In my last post I was asking why more young people are not allowed to lead.  Thanks for the insights into this important area from around the globe!

In this post I want to start a conversation about the theological underpinning of participation more broadly, which can then of course be applied to young people’s participation.  It is important that participation is not simply seen as just another youth strategy but as integral to God’s mission of redemption.

God created women and men of all ages to participate in the world in a way that nothing else within his created order could do. ‘Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over…’ (Genesis 1:26) and the passage goes on to detail what God would empower people to rule over and look after.  He gave us authority and power. 

The writer describing this amazing call to participate in God’s created order then describes God’s commission to humankind not only to have power over the rest of creation but also recreate and fill the earth.  Again there is the clear empowering of humankind to ‘subdue and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and every living thing that moves upon the earth’ (v.28).  This is not an opportunity for megalomania, as v.29 makes clear this is a gift from God to humankind, to be stewards of.

In the second account of creation in Genesis 2 we are presented with an image of God bringing all living creatures to Adam and inviting him to name them.  It is as if we moved from what the previous creation account has pencilled as an outline to the detail work in the cosmic art of God.  God is not just saying He wants humankind to rule over his creation; here we see this in action.

God invites human participation to look after, rule over, and to continue creation within the created order.

The participation of humankind with God is at the very heart of the relationship between God and humankind.  It was the unwillingness of humankind to participate with the God who had allowed them to participate with him, that caused the fall.  Human beings said, “I’ll do it my way,” and in so doing opted out of the participative relationship with God.

The participative plan is interrupted by the fall and I don’t think that it is an overstatement to suggest that the rest of scripture and history since is itself the story of God working with, partnering humankind to mend the broken relationships between God and people, between people and people and creation.  In other words the participation of humankind post fall continues to be God’s way of working.  Of course God could have simply scrapped his first attempt and started over.  He didn’t but rather chose to limit himself to working with what he had created in its fallen state to bring about its reconciliation.  Amazing Grace!

If this is true then it has to be translated and practically applied into youth ministry.  If God works with me in my fragile state and invites me to join him in his mission then we in turn are called to invite others, in this case young people. They are not to be our servants and do our bidding or simply ’consumers’ of the programme we arrange, but to work alongside us as fellow workers.   (Note of caution:  This obviously has to be in an appropriate way with not too much responsibility than they are able to take – which will vary with the young people you work with).

We are called to encourage, equip and empower young people to partner God too, so that they too can work out God’s mission of redemption using the gifts and skills he has given them, whether that is leading, preaching, running certain activities, worship etc.  Involving young people is itself part of God’s redemption plan.  Will we play our part?