Sugar and Spice...

"What are little boys made of?
Snips and Snails and puppy dog tails.
That's what little boys are made of.
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and Spice and all things nice.
That's what little girls are made of"

The last couple of weeks I have been thinking a great deal about the differences between the rich and poor, adult and teenager, and girls and boys. In our ministry we are very blessed to have a group of young people that are well off, that have enough to eat, and have the ability to study and learn a trade for themselves. Our teens are well enough educated and have a lot of opportunity in their life, so when these two aspects are dealt with, what is left of them that they might need help with? Sometimes it is easy to look at our youth and think how lucky they are, it is too easy to assume that their attitudes are based on arrogance, and that as they NEED for nothing (material) that they must not NEED for anything. This is so far from the truth. 

It has been somewhat a learning curve for me to be involved in ministries where the immediate needs aren't material. Food, Education, Shelter, Sanitation. It was almost too easy to help people like that. You find yourself in a position where you can make a direct impact in a meaningful way on people's lives, and to show them the love that Jesus has for them. And to come from that into a situation where the needs are much more hidden and much more emotional and thus harder to fill - This has been the challenge.

Many have a view of student ministry as something where you have activities and games and throw in a talk about Jesus, and I have been trying to work on this paradigm, but although it has it's merits, it isn't as effective as it could be deemed to be. The biggest need of our particular set of youth is not food, sanitation, education. It is attention, boredom and emotional crisis. Our youth need to feel needed. They need to feel wanted, they need to feel accepted, and above all they need Jesus.

The other thing that they need is to be recognized for their basic differences. We live in a culture where equality is very important (and I come from a society that expects women and men to react and be exactly the same), and I have begun to notice that instead of fulfilling the needs to of the youth this has pushed them to the edge of a scary and complicated place. Girls are expected to be as sexually needy as boys, and to not to be held back about it. Even though the chemicals that they are biologically working are completely different in relation to this. Boy are put under pressure to be interested in looking a certain way and being more conscious of mainstream trends. Both are treated like children, but expected to act like adults. 

In order to tackle our ministry in the way that is Edifying to God, that brings the gospel into the lives of the Youth and looks to take care of their needs, we NEED to be able to recognize these differences and build our programme on that basis. What this means is a little more theoretical. But I am looking to put it into practice. Help me, and help them. 

Ems

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3002946.stm