Jesus said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.” It is an interesting occurrence that when I hear this quote from Jesus, used from the pulpit, or during Sabbath afternoon Biblical debates, the speaker is usually referring to small children—those considered “innocent” and/or vulnerable. Quite often, this quote from Mark 10:14 is showcased on posters accompanied by an artist's rendition of Jesus surrounded by small children, some sitting on the lap of the Savior of the universe! For most onlookers, this may bring a slight smile to their face and a nod of amazement at how gentle and accommodating Jesus is as He takes time for those little ones other adults so often ignore. Then we read Mark 10:15, “Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.” Whoa! There’s that reference to “little children” again. Neither the text nor the posters seem to include “large children” or adolescents, as they are more appropriately called today. Was Jesus excluding those larger children from ages 12 to 18?

Of course not! He was simply explaining that small children have attitudes of trust and acceptance worth emulating. But what about adolescents? What is their worth to Jesus? I’m sure most agree Jesus loves people of all ages, even teenagers. Jesus makes Himself available to those experiencing the most difficulties. A large majority of social scientists would agree that lately adolescent boys are identified as a group experiencing unique challenges and great difficulties.

The concern for adolescent boys extends across race, ethnicity, and culture. Pick a newspaper from any city, township, or village in the U.S.A. and you are likely to find articles detailing a horrific incident, crime, or social problem involving adolescent males. Far too many male youth find trouble wherever more than two are gathered. What is going on with our young men? What actions can the church undertake to become a more positive influence in their lives?

Many Young People Are Simply Bored and Lack Parental Involvement

Before answering the previous question, it may help to identify common issues and challenges adolescent males encounter. First and foremost, the reality is that many young people are simply bored! Parental guidance and supervision are lacking due to both parents (or single parents) who work outside the home. This fact has developed into a relatively new phenomenon called “latchkey kids.” These children, more often than not, get to and from school on their own and return to empty houses after the school day, devoid of parental influence, responsibility, or supervision.

Let’s not forget the Columbine tragedy in Colorado. Those high school age boys were troubled, no doubt, and most would agree they came from suburban, middle class, respectable backgrounds. However, their backgrounds did not shield them from the difficulties which eventually led to behaviors of such tragic proportions. Is it fair or unfair to suggest their parents apparently provided very little supervision or guidance as their sons struggled with processing their emotional distress? I imagine those parents continue to ask themselves hard questions like: “Where was I when my child planned such terrible retribution and vengeance on his peers?” or “What job duties or appointments were so important that I left my son to his own devices?” These questions and more will haunt those parents as they contemplate the value of love and concern demonstrated by parental supervision versus providing material things and unlimited freedom.

In Philadelphia, where I serve in the Juvenile Justice System and Children’s Services System, the homicide rate is already ahead of last year's record-breaking numbers. Many victims and perpetrators are school-age children! Young people are arrested and incarcerated for crimes such as drug trafficking, robbery, and assault, to name just a few. Many are eulogized and buried prematurely!

It’s not uncommon to discover a growing percentage of these young people are raised and cared for by elderly grandparents or legal guardians who no longer have the physical energy, resources, or social support system to provide adequate supervision or training. Children of all ages need parents or parental figures who they can count on to be there, especially through that difficult period known as adolescence. This is not an article meant to emotionally “brow beat” parents or be overly critical of those who have had young people slip through their fingers in distress.

Certainly, any parent or guardian raising teenagers today has experienced some distress of their own. However, Solomon admonishes us in Proverbs 22:6, to “Train up a child in the way that he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Being a parent is very difficult work. There are no “off days” or “calling in sick.” Providing consistent, constructive supervision is a basic minimum requirement! Parents must cling to the promises in God’s Word as they implement instructions from Scripture. And never forget, prayer changes things! Prayer can even mitigate our mistakes.

