Liberating Youth from Adolescence

Liberating youth through theological reflection on vocation Jeremy Paul Myers, a seasoned expert in youth and family ministry, calls the church to challenge the dominant societal view of adolescents as "underdeveloped consumers" who can only contribute creatively when they mature into adulthood. Myers argues that young people are innately creative creatures called by God to love and serve right now. We need to see young people as the called cocreators (with God) that they are. Using current studies, Myers shows how marketing and consumer science target young people with the hope of making them find their identity in buying and using things. This strong cultural emphasis underserves young people and even at times defines their lives as mere commodities. Myers tells the stories of a number of young people whose lives buck the consumer paradigm and myth of the underdeveloped young person in order to live as the called cocreators God has created them to be. Each chapter provides a set of ideas that congregations can use to take a closer look at how young people in their midst are or could be invited to be creative contributors to the life of the congregation. Questions for discussion are also provided to encourage discussion and facilitate action.