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Friends United Meeting |
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June 2000
YouthQuake
Promise or Threat?
By Christel Jorgenson
In December of 2000, hundreds of Quaker teens aged 14 to 20 are expected
to arrive at Camp Berachah in Auburn, Washington, for YouthQuake 2000.
The purpose statement for the upcoming gathering says that "We will
work to build a spiritual community based on love, respect, truth and
understanding across the breadth of Friends to investigate the following
queries. What does it mean to be a Quaker follower of Jesus Christ? What
is your response to the biblical witness and message? How did early Friends
live the message of Jesus Christ? How do we practice the presence of the
Living Spirit of Christ in our lives?"
Does this sound dangerous? Subversive? Perhaps not. Then why has the conference been a source of controversy? Why would an article in Philadelphia Yearly Meeting News be titled: "YouthQuake shakes up Young Friends"? Why, despite overwhelming approval by participants in conference evaluations, would some FUM and EFI Friends be lobbying to pull out of this conference? Why would one NEYM Young Friend describe that "for the first few days I just wanted to go home"? (The rest of the sentence reads: "and now I don't want to leave!")
YouthQuake is challenging, enriching, rewarding, too hard for some, confusing, exhausting, empowering, and disheartening. Feelings are hurt. What one person considers being "just the truth" can sound rude or insulting to someone else, especially if you put differences in regional cultures into the mix. The foundations of Quaker identity are challenged. Can you be a Quaker universalist? Can you think that silence is an empty form, a relic? Hoped-for transformations and conversions don't take place. "So you still intend to join the military?" or "So you still think Jesus is just a good teacher?" YouthQuake combines the emotions, insecurities, and questioning of adolescents with the outrageous theological diversity of the Quaker family, adding a strong dose of parental expectations for safety and desired outcomes. Some would say we expect too much. There is nothing like it in the adult Quaker world. So why keep trying?
Because the Quaker world needs renewal. We need to be sharing the gifts we have been given, to be humble about what we lack, and open ourselves to the spirit of Christ moving among us. Teenagers are "into" working on relationships, it is the task of their age. To identify the Seed that is planted within that needs nourishment, how better than through the love and encouragement of relationship? Bringing together those who are excited about their relationship with Jesus with those who are just contemplating that possibility can be a rich experience for them both. The call of nonviolence on one's life, the need for simplicity and integrity: what if Young Friends aren't seeing this clearly in their home communities? Wouldn't it be exciting to have them come home inspired by what they'd learned from some "cool new friend"? And this happens. Friendships are forged across the country, lives enrich each other. The thrill of meeting other engaging youth with a different perspective may be the catalyst for spiritual work that doesn't present itself in a familiar setting.
How can we prepare our kids (and the adults who will be there as guides) in order to maximize the potential of this gathering?
· Please educate about the history of Friends, from the earliest inspiration to our current "branches." Try to acknowledge the roots of our differences, which have existed in some form from early on.
· Give your youth a chance to express their faith, including their doubts. Ask them where they need more background and help them to find resources, so that their conversations at YouthQuake can be truly helpful to themselves and others.
· Experiment with prayer and worship. Both programmed and unprogrammed traditions will find themselves challenged to get to the core of worship at YouthQuake if they haven't thought about or experienced any diversity.
· Support your youth before they go. They will probably need help financially. Model a spirit of openness and love that you hope they will find at the conference. Do not lay expectations on them about what they should experience. Help them develop tools for listening well and sharing humbly, confident in God's ability to lead. Mentor them. Send them off in prayer.
· Pray for them while they are there.
· Listen carefully when they return. Allow yourself to be caught up in their enthusiasm. They may bring home dissatisfaction with worship style, enthusiasm about new music, questions about Christ's leading, challenges to the prevailing culture, interest in Bible study, intervisitation plans, information about Quaker colleges. Will they find any support back home? Will we allow ourselves to be challenged by them?
YouthQuake is not the conference for everyone. Maturity, some ability to express oneself, and genuine interest in the questions in the purpose statement are important to allow everyone to get the most out of the experience. It is an opportunity that can be thwarted by fear and smugness. It is a risk worth taking.
Christel Jorgenson is the Youth and Education Secretary for New England Yearly Meeting. She's held that position for the last 13 years and has been on the planning committee for three Youth-Quakes. She's a member of Friends Meeting at Cambridge.
A participant's view
I went to YouthQuake feeling I was open minded and left with a whole new perspective. I was challenged and encouraged, ridiculed and admired, and most of all, I was strengthened. I gained a new understanding of Quakers and of myself. I learned the importance of listening, and understood what it means to defend my spirituality to someone just as "spiritual" as I thought I was. YouthQuake taught me much about communication, it taught me to expand my "church" vocabulary. I learned how words are one of the biggest barriers between people groups.
Although there were evenings I went to my room exhausted and frustrated, this anxiety was one of the emotions that made YouthQuake so impacting. The differences between the programmed and unprogramed, Christ-centered and non Christ-centered were vast but it was our similarities that we held on to in the end. The worship was fulfilling and the speakers impacting. I left YouthQuake with many questions which I am still pondering and working through, but also left with a broader understanding of people, and myself, spiritually as well as in other ways.
Aliesje King
1997 YouthQuake Attender
Greenleaf Friends
Copyright (c) 2000 Friends United Meeting