The care offered to youth

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III emphasized that youth care begins in childhood, even before birth, because neglect during the early years often leads to deviation in youth. Therefore, pastoral care must be continuous and integrated, starting from early childhood and continuing through maturity.

He explained that the main influences on a young person are:
the school, the family, friends, and society.
He warned against leaving young people without guidance in their friendships, saying:

“Tell me who your friend is, and I’ll tell you who you are.”

Pope Shenouda encouraged the Church to create a healthy environment for youth through clubs, libraries, Sunday Schools, and university fellowships — all under the Church’s care — so they can offer a holy and safe atmosphere for spiritual growth.

He noted that the number of Sunday School attendees decreases gradually from elementary school to university, and attributed this to three main reasons:

1. Inappropriate or outdated curricula.

2. Weak or unprepared servants.

3. Lack of respect for the youth’s age and intellectual level.

Therefore, he urged that lessons for youth should be deep, relevant, and nourishing to both mind and spirit, since young people today live in the age of technology and information — they cannot be satisfied with shallow talk.

He stressed that a youth servant requires special preparation, in knowledge, personality, and dialogue skills.
Service, he said, is not lecturing but conversation and persuasion, respecting the young person’s mind and even their challenging questions.

Pope Shenouda also highlighted the importance of filling young people’s free time with positive and creative activities such as:
sports, church theater, meaningful plays, and spiritual or artistic productions.
He rejected extreme restrictions that forbid everything, encouraging instead discernment and balance, saying:

“Take what is good, and leave what is harmful.”

He emphasized developing talents and gifts — if a young person loves art, music, writing, or crafts, the Church should help them grow and direct these gifts toward God, not suppress them.

He added that the Church can fulfill youth spiritually, artistically, and intellectually, through:

• Teaching hymns, praises, and the Coptic language.

• Training in sacred music, just as King David praised God with music in the Old Testament.

Pope Shenouda concluded that the Church’s mission is to offer a balanced, holistic upbringing that makes every young person love the Church and find within it a home for their whole being — mind, spirit, and social life.