New Guide editor Kathy Beagles Coneff talks about changing the magazine to keep it the same and the importance of church departments pooling resources as the church struggles to reach young teens in an age of social media.
I fondly remember the features of both Guide and Insight magazines. What an awesome responsibility to help shape the minds and spirituality of our young people. May God (and the church) anoint Kathy for this ministry and bless her with wisdom and all of the other gifts that she will require for this sacred service.
I am in my home in France and was captivated by the meteoric rise of the new young charismatic French president MACRON.
He has promised GENDER PARITY in his new administration, meaning
EQUAL representation of men and women.
The rise of EGALITARIANISM is RELENTLESS in our western society.
Our young people are totally turned off by the heinous heretical " headship " dogma, with its disdain for the female gender, permeating the upper reaches of our church administration.
We will lose them in droves.
Also even the most conservative young Republicans, unlike their parents, are totally in favor of same sex marriage.
Our Adventist young people with gay/lesbian friends despise our church’s disdain, disparagement and overt dislike of the LGBT community.
No amount of "working together " will prevent losing our youth unless we eliminate discrimination in our church.
This is what we OUGHT to be teaching in our Christian Education of young people… How to ask good questions instead of thinking we have all the answers. Whatever happened to our search of answers to the great questions of our day.
The mission of the Guide magazine should be to GUIDE in Christian Education. It should present a rigorous discourse on the great questions young people are asking.
Kathy, you have embarked on a ministry that has potential. Study carefully suggestions like the comments above by
(ezbord) ROBIN VANDERMOLEN, but most significantly LISTEN to the youth!
I grew up on Little Friend, the Youth instructor,Uncle Arthur, and A. B Hare. Dare to be a Daniel and Onward Christain Soldiers. Now except for Desmond Doss there are no heroes. Debate is in. Ellen White is the Go To on every issue. Sohowdoes one edit. 19 th century ethos?
What Kathy says has a lot of Truth.
BUT, ALL of our kids, ALL of our Pathfinders, ALL of our college kids live through the local church.
They do not live through the Organized North American or World Church.
They see the World Organized church by the way the Local SDA church is organized, administered, and WHO is allowed to participate. HOW the Bible is interpreted to them in Sabbath School, Sermons and conduct of those “in charge”, members, church school teachings.
THEN they get old enough to Read the Bible and Think for themselves. Have the ability to investigate and test “if what they were taught was so” – paraphrasing the Bereans of Paul’s time.
So no matter what Guide says to the 10-13 yr old or the Lessons for the College Student age say, they may not hold True to real life. And Persons past 16 yrs old are going to see the difference, and wonder why.
And perhaps THAT is the time when the Curtain comes down, and the Wizard is only a bunch of microphones in a staged set.
I remember growing up reading Guide cover to cover. In Arlington SDA Church which has a membership of 2,300 members we focus on the young people. We have a separate Worship service for young teens with a youth pastor leading it. We all have the Younger Generation Church with a dedicated pastor. We are running out of room we have four worship services every Sabbath. All this says if you focus your efforts to ministry to our youth you will run out of room in your Church. Now we are adding a 2.9 million dollars Gail Tucker Annex to our church. Thank you for being part of the youth ministry.
They should be turned off by headship theology. It is unbiblical and pure crap!
I left in 1981 because of it. Things haven’t changed much. In fact, the lack of equality in the church is very disturbing. The reaction to the LGBTIQ community has been abominable. They are viable members. Thank goodness for Kinship who does show them the real Gospel in action.
The most recent meeting about “transgenderism” was yet another out of touch and unscholarly fiasco. No wonder the kids leave.
Such blatant disregard for showing love to everyone shows how far down hill the church has gone. We need new, vibrant, thinking leadership. Not what we have now.
Best wishes in your new adventure!