Re-imagining
Chatting with some pastors today has strengthened my thinking that as we seek to re-imagine church and see church develop in our changing culture, we also need to radically overhaul how we think about and do youth and children's ministry.
That might seem obvious - but most emerging church stuff seems to be focused on the younger generation(s) at the forefront of the cultural shift, but with little comment about youth & childrens work.
I think one of the ways inherited churches will change and transition is through fresh thought about the role of youthwork and the place of young people in the church. A simple example is the changes my home church made to our morning service a few years ago out of re-thinking the kids work. But more is needed (not least to move beyond a service-centred model). Surely the days of youth groups, Sunday schools, youth clubs, brigades etc. are numbered? Not that any one model will suffice - we need the variety. But its time for some radical thought and bold experimentation.