Some teens finds their needs fulfilled in the institution of sports. Others find their needs fulfilled in the institution of school. For others, it's the institution of relationships with members of the opposite sex. And yet for others, it's the institution of the family. All of these things can be good, yet there is another institution that teens often neglect. And it's the greatest institution on earth.
It's the church.
Now maybe the church can't offer teens people the same age as them, or people who look like them. Maybe the church can't offer teens good grades. Maybe the church can't offer teens warm and fuzzy feelings or romance. Maybe the church can't even offer teens fun.
But that doesn't matter, because the church offers them something that no other institution can - the gospel. Yes, many families or romantic relationships model or teach the gospel, but the church is the institution given by God to join with other believers to pursue and share and magnify the gospel above all else. And the Christian teen needs to be a part of that.
Sports and academics and family and boyfriends might be good - they might. But they're optional. The church is not optional. It's necessary. And it needs to welcome teens with open arms. Their search for acceptance need not continue - it can be found in the church. The covenant community of God's people can meet their needs, because their needs are really no different than anybody else's. Yes, they might look different, but they, like everyone else, are sinners. And they need a Saviour. That is why the church needs teens, but more importantly, teens need the church.
Over the next week or so, I'll be writing a series of posts on why the Christian teen needs to be involved in his or her local church, and how they can get involved. This is a sadly neglected area of discussion in our churches and among our teens today, and if I can open up this important conversation at all, my goal has been accomplished.
Image Credit: http://zoyatalksalot.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/silhouette-dancing-people2.jpg