Youths Put Their Faith in Singing, Not Sermonizing

For spring break this year, 15-year-old Christiana Williams joined a church group to help build a house and talk with orphaned children in Mexico.

“It made me realize how much we have, and they don’t have down there,” she said.

The Buena High School junior-to-be is one of an increasing number of Ventura County teenagers discovering that practicing their religion can be important--and fun.

Instead of sitting quietly through sermons and solemn songs, youngsters countywide now attend barbecues on the beach, sing songs with a beat and go on religious missions in foreign countries.

While youth groups have been around for years, recent changes in approach and outreach have increased participation among county teens.

Bible study is now accompanied by social outings, and discussions have replaced sermons--methods church leaders say keep teens involved.

“Not that we are changing the message at all,” said Eddie Ramos, head of youth service at South Coast Fellowship in Ventura. “We are changing how we minister because kids are constantly changing.”

Music is one of the ways Ramos brings Bible study and religion to the kids’ level.

“We’ve added some ska and flavor to it,” he said. “We have some kids who will perform some hip-hop.”

Mickey Jotkowitz, youth director at Temple Etz Chaim in Thousand Oaks, said he thinks young people are realizing the benefits of religious groups at an earlier age. His 100-member group, which has grown by 15 since March, has a youth board that helps plan religious, social and fund-raising events.

“I think they’ve reached a certain age,” he said, “and the service gives back to them.”

Ryan Delamater, the 25-year-old youth pastor at First Assembly of God Church in Ventura, said his youth group has increased from about 60 members to 250 in three months, since he began holding Bible study at a local skateboard park.

“We are meeting them where they are at,” he said.

About 700 other teenagers have visited the sessions, Delamater said. During sessions, the kids skate, play games, do skits and study the Bible.

Every Wednesday night, youngsters from New Life Community Church in Oxnard gather in a restored barn at an old ranch off Victoria Avenue to pray, sing and study the Bible.

“I like to be around other Christians,” said Nate Taylor, 18.

Destiny Binford, 12, comes to discuss the Bible. “I like to learn about Jesus,” she said.

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A group of five girls and one boy danced and clapped as Pastor Steve Abraham played songs on a guitar. The group discussed what God had done for them in the last week.

“I have a friend dying of cancer and at least he has a few days left,” said Kelsi Lawheed, 14, who had cancer when she was 12.

Abraham read from the Bible and explained how it says to spread Christianity.

“You’ll never have more zeal than now,” he said, standing before the small group beneath a dim light in a corner of the barn. “And you have a whole lot of friends. That means you have more opportunity to share the goodness of Christ.”

Abraham’s group started about 10 months ago. He said youth ministries have had to change to attract teens.

“It’s hard to get most kids to come to church,” he said. “But then you say, ‘We are doing a trip for water skiing.’ You make it nonthreatening for them.”

David Kinnaman, research director at Barna Research Group in Ventura, said national studies show no increase in youth group participation by teenagers today. But he said he has seen modifications in youth ministries because of generational changes.

“A lot of youth groups don’t look the same as a youth group of five, 10 years ago,” he said. “Rather than 20 to 30 minutes of Bible lesson or lesson about their faith, [youth pastors] recognize that discussion groups and service activities may be more effective.”

The youth groups of today are made up of “the mosaic generation,” those younger than 18, he said. They are more visually and discussion oriented, he said. They are not willing to accept ideas at face value.

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Ivar Sohn, senior youth advisor at Temple Beth Torah in Ventura, said he noticed much greater participation when he attended a National Federation Torah Youth conference in February with 1,500 youths.

“That was almost double from the previous year,” he said.

Word of mouth encourages involvement, said Sohn, who leads about 60 kids ages 14 to 18.

“I think the word is getting out that this is an event where Jewish kids can meet Jewish kids,” he said. “Parents are fully behind it, and unlike high school, there are no cliques. Everyone belongs because all are Jewish.”

Many religious leaders said the influences of drugs, alcohol, sex and violence have also turned many teenagers to religion.

“The [vices] aren’t giving them purpose in life,” said Abraham, who started New Life Community Church in 1997.

Albert Garcia, 18, went through a tough period while his parents were separating, but Ramos and his group friends helped him turn his life around.

“It helped me a lot because I was able to have someone to talk to, and I felt someone was listening,” Garcia said.

Ramos said many more teenagers are turning to religion.

“They can see that Christianity is cool,” he said, “not something you sit there and are a dork about.”