Experiencing God

Helping our students connect with God is one of our main goals as ministers, as leaders, and as parents.  We want them to grow into a relationship with God so that they can begin to take ownership in their faith, making it a faith that lasts.  Many of us who "have it all together" (wink+nod) feel like they way we connect with God must be the way they can connect with God.  But, there are as many ways to connect with God on a personal level as there are people in this world.  

If you are trying to help a young person cultivate their own spiritual practice for building their relationship with God, take a look at these "spiritual pathways" as outlined by Gary Thomas's book  Sacred Pathways: Discover Your Soul's Path to God:

• Naturalists: loving God outdoors. Naturalists draw near to God through nature.
• Sensates: loving God with the senses. Sensates draw near to God by engaging with what they can see, hear, touch, taste and smell.
• Traditionalists: loving God through ritual and symbol. Traditionalists draw near to God through longstanding practices of disciples through history.
• Ascetics:  loving God in solitude and simplicity. Ascetics draw near to God in stripped-down spaces and practices.
• Activists:  loving God through confrontation. Activists draw near to God through bringing about social change.
• Caregivers:  loving God by loving others. Caregivers draw near to God through caring for and serving others.
• Enthusiasts:  loving God with mystery and celebration. Enthusiasts draw near to God through experiences of great joy and God’s unexpected movement.
• Contemplatives: loving God through adoration. Contemplatives draw near to God through personal adoration and heartfelt devotion.
• Intellectuals: loving God with the mind. Intellectuals draw near to God when they learn new things about God or Scripture.

Be creative in encouraging them to find their unique connection with God.  If you have a naturalist, take him or her out on a nature walk and encourage conversation about God's beautiful creation.  If you have an activist, encourage their passion for connecting with God through justice-seeking by exploring different organizations and their causes.  If you have a caregiver, spend some intentional time taking him or her to visit those in our church who may be sick or lonely.  In all of these things, encourage the student to think theologically about what they are doing and how they are connecting with God.  You may want to ask questions like:

• What can we learn about the character of God in what we are doing (a nature walk, activism, care-giving, etc.)?
• How does God speak to you?
• What characteristics of God most resonate with your own personality, passions, and giftedness?
• Where do you find it easiest to connect with God?

Having open conversations about God and our relationship with him is one of the most important things we can do to help students foster a growing faith.  Thank you for being a constant in the lives of students, and know that you are making a difference!