CREATING A BETTER FUTURE MEANS MAKING DECISIONS WITH OUR CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN MIND
The theme of our Spring Fundraiser this year has been “Returning to Life” and throughout the series we have been asking a lot of questions and sharing some of our thoughts on how we can help our children and youth thrive in life.
While it has likely been implied throughout the blog posts, let me state something very clearly here today: We are responsible for building a better future for our children and youth! This is not to take away from individual responsibility (it’s actually vital that our youth learn responsibility when they are young) but there is little doubt that the heavy lifting of building a better tomorrow lies firmly on the shoulders of us adults, today.
As I said in an earlier blog, teenagers do not create the world they live in; they inherit it. Therefore, it is so very important that we consider the ramifications and long-term consequences of our decisions and actions. It is our responsibility – as adults and leaders alike – to remember that the decisions of today will inevitably impact tomorrow.
So I ask you this question: How often do you think about the future and what actions are you taking to ensure a better future for our kids?
We must make decisions that not only serve us today but also serve our children and youth in the future. If we are wise, the question we must always ask ourselves is how will this affect our children and our children’s children? We may not always agree on what the best course of action is, but at the very least, are we looking into the future and striving to make it a better place?
To conclude, let me offer a few very practical thoughts:
- Try to look at the world through the eyes of our children and youth. Try to step out of your own world view and see things from their perspective. What does it look like?
- Talk to your kids – talk to other people’s kids – and ask them about their hopes and fears. LISTEN to them – really listen – and then consider how you can help build a better future.
- Our children and youth are holistic beings and we must nurture every aspect of their lives. This means caring for them socially, physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. To neglect any of these areas is to neglect holistic development.
- Remember that the greatest gift you can give to a child or youth is your TIME, ATTENTION, and ENCOURAGEMENT. While we may be able to prepare a bit of the road for our children, it’s still a far better investment to prepare our children for the road. Be intentional about investing in our children and youth.
CLICK BELOW TO PARTICIPATE:
As we explore these things over the coming weeks, I would like to invite your participation in two ways:
- I invite you to dialogue with us and join the conversation. We all learn more in community, so press in, ask questions, challenge assumptions, and let’s take this journey together.
- I invite you to invest in our youth by participating in our Spring Fundraiser. We are on the front lines of serving youth in our community and we are the only dedicated youth drop-in centre in Milton. We are 100% donor funded and all of our funding comes from people like you, who care about community, who care about young people, and who care about the future.
Finally, for those who don’t know us well, RE:SOUL Youth Centre is a faith-based organization and we are a program of Southwestern Ontario Youth for Christ. For some, knowing we are a faith-based organization creates both trust and affinity. However, we also know that for others being faith-based creates both suspicion and aversion. I recognize and understand both responses. However, as we say to the teens all the time at the youth centre, “You don’t have to agree with us to be with us!” So I would simply once again invite you to take the journey with us. We all have much to learn from one another!
Sincerely, and with gratitude,
Michael Burns
Director
RE:SOUL Youth Centre / YFC Milton