Re: [asa] Youth leaving churches because of old earth

From: Dave Wallace <wmdavid.wallace@gmail.com>
Date: Fri Aug 07 2009 - 09:18:04 EDT

Jim Armstrong wrote:

While in all other aspects of life, the growth toward adulthood is expected to include a certain elasticity and independence, ...a transition to the ability to flexibly encounter, consider, draw conclusions and make choices independently. Yet, by and large, there seems to be remarkably little felt need or overt methodology to nurture this transition to a fledgling internalized faith in much of church life.

For the last 8 years we have attended a Christian Reformed Church and are now members.  At out church there are grandparents, parents and children attending all at the same time.  One of the things that attracted us to the CRC was the care provided for children and young adults.  Our son was diagnosed with dyslexia when he was in grade 1.  The school was what is called open concept which meant that there were 120 children in a room and four teachers.  The bored of education was only willing to allow our son to transfer to a more traditional school if there was room after school started.  After much searching we sent both children to a school associated with the CRC.  I found it a very difficult decision because of my own personal disasterous experiences with Christian schools.  An issue with the school at that time was that there was only about 1 or 2 none CRC children in each classroom and that made it difficult for our children to form friendships.  At least in Ottawa the elementary school appears to only be about 50% CRC children and that from a number of CRC churches and not just one church.  The care seems to extend as the children grow up, others on the list with a longer history in the CRC could comment better on that.   I'm, sure the approach is not perfect but it certainly is very much better than at Presbyterian churches where we were members at.  In fact we were considered odd balls not to send our children to the public schools and where the wife of a leading elder said that the ministry of the church was mainly as a preaching point thus dismissing parents complaints at our annual meeting. 

Dave W

ps the wrong spelling for Board of Education was intentional.  At least when our children were in the system it was to the boards advantage to have parents remove their children and send them to other schools. 
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