"Remember, we're in this together. I'm pulling for you." Perhaps you've had the blessing of hearing those words from the wise bearded sage on The Red Green Show. It is less quoted than his other famous aphorisms like "Keep your stick on the ice," but its meaning holds a profound truth for us children of God. What I am referring to is not simply Christian unity, but rather the message that we send, or should be sending, to the children in our faith community. To quote another admirable individual, though much less famous, Mark Senter III says that when all is said and done, a church's role with regards to its youth ministry is "to pass biblical values from one generation to the next."^[1] Would any of us argue that the primary purpose of the church for its children (from birth to graduation) is this passing on of biblical values? Consequently, what does that mean for our practices in youth and children ministry?

If we take a careful look at what is going on right now, we may discover that maybe our message to the children and youth of our congregations may only be the second half of the adage: "I'm pulling for you." Being "in this together" with them is trickier. Of course, there is no debate over the fact that we do love our young people. Very few people in local churches will express anything less than a tender and passionate zeal for the young people of their church and community. It can be seen in the eyes of the elderly who talk endearingly about the youth and children who show up on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings. It can be heard in the words of the pastor, the board and the parents of the congregation. But do we come along side them and see them through the turbulent times? Do we struggle with them through the doubtful and questioning times? It may be that we are scared to.

What leads to this fear is understandable. All of us have it to some extent. Children and youth are like a separate subculture that is ever changing. We want to understand and help, but we are not sure if we have anything to offer. So, we must make sense of it all somehow. "Who knows children more than their parents?" we argue. "So, let's let them lead children's worship and Sunday school." Or, "I cannot relate to teenagers. Let's let the 20-something people (or person) of our church work with them.

It ought to be said here that the finger ought not be pointed solely at those who are not actively involved in a church's program for children or teens. In fact, it is often those of us involved in those programs who can sometimes feed this problem. It is not uncommon for Christians to feel intimidated by youth or children ministry. It is equally frequent for youth workers and children's ministers to feel like they are on their own and under appreciated. These hurdles are not easy, but we, the church can overcome them.

First of all, we can try to rid our minds of stereotypes that plague these ministries. A prominent and unfortunate of these is the idea that youth ministry is reserved for young adults, or at least people who tend to be called "a big kid." So is the idea that we have nothing to offer children since we are not energetic. Again, many times it is those of us involved in these ministries who inadvertently perpetuate such thoughts. The fact is ministry to children is for the responsibility of the entire body of Christ. We all make commitments at infant baptisms and dedications to help parents raise their child(ren) in the Lord, so let's live up to those promises.

Second, we can try to look beyond programs when we think of ministry to children and youth. It may be true that a particular person has nothing to offer a certain weekly or monthly program, but no matter our age, limitations, or perceived inabilities, we all have something to offer the children of our communities. We have the fellowship of believers that extends to all generations and spans all cultures and subcultures.

Third, we can treat them like they are our own children. Of course, we cannot replace their parents and blood relatives. We shouldn't even try. But our hearts ought to reflect the deep love and care that families have for their children. The entire gospel centers on this: the love of the Father for his children who, in turn, love one another as brothers and sisters. The Apostle Paul told the Christians in Rome to be "devoted to one another in brotherly love" and further added that the one who "loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law" (Rom. 12:10, 13:8 NIV).

Finally, we can dare to enter their world: get on the floor and play with the kids, ask a teenager about his/her favourite movie, invite a family with children (of any age) over for an evening of board games. Doing things like this can be scary, but they are actually quite liberating. They help us understand our own children and, therefore, bring us closer to understanding our Father.

The next time we see someone who is 18-years-old or younger, let's try and remember what good ol' Red says: "We're in this together. I'm pulling for you."