Justice Hits Close to Home (Part Two)
by Kara Powell
In 2006, MTV conducted a nationwide survey in order to understand how and why youth in America are already active in social causes. Here’s what that study found:
Of the kids they surveyed, 70 percent say it’s important to help others in need. Only 19 percent are “very involved” in doing so.
62 percent say the issues that matter most to them are those that have touched them or someone they know.
70 percent of kids involved in activism report that their parents’ encouragement played a major factor in their choice to get involved.
(This research can be accessed for free at mtv.com/thinkmtv/research)
In the midst of these findings, one theme emerges: Justice needs to hit kids close to home. It needs to hit close to home thematically as we help kids understand how particular injustices relate to their lives. But it also needs to hit home literally as we invite parents both to exemplify and to encourage their own kids to right wrongs around them.
[This blog post is the second in a series provided by Fuller Seminary's Center for Youth and Family Ministry. CYFM recently invited a handful of youth pastors and short-term missions experts to wrestle with some tough questions about parenting and justice . Excerpts from this discussion will be shared in upcoming weeks on this blog. Kara Powell is the co-author of Deep Justice in a Broken World, and a main session speaker at Shift 2008. Other free resources and articles like this are available at www.cyfm.net]
In 2006, MTV conducted a nationwide survey in order to understand how and why youth in America are already active in social causes. Here’s what that study found:
Of the kids they surveyed, 70 percent say it’s important to help others in need. Only 19 percent are “very involved” in doing so.
62 percent say the issues that matter most to them are those that have touched them or someone they know.
70 percent of kids involved in activism report that their parents’ encouragement played a major factor in their choice to get involved.
(This research can be accessed for free at mtv.com/thinkmtv/research)
In the midst of these findings, one theme emerges: Justice needs to hit kids close to home. It needs to hit close to home thematically as we help kids understand how particular injustices relate to their lives. But it also needs to hit home literally as we invite parents both to exemplify and to encourage their own kids to right wrongs around them.
[This blog post is the second in a series provided by Fuller Seminary's Center for Youth and Family Ministry. CYFM recently invited a handful of youth pastors and short-term missions experts to wrestle with some tough questions about parenting and justice . Excerpts from this discussion will be shared in upcoming weeks on this blog. Kara Powell is the co-author of Deep Justice in a Broken World, and a main session speaker at Shift 2008. Other free resources and articles like this are available at www.cyfm.net]
Labels: conference
posted by Kara Powell at 5:48 PM
1 Comments:
Steve Holt said...Kara,
Great stuff! We are in the process of building a "third space" teen center and one of our driving attractions will be service projects... Now we need to figure out how to get the parents involved!
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