Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Jan/78

Contributor - J.P. Drost

Title - Establishing Places Of Sharing- A Challenge to our Youth

Topic - Youth

Youth ministry is one of the more difficult assignments in the church. Few youth groups report "smooth sailing". (If you do, please share your secret in the next Pioneer.) We could analyse that statement, but that really is not the purpose of my page. The point I wanted to make is that the reasons for our problems are not to be found, so much in the indifference of youth but in the lack of a challenge. Often we cite lack of interest as the main reason for a bad performance in youth ministry. But the real reason, I believe, is our failure to challenge them correctly, a failure to touch the nerve center which initiates a response.

I have a story to back up my premise. It is the story of Taize. Let me tell you the story of a man who almost without realizing it at one point in his ministry touched off a tremendous response in young people because he had hit the nerve center where this response is awakened.

Taize is a small village situated on a hill in the province of Bourgondie, France. Toward the end of World War II, a young Swiss theologian moved here in the person of Roger Schutz. His ideal was to live in community with Christian brothers but at the same time be engaged in service toward the destitute and, the poor.

In the years following the war, several of his friends joined him. At Easter of 1949, they agreed to live together according to the "Rule" (a Rule is a written agreement) of 'Taize. The "Rule" stipulated that they were to live a life in poverty, in celibacy, in obedience to each other, in daily prayer and in service to others. Their choice aroused a great deal of interest. It was for the time within the Protestant church that a group decided to form a monastic order. Even though Protestants, from the beginning there was a strong ecumenical orientation. They saw it as their task to encourage reconciliation between separated Christians. The group itself became a living testimony of that ideal when later many Roman Catholic Christians joined their ranks. Because of its involvement in several important ecumenical events such as the Vatican Council the Taize group became significant as a center for spiritual renewal.

A new challenge came, to the Taize brothers around 1970. So many young people had come to the Center to spend some time there that it was necessary to create something which was relevant to them. Thus, a dialogue was begun, programs were set up for discussion- and encounter groups, facilities were expanded, a tent camp was built for increasing numbers, especially during the summer. Taize became a busy place for thousands of young men and women who came to pray, to experience community and engage in discussion.

To give the Taize contact some continuity, a loose informal organization was established, known as the Youth Council (of Taize). It was directed from Taize but has chapters in every country and endeavours to function as much a, s possible as a part of the Church a,; large. The Youth Council involves correspondence, contact papers and occasional conferences. The first conference of the Youth Council was held in Taize. in 1974 and attracted 40,000 people.

The ideals of the Council were concrete. For those who identified with it, it was to establish and communicate Christian hope by forming "places of hope" or ',places of sharing". A "place of hope" is a small group or community where there is a special understanding for the other, and a special purpose, namely to. seek community between "all people of good will", and to share with them on an equal basis.

To illustrate the intention, and to give the Council of Youth direction and impetus, Frere Roger, head of the Taize Community, undertook several missions to places of need and isolation. In 1976 he went to 'Calcutta (India) and the Philippines, and in 1977 he went to Hong Kong. Here he lived and shared with groups of young people the destiny of those of the lowest social standing, in an attempt to discover how barriers which destroy community and breed suspicion might be broken through, and how places of sharing might be established.

Of his latest visit to Hong Kong he writes : (it's written there) "We have returned to the Far East from all the countries of the world and are joined by mostly Asiatic people, to discover at even greater depth the significance of what it means to share together. We shared our life with the Chinese who live in separation on the Chinese Sea in their sampans (house boats). We lived under the same conditions, without running water or electricity. We slept on the floor with rats walking over us at times. Chinese young people joined our group to live with us". During our stay we have sought to be present in Hong Kong in different ways: in the heart of the city which has all the tensions of a world metropolis, and along the Chinese borders to pray for mutual trust between people".

On the basis of this experience Frere Roger composed a brief or message, to be read at the Council meeting which this year was held in Breda, The Netherlands with close to five thousand present. The brief is a report of the experience but also an urgent plea concerning those who -suffer inequality and injustice.

The Taize Community is appealing to something which is particularly strong in every young person, an idealism which is aimed at correcting social injustice and wrong. I hear an echo of that 'ideal in the theme which the 'Classis of Ontario Senior Youth adopted for 1978. The theme is: "Turn the World Right Side Up That is a giant size assignment, but if - like the suggestions that come to us from Taize - we begin to pick up one piece by establishing very simply places of hope and places of sharing, and thus start both conversation and action, we will by God's grace, see things happen. Taize may help us as a model!

Youth Ministry Anyone? How about a challenge?

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