EGR Notes
One misperception I have heard from the elderly people at my church is that teenagers do no care
what adults think and they do not show respect. For example, the younger people at my church
mostly wear jeans, tennis shoes or slides and t-shirts to church. There are a few, mostly staff
kids, who wear polo shirts or dresses. The perception from the older people is that the teens do
not care but in reality the teens are just trying to be authenticate during worship while remaining
comfortbale. Teens care more about being authenticate than if someone is dressed nice. I work
with teens regularly and have noticed they care more about who a person is than how nice they
dress. When I was growing up it was expected that young people wear dress clothes to church
and now that is just not the norm anymore.
There was a boy names Jackson in my children’s ministry last year that is now in youth. He is
ADHD and has an extremely hard time sitting still or paying attention. Even when he is on
medication he still struggles to be present in the moment and participate. I have a son with
ADHD so I try to be understanding and show grace at all times. I know it can be frustrating but
they still deserve love and a chance to learn. Some of the older ladies at my church who teach
Sunday school were convinced that he was just a bad kid. They would say that Jackson cant
behave and he cant sit still. I told them that Jackson did struggle with those things but that he
wasn’t a bad kid. I encouraged them to do more activities and to break up the lesson time so he
was free to move about the room. Not all children or teens learn the same and it is time for those
in charge of teaching take notice and do something about it.
