The Care Provided to Youth
1. Care begins before youth
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III emphasizes that a youth who reaches deviation did not start there, but was originally a child who did not receive sufficient care in childhood and early adolescence. Therefore, genuine youth care begins in childhood and continues uninterrupted into youth.
2. The environments influencing the youth
The youth is influenced by school, family, friendships, and society. Therefore, it is important to ensure his friendships and surroundings are healthy. The church must provide a supportive environment through clubs, libraries, youth activities, university groups, and Sunday School.
3. The issue of decreasing attendance in Sunday School
Attendance decreases as age advances. The reason relates to curricula, speakers, or the level of presentation. Youth today live in an age of knowledge and technology and need materials that suit their minds and culture.
4. The need for qualified youth servants
Not everyone is fit to serve youth. The servant must be knowledgeable, well-balanced, capable of dialogue, understanding of youth psychology, and able to answer questions properly.
5. The method of dialogue, not dictation
Youth need understanding and persuasion, not mere commands. Reasons for what is allowed and forbidden must be explained, and questions— even opposing ones — must be answered with openness and respect, without extremism.
6. Addressing the problem of free time
Youth need entertainment, sports, and beneficial activities, not spirituality alone. The church must provide safe alternatives, with proper regulations regarding time, quietness, and order, so activities do not cause disturbance or become a stumbling block.
7. Discovering and developing talents
Every youth has a talent: art, writing, music, acting, design… The church must work to develop, not suppress, these talents. Music itself is not wrong; it can be spiritually useful when offered wisely.
8. Providing proper culture for youth
Youth need varied culture: religious, historical, health-related, political, and literary. The church’s role is to select beneficial materials and present them in a constructive way, avoiding harmful fantasy or meaningless stories.
9. Allowing youth to express themselves
Youth should be given space to express themselves freely, and then gentle guidance can follow. This approach works well in trips, clubs, and youth gatherings.
10. The goal of care
Proper youth care includes spirit, intellect, ethics, culture, and activity. It is a comprehensive work that prepares a sound generation growing in faith, knowledge, and personality.
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