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September 2007 Issue
Today’s teens say God is cool
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Hey God, are you there?
If you can't see him, can he still be part of your life?
The answer is a resounding yes! In fact, many West Michigan
teens say that he is more than just a part of your life, God is cool!
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"I talk with God whenever I need to, he is
always around," said Will Hardenbergh, 16, of Grand Rapids.
"I think God is cool, too. I thank [him] for being a part
of my life, but I also feel I can talk to him anytime, anywhere.
I don't even have to think about it, he is just there."
Other teens agree with Hardenbergh and say
that God's presence is important in all aspects of their life.
"God is more than just cool. He helps in ways people don't
realize. He supports you in peer pressure situations when
you simply don't know what to do. God will be there even when
your life is over, he will be someone to lean on," said Caroline
Aleck, 14, of Grand Rapids. And Aleck, along with her friend
- Katie Boss, 14 - say that faith in God can help young Catholics
through those challenging teenage years.
"Having a strong faith in God helps teens
make good choices. It helps them in school, with friends and
in feeling better about themselves," Aleck and Boss said.
Many teens also say that they rely on their Catholic faith
to feel God's presence and know that he is there during the
smallest routine daily activities to when they need him most.
"Our family even talks to God before we go on vacation," said
Kyle Szczepaniuk, 16, a junior at Forest Hills Northern, Grand
Rapids.
"Faith is having God with you all the time."
And more and more teens are making God a part of their everyday
life, not just in their belief in His everyday presence, but
through church involvement. In a recent study of teens and
faith, the Dallas-based Barna Group found that half of the
nation's 24 million teens attend some sort of church-related
activity each week and more than 75 percent discuss faith
with friends. Szczepaniuk is a volunteer usher at St. Robert
of Newminster Parish in Ada. Aleck attends church weekly,
participates in youth groups and has gone on a retreat.
"Having a strong faith helps us (teens) make
good choices," she said. "It helps get through school, in
our relationships with friends and helps me feel better about
myself." Dario Cevallos, 17, a senior foreign exchange student
from Ecuador, thinks American kids are a bit more comfortable
with their faith, and living with their faith better than
in some other cultures. "Teens don't go to church in Ecuador,
except for special occasions like Easter. Faith is not being
passed down to teens like it is here. While following Jesus
is talked about, it's not practiced as much," Cevallos said.
"Here, in West Michigan, I see families going to church weekly.
Teens talk about God openly, they are not ashamed or embarrassed
to believe. I think I am more comfortable with my faith now."
In addition to practicing their faith at church, or among
youth groups, more and more teens embrace their faith in everyday
activities. Many teens say they feel his presence at soccer
games, playing hockey, teeing up for golf or even in the classroom.
"Whether it is in the middle of a varsity golf match or preparing
for a tough test, God is there," said Tom Hardenbergh, 17.
"I don't always count on him on the soccer fi eld," added
Cevellos, an avid soccer player. "But if it is a big game
or tough competition and I need to make a certain play, he
is with me. On the soccer fi eld, it depends on the games,
I have not done it for a while because I have not had an important
game, but last year, when I had tough competition, God was
with me, I was praying for help."
A recent National Public Radio Talk of the
Nation report said that a majority of teens say their faith
plays an important role in their life. But, according to Christian
Smith, a professor of sociology at the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill, few teens can articulate just what
it is they believe. Today's teens say they know how to articulate
it to each other and say their faith in God is the cornerstone
to practicing their religion. "Faith is me talking to God
when I need to," Szczepaniuk said. "I listen to the Gospel
and understand it. God is talking to me."
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