Friday, December 02, 2005

New Web Address for 1 Timothy 4.12


Just wanted to let you all know that the web address for the Youth and Young Adults blog has changed, so you'll want to update your browsers and links.











1 Timothy 4.12 can now be found at http://www.ocacanadianyouth.orthodoxmission.org/.

Thanks to Fr. Justin for helping us to host the blog, safe and sound.

To all 1 Timothy 4.12 contributors, there is no need to re-sign up... the address and increased online security are the only signficant changes. But if there are any youth and young adults who would like an invite, feel free to email myself, Fr. Justin, Pasivirta, or Gabe F. from Saskatoon.

Grace & Peace!

5 comments:

Peter T Chattaway said...

Just wondering, what is a "Young Adult"?

I noticed recently that I now belong to the "35-49" category on some survey that I filled out. Does this mean I am not a "young adult" any more?

How the time flies, sigh. :)

Matthew Francis said...

Great question! I know what you mean, Peter. My opinion on this topic, touchy feely as it may be, is that age is pretty much a 'state of mind' thing.

I have a lot of people that tell me that people past 30 should not be considered as "young adults."

I'm not in big on creating rigid age categories in the Church. Part of my reticence about it stems from the hyper-marketing and commodification of religion that has taken place over the past 30 years or so. In such a situation, generations are totally isolated from one another in an artificial way. I don't think that's particularly good.

We are, after all, a family, and so my perspective is that its best to share our life together intergenerationally in tangible ways: babas, dads, grandkids, Godchildren, aunties, friends in the church all feeling somewhat like "cousins."

There are some incredible youthful 50-70 year-olds that I think would be tremendously beneficial to have involved in "young adult" type things in the Church. As well, there are sometimes teenagers that are incredibly mature and the Body as a whole would do well to pay attention to them.

That said, there are of course many developmental things that we should take into consideration, and, certainly Jr. High adolescents probably have many different concerns than you or I or others. So it probably wouldn't make much sense, say to host a retreat for people age 12-40, with one "program."

All this is why I like to talk about the "younger generations" of our Church, though I often talk about "youth and young adults."

What are other people's thoughts on this?

Peter T Chattaway said...

I agree that rigid age categories are not such a hot idea. Maybe it's because I grew up with a sister almost exactly nine years my junior, but I've always enjoyed going to events where people of all generations are involved, and I've always had a soft spot for movies like Rushmore in which 10-, 20-, 30- and 50-year-olds get along and hang out together. Which, I guess, is just one more thing about Orthodox services that appeals to me. :)

Matthew Francis said...

Gotcha.

And "Rushmore" is great.

kimberley francis said...

Peter: you're not 35-49 are you?