I was back in London today to attend an Interfaith Consultation event hosted by NCVYS. We were looking at the framework for interfaith dialogue document that has been produced for consultation by Hazel Blears Department. It’s worth having a read and responses and comments can be submitted up to March 7th.
During the consultation somebody shared something that I had not really noticed before from their observations in a classroom. Young people from faiths other than Christian seem to have a strong faith identity. When asked about their heritage ‘Christian’ young people seem to talk geographically (i.e. where they come from) wheareas young people from other faiths speak of ‘who they are’ which might be Hindu, Sikh, Muslim …
This hit me as a bit of failing on behalf of the church, and I am remembering the church consists of us, the people. We have failed to help young people to develop their Christian identity.
Part of our mission o make disciples of young people means we must help them work out a Christian identity – how do we do that?
I think the evangelical money making side of Christianity as attempted with WWJD, trendy crosses, pendants, clothing and so on … but that does not really provide the identity they are looking for or need, and the real motivation and agenda there is to make money rather than aid identity development.
So … what can we do to help Christian young people develop their Christian identity?
The Shiny Headed Prophet 
Identity is always stronger when you’re from, or percieve yourself as being from, a minority group. This is particulalry the case if there is prejudice against this group either now or in the recent past. Is it simply that as state religion Christianity as taken as read or even more likely just not ‘interesting’ to young people who are more likely to identify with other smaller and more prominent sub groups? In the case of hwere we live might this be the persecution of being Gillingham fans?!