wfn.org | Drugs, alcohol called top threats to kids

[PCUSA NEWS <PCUSA.NEWS@ecunet.org>]

Note #7420 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

12-September-2002
02346

Drugs, alcohol called top threats to kids

Many youngsters are active in church, Presbyterian Panel finds

by Jerry L. Van Marter

LOUISVILLE - Presbyterians say the availability of alcohol, tobacco and
illegal drugs is the most serious problem facing U.S. children today.

Violence and sex in the media and peer pressure are other prominent dangers
mentioned by members, elders and ministers questioned in a recent
Presbyterian Panel survey.

The Research Services office of the Presbyterian Church (USA) manages the
panel, which regularly surveys Presbyterians on a wide range of subjects.

The recent survey on children's issues found that 25 percent of Presbyterian
congregations have "youth elders" and 35 percent have "youth deacons." (Three
out of four of those have only one youth elder or deacon.)

According to the respondents, children and young people had led worship at
least once in the previous year in 80 percent of PC(USA) congregations. In
most cases, they did so through vocal or instrumental music (40 percent);
serving as ushers or collecting the offering (39 percent); or "brief
leadership" such as reading a Bible lesson (13 percent).

The most important congregational ministries for children, respondents said,
are Christian education (80 percent of members, 77 percent of elders, 81
percent of pastors) and spiritual formation.

PC(USA) children and youth are heavily involved in outreach ministries.
Sixty-nine percent of congregations involve them in mission trips.
Presbyterian youngsters also take part in local service projects (80
percent); work in local food pantries, soup kitchens and homeless shelters
(70 percent); and are active in other community service organizations (69
percent).

The respondents said the international issues affecting children that the
church should be most concerned about are hunger and malnutrition (66 percent
ranked it in their top three); lack of education and illiteracy (57 percent);
and poverty (41 percent).

Awareness of denominational programs for children is spotty. Although 94
percent of pastors and 56 percent of elders knew that 2000-2001 was
designated "The Year of the Child" in the PC(USA), only 45 percent of members
were aware of it, and even fewer (12 percent of members, 15 percent of elders
and 61 percent of pastors) knew that 2001-2011 has been designated by the
General Assembly as "The Decade of the Child."

Fewer than half of members (38 percent) and elders (46 percent) said they
were familiar with any of the 33 Presbyterian Children's Homes around the
country, while 74 percent of pastors were.

Majorities of all groups were mostly unfamiliar with denominational resources
having to do with children - such as the PC(USA)'s child-advocacy program and
such documents as Guidelines for Child Care at Church-Sponsored Meetings; We
Won't Let it Happen Here! Preventing Child Sexual Abuse in the Church; and a
1993 GA resolution titled A Vision for Children and the Church.

Asked what sort of resources for children interested them, pastors said
spiritual formation (58 percent), Christian education (50 percent), prayer
resources (49 percent), Bible study related to children's needs and issues
(49 percent), and pastoral care (48 percent).
------------------------------------------
Send your response to this article to pcusa.news@pcusa.org

------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send an 'unsubscribe' request to

pcusanews-request@halak.pcusa.org