Many School Systems Fail to Provide the Basics of Education, Recreation, and Safety

Second, and almost as disturbing as the lack of parental engagement, is the failure of many school systems to provide the basics of education, recreation, and safety. For whatever reason, many schools do not hold the interests of a growing number of young people, in general, and young males in particular. Unless a young person participates in extra curricular activities such as sports, academic clubs, the arts, etc., they may not have scheduled after school activities to create balance for their intellectual growth and social development. Some young people may not be able to finance multiple activities. Unlike when the majority of after-school activities were free, today one must “pay to play,” or participate in almost everything. For those whose parents cannot afford the price tag of participation, the alternative is often for young people to devise activities of their own imagination. Hence, there is a large disparity in decision making among some young people as to what is appropriate, or not, simply based on levels of boredom and the amount of unsupervised freedom available.

A vast majority of crimes committed and trouble realized by adolescent males occurs during school hours. Many problems occur right on school property. One must wonder who is actually in charge—students or school administrators! For some, school represents the most difficult part of their day. Many find it almost impossible to focus or pay attention in classes that do not hold their interest. Others are unable to concentrate because they are distracted by enormous stressors such as witnessing domestic violence at home, intrusive thoughts of abuse at the hand of an adult, drug or alcohol dependent parents or guardians, and/or substance abuse issues of their own.

Still others find school unbearable because they are embarrassed they cannot read or write on the level of their peers. They may worry about and try to avoid daily encounters with a bully, or they simply feel that they do not “fit in” with a desired peer group. All of the above can be reasons some teenage boys skip certain classes, are consistently late for school, or become truant altogether.

The Church Can Be of Service to Young Men

So, now that a few issues adolescent boys may be experiencing were identified, let’s revisit and rephrase our earlier question. How can the church be of service to adolescent males? That age group is often left out of church planning meetings and program development. Some larger churches may have developed a “youth church” or services especially planned for their young people. However, that service or activity generally occurs on Sabbath only. What about the rest of the week? How often do adults in the church forget or exclude our teenagers? What programs does your church offer for teenagers during the week? What opportunities for leadership roles does your church afford adolescent boys?

These questions need definitive answers to reclaim the interest of our young people. Church leaders need to recognize “the streets” often offer more to counteract teenage boredom than the church! The church needs to formulate a “plan of action” especially designed to go after adolescent males and bring them back into the fold. We’re not just talking about young people who may have left the church or rarely attend. We are also concerned about those who dutifully attend church on a weekly basis (due to parental threats or cajoling), but are bored out of their minds!

Although it is the adults in church who need to take a stand and plan for inclusion of adolescent boys, no plan will be successful without ensuring peers of these young people are readily available and visibly seen in leadership roles. The church should be a place where families go not only to worship the Lord, but also to find solace from a world full of pain and confusion!

Adults need to take some time to remember what it was like to be a teenager. Try to remember the difficulties you experienced, then think about today’s young people and multiply those troubles by ten! We all want to be saved into the kingdom of God!

How do we accomplish what was suggested in Mark 10:14? How can adults be as little children? How can Jesus expect us to think, act, and feel like those little ones referred to in Scripture? How can we reclaim the innocence of a child and become as trusting and accepting of the kingdom of God?

Well, if we adults have such a difficult time conceptualizing how we can possibly revert our minds and behavior back into childhood, how much more difficult might it be for teenagers to do the same when, for most, their number one goal is to put as much distance between themselves and childhood as possible? Funny how the closer children get to becoming teenagers, the more they want to be considered “adults.” Hence, the phenomenon of what I like to call “the dance of adolescence.”

This “dance” consists of having one foot squarely planted in childhood and one foot tentatively reaching for adulthood! Since the world of childhood and adulthood have little resemblance, this dance becomes increasingly difficult, resulting in some level of instability and missteps. It is God’s church that has the responsibility to be there for every misstep of our young people.

Sit down with adolescent boys and girls in your church. Talk to them about their concerns in this world and their interest, or lack thereof, in the church. More importantly, listen to them. Take their concerns and suggestions seriously! You may find the makings of great leadership among the adolescent males in your church and/or community.

H. Jean Wright II has earned his doctoral degree in psychology and works with young people for the City of Philadelphia as a clinical and forensic psychologist.