideas on how to expand your social justice programs.

Religious Education

There are many ways to include youth of all ages in religious education. Curricula are available to engage youth until they graduate from high school. These programs work for some youth, but there are other ways to keep them involved. Some congregations encourage youth who have completed the Coming of Age program to become teachers of younger children. A fourteen- year-old youth can lead a class with the support of another youth or adult, and with curriculum development help. This support and guidance is a good investment in the youth as they grow in their leadership ability, and the youth leadership is also beneficial for the children in the classes. Including youth on the Religious Education Committee is another way to increase their participation in RE. Youth in your congregation can offer valuable feedback on curricula as they have most recently experienced it. They should also have an opportunity to share their voice about the curriculum they may be using throughout the church year. And all committees benefit from the unique experiences of youth.

Worship

Sunday worship can include youth as well. Yo uth can participate in readings, chalice lightings, instrumental performances or singing in the choir. Some congregations encourage youth to create their own services. Your youth may surprise you with great public speaking abilities and beautiful sermons. They also may share different ideas on how to conduct worship that feels more spiritual for them and others. Changing the format of the Sunday service on occasion can be a good experience for everyone. Encourage your congregation’s youth group to design a service about something they have been working on or experiencing that they care deeply about. You may find that a mid-week service attracts the youth in your congregation and may also attract other people who cannot attend Sunday services or who would like a spiritually centering activity during the week. These gatherings could happen weekly, monthly, or occasionally. Creating alternative spaces to worship affirms people with different spiritual needs as they search for truth and meaning.

Small Group Ministries

Small group ministries have been growing in congregations throughout the Association. President Sinkford has encouraged them as a great way to strengthen community within churches, especially larger congregations. Youth need to be included in this ministry as well. Groups may need to adjust in some ways to be more inclusive of youth such as finding times that are more conducive to youth’s schedules with school and work. Small group ministries are a great way to move forward in creating intergenerational space. Intergenerational conversations over dinner tables are opportunities to share faith and spiritual growth for the enrichment of all involved. Small group ministries can act as an extended congregational family, and including the experiences of youth is vital to creating authentic community.

Newsletter

Who doesn’t love getting the monthly church newsletter? If your church has a newsletter, consider having a column written by youth. This column could address issues affecting yo uth within the congregation, but could also be a place for poetic expression or political writings that the youth could share. You may also find a youth or two in your congregation who have experience with design and layout who could revamp your newsletter in ways that make it more exciting or attractive. The newsletter could also be a vehicle to distribute a survey asking youth what they would like to see happen in your congregation.

Committees

Many committees in the congregation would benefit from yo uth involvement, including the parish committee, building and grounds committee, music committee, RE committee, worship committee, search committee, and so on. It is important to include youth in all aspects of committee work, its responsibilities, voting rights, and facilitation. Often youth have jobs they must go to in the evenings. Discuss with youth when they can make meetings and work with their schedules as much as you would work with adults on the committee. It may be important to have training for the adult members of the committee to understand how to be empowering to youth. There are resources on youth empowerment available on the YRUU website. It is likely, too, that both youth and adults may benefit from leadership development workshops as they assume their committee responsibilities.

Membership

Allow youth to become full members of the church! In many congregations, membership requires signing a membership book and making a financial pledge. Yout h can do both of these things. Though the pledge may not be what a full-time employed person may be able to make, it is important for youth to contribute what they can, including their skills, time and energy.

Building Relationships

Having one youth on a committee or one youth leading a service may or may not mean your congregation is open, affirming, and welcoming of youth members. Certainly those are good things to have happen, but relationships need to be built with the youth in your congregation. The following are small tips to keep in mind when trying to build these relationships.

• Encourage conversation among people of all ages at coffee hour.
• Get rid of your children’s snack table and include children with everyone else.
• Don’t serve alcohol at church events; it’s alienating to underage people.
• Confront youth directly with concerns; don’t go to their parents/guardians.
• Learn the names of the youth in your congregation.
• Share information about congregational life with youth.

Building relationships takes time. Your congregation certainly has a number of youth allies, you may be one of them, who can help in this relationship building. Take the time to build these relationships and it will enrich your experience within Unitarian Universalism while enriching the experience of the youth in your congregation. Youth who are active and valued members in our congregations today may, with nourishment and encouragement, remain involved in our faith tomorrow.