I just read an article in the Sacramento news today about teenagers being charged as adults for crimes committed. I saw that many of the responses to the news were like ones that you or I might have: “where are their parents?”; “how is it that such young people have access to guns?”; “why are young people angry enough to kill each other?”. This sobering news is a reminder to all of us just how broken and distorted the world is, and how difficult it can be to learn how to grow up in a world of broken relationships and pain.
I think back to being a teenager and remember how much pain my friends and I were trying to make sense of – divorce, car accidents, pushy parents, rejection from “friends”, the list could go on. As a parent it must be frustrating to try to protect your teenagers, knowing what the world is like – to want to help them grow up and feel like you’re not getting through.  It’s just as hard to be a teenager and feel like you can’t talk to your parents anymore; when you try they just don’t listen to what you’re saying.
Parents and youth are living their lives in increasingly disparate worlds. Getting the two to understand each other can be like learning a new language. Granite Springs is offering an opportunity for youth, parents, grandparents, curious on-lookers, ect. to come together to explore the world of youth culture.
Join us at Granite Springs Church Sunday evenings  July 10 and July 17 at 6:30pm for a series of conversations about youth and the world they’re trying to make sense of. Questions? Ask Matthew – The Seminary Intern. For more information contact the church office, church@granitesprings.org.
Written by Mathew Burns
Granite Springs Church
Calvin Seminary Intern