Visitors who attend our annual Xenos Summer Institute often comment about the myriads of young people in our church. It's certainly one of the unique things about Xenos. From 2010-2015, our church saw a surge of growth among college and high school-aged people. Today, more than 60% of the people attending our church are college-aged or younger. That's over 3000 people under the age 30. As a result, we've learned some things about working with younger people.
Recently, I began reading a book entitled Behave by Robert Sapolsky (an American neuroendocrinologist and professor of biology/neurology at Stanford University). In his chapter, "Adolescence; or Dude, Where's My Frontal Cortext?" Sapolsky supplies scientific evidence which confirms some of the things which I've learned while working with younger people.
Read MorePhoto Credit Charles Rex Arbogast
We get a brief surge of excitement when we tear open the package containing our new device. Or a wave of euphoria hits us when we hand a sales associate our credit card to purchase a new pair of shoes. Yet, these feelings quickly evaporate. We long to experience that rush again. So we buy even more.
But over time, nothing we purchase can mask the emptiness we feel. Money and possessions will never leave us feeling full because we’re trying to fill what Blaise Pascal called the “infinite abyss.” God designed us to be in a relationship with him. Only he can satisfy what’s missing.
Read MorePhoto credit Rick White
Many years ago, Robert Rosenthal conducted an educational study were he discovered what we now call the “Pygmalion Effect.” In this study, researchers told one group of teachers that their students were exceptionally bright. Their IQ scores were far superior to that of normal students. They might act lazy at times and they might act like they cannot understand or master some material, but this didn’t fit with the facts. They had a profound capacity for learning and success. Researchers gave another group of teachers a very different perspective of the students they would be teaching. Their students weren’t that bright. Their IQ scores weren’t that high. Although some might show promise, they possess a lower capacity to learn.
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