What if we listen?

I was reading this article about Nissan. They worked in the Bronx and Brooklyn “to bring professional auto designers together with teenagers in lagging urban neighborhoods.” Basically, they wanted the students to design a car for themselves. A car that would be inexpensive (under $9,000) and they would want to drive. The designer in charge (Bryan Thompson) thought there might not be much diversity in design - “I thought I might get six identical ‘Fast and Furious’ cars.” What ended up happening was exactly the opposite. (At least go look at the designs, they’re very cool!)

I wonder what it would be like if we opened our youth groups to the teenagers. What would they come up with? The reason that Bryan Thompson did it came from his own experience, “Mr. Thompson had long wanted to do a project with students, teaching and above all encouraging them, because he said that he had found only discouragement as a student” Are the youth at our churches encouraged to be creative and c0-create with us? Or are we more concerned with doing this particular program or teaching this particular lesson? Would you find that you have a Zach Hunter in your group?

Mark Yaconelli, in his book Contemplative Youth Ministry, writes ” As ministers we feel it’s our job to talk. We rarely turn it around and create programs designed to help us listen to young people. Yet, I’ll bet you can recall very few words from the countless sermons, lectures, speeches, and conversations you’ve heard in your life. In contrast, I would wager you remember most of the moments when you felt deeply listened to and heard by another person.”

Is it possible?

Can we really create a youth ministry experience that involved students?

How are you already doing it?