YM Shorts Magazine Issue #5 | Page 10

Brenda Seefeldt, youth pastor at New Covenant Fellowship, Manassas, VA, www.ncfweb.org Seniors and Parents Bible Study Many churches have started a Bible study program just for seniors. Another brave idea is adding a Bible study for seniors with their parents. At the end of the high school years, seniors start to grasp the transition they are making into adulthood. Part of processing this transition is to re-connect with parents in new and meaningful ways--often trying to define the relationship as adult to adult. Yes, young adult to wiser adult but it is different than minor to parent. You may also want to widen this study for those young adults who are still living at home. Due to the economy and the prolonging of adolescence there are even more of those. They are also learning this transition of young adult to wiser adult. Work with youth and their parents to create personalized symbols of what they think Christianity means. Using the internet or the book "Saints, Signs and Symbols", to put together a PowerPoint presentation about the different symbols used in the history of Christianity. This is important as it will make the assignment more relatable to youth and their parents. Next present your presentation of your own Christian symbol. Have paper and markers on hand to pass out. Next tell your audience—both parents and teens--to design their own Christian symbol with meaning specific to them. Make sure everyone puts their name on their paper. When the right time has been allowed, have everyone share what they have drawn, and explain why. Collect everyone’s symbol. Explain to them that you will get a volunteer to scan their work into a file that is formatted for sharing on Facebook and encourage them to use this symbol as a part of their identity. 10 WildFrontier.org Beth Crumpler, volunteer at Lifepoint Church, www.adaptivelearnin.com Joint Parent/Youth Meeting Idea – Your Christian Symbol