A Full Copy of May 19th’s Thursday Thoughts Can Be Found HERE

 

May 19, 2022

Dear Congregation:

             This Sunday, the youth of ERUCC will be leading us in worship.  You already know that they are a talented and interesting group of young people.  On Sunday, you will hear their thoughts about what is happening in their lives in these days.

Our young people are resilient.  They have experienced a lot, including a pandemic.  They have been challenged in school and they have been challenged by questions and concerns around how to define themselves, climate change, the threat to democracy, and economic uncertainty.

Family, friends, educators, coaches, and the church can help young people to develop resilience.  Marilyn Price-Mitchell, a developmental psychologist and author, writes. “Resilience is not a genetic trait. It is derived from the ways that children learn to think and act when faced with obstacles large and small.” When the adults in children’s lives—caregivers, teachers, coaches—help young people develop resilience, it helps them “emerge from challenging experiences with a positive sense of themselves and their futures,” says Price-Mitchell.

Our church encourages our young people to ask questions.  We do not shy away from difficult discussions.  We provide opportunities for travel and service that takes our young people out of their familiar surroundings to encounter new people and new experiences.  With the support of their families and others, our youth learn they can take risks to learn new things and meet new people and try on new ideas.  They learn that they cannot control everything that happens in life, but they can control how they react to it.  They can learn to grow through these new experiences and face adversity with strength and courage.

I saw this tree at Lake Tahoe and was fascinated by all the way in which the rings, signifying each year of life, twisted and turned.  Clearly that tree had survived many storms and droughts and yet survived.

I like to believe that ERUCC is providing the love, care, and support for our young people to grow strong, like that tree, giving them the tools to be resilient in the midst of all the twists and turns of life.

 

Rev. Dr. Barbara Kershner Daniel, Senior Pastor

Evangelical Reformed Church, United Church of Christ

15 West Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701

301-662-2762

E-mail: bkdaniel@erucc.org