Changing Lives: Publication of Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota

In this Issue:

The Church's Role In Caring For Society's Children
By Bishop E. Peter Strommen, Northeastern Minnesota Synod, ELCA

What role should the church assume when it comes to society's vulnerable kids and teens? This is often not the group that attends our churches. And yet, our willingness to address this question may the mean the difference between life and death for some of these kids. Please join me in reflecting on this a few moments.

We know what's healthy for children and young people. We know what puts them at risk. When the Search Institute organized its youth research around "40 developmental assets," it amounted to a simple social equation. When young people have responsible, caring adults and strong community institutions in their lives, they flourish. When this is not the case, they become vulnerable to at-risk behavior and influences dangerous to their future. What's stunning is just how clear it is.

A wise society and a compassionate church must then ask: "What is our responsibility to young people with hardly any assets at all?" "What will happen to children or youth in grave crisis if we do nothing?"

Read down the list of "developmental assets" that comprise Search Institute's list. Try counting up the assets that depend on stable, caring adults. Notice the role of strong community institutions. It's astonishing. Caring adults and healthy institutions -- fed by faith and moral values -- form the whole list!

Now, let's imagine a kid on the street. How many assets build her development? Precious few. Perhaps none. Being on the street is about survival. Prostitution. Drugs. Stealing. Disease. One homeless youth in Duluth was asked what happens to kids who don't find a program like LSS Street Outreach or Renaissance House. His answer: "They end up in jail, or an institution or dead." Research shows his answer is not far off.

In the final analysis, the future of vulnerable young people will be determined by how the church and society are prepared to intervene. However, if we look closely at our safety net, we ought to be haunted by what we see.

It may surprise you to know that economic resources have been shifting away from the young for the past thirty years. Our culture may have a youth-oriented image, but we find more poor among our children than any other segment of the population and, that trend is continuing. Nationally, we save the most wealthy among us tens of thousands of dollars in tax cuts while allowing nine million children to go without health care. Although traditionally a social leader, Minnesota has no unified policy with respect to vulnerable children and youth. It is left up to each county. Therefore, budget cuts expose vulnerable children and at-risk teenagers the most. As vulnerable youth are showing up on society's doorstep with greater frequency, we are actually cutting, not adding, to what might intervene. As I write this article, several programs specifically created for children and youth in crisis are being closed down. A terrible human and economic price will be paid in prison sentences and wasted lives.

If anyone ought to care about this, it should be the church. Concern for the vulnerable runs so deeply in our roots, we can scarcely ignore it. But getting at this situation is not that simple. Here are some specific ways we could start.

Don't get used to it
One pastor who helped begin a collaborative effort in his city blurted out, "There will be no homeless youth in my city!" He realized he could not and should not tolerate what was happening.

Public Policy
Christian vocation includes citizenship. Although non-profits, congregations and individuals can and do form highly effective partnerships with the government, they do not have the resources to address the huge scope of this issue; nor should they. A wise and just society must attend to vulnerable youth for the sake of its own health and well-being. As I mentioned, Minnesota has no unified public policy with respect to at-risk youth and children. The efforts of those who help them would be strengthened by such a policy. Certainly a bipartisan effort encouraged by concerned Christian citizens could make a difference.

Increased donations
Many programs serving vulnerable children/youth are pieced together by assorted grants and are teetering on the brink of collapse. Some will be lost in the budget cuts, including some LSS programs. Others can be saved with added donations. For example, the "Renaissance House" in Duluth, Minnesota, reaches out to homeless youth, ages 15-17. Donations replacing grant money lost from the state would enable continued federal matching grants, thus allowing this LSS ministry to continue.

Be prepared for the long haul
Society's "me-first" splurge over the past decades has not been without its effect on families and social institutions. The problems of at-risk youth will not be solved easily or soon. Perhaps at the heart of the matter, we face God's call to renew our vision of the common good. Resources for such vision renewal are deeply embedded in scripture, tradition and theology. Jesus was quite explicit in his teaching about "the least of these." In order to prepare for the long haul, those who work with public policy, fund existing programs and reach out to at-risk youth will need patience, perseverance and roots in this deep tradition.

I can think of few things more tragic than children and teens deprived of assets fundamental to their healthy development. And we are in a wealthy society! We cannot look the other way. Through our congregations, our church institutions like Lutheran Social Service, and our vocation as citizens, we must address this human need.

External Assets	Asset Type	Asset Name and Definition
	Support	1. Family support - Family life provides high levels of love and support.
		2. Positive family communication - Young person and her or his parent(s) communicate positively, and young person is willing to seek parent(s') advice and counsel.
		3. Other adult relationships - Young person receives support from three or more non-parent adults.
		4. Caring neighborhood - Young person experiences caring neighbors.
		5. Caring school climate - School provides a caring, encouraging environment.
		6. Parent involvement in schooling - Parent(s) are actively involved in helping young person succeed in school.
	Empowerment	7. Community values youth - Young person perceives that adults in the community value youth.
		8. Youth as resources - Young people are given useful roles in the community.
		9. Service to others - Young person serves in the community one hour or more per week.
		10. Safety - Young person feels safe at home, school, and in the neighborhood.
	Boundaries and Expectations	11. Family boundaries - Family has clear rules and consequences, and monitors the young person's whereabouts.
		12. School boundaries - School provides clear rules and consequences.
		13. Neighborhood boundaries - Neighbors take responsibility for monitoring young people's behavior.
		14. Adult role models - Parent(s) and other adults model positive, responsible behavior.
		15. Positive peer influence - Young person's best friends model responsible behavior.
		16. High expectations - Both parent(s) and teachers encourage the young person to do well.
	Constructive Use of Time	17. Creative activities - Young person spends three or more hours per week in lessons or practice in music, theater, or other arts.
		18. Youth programs - Young person spends three or more hours per week in sports, clubs, or organizations at school and/or in community organizations.
		19. Religious community - Young person spends one or more hours per week in activities in a religious institution.
		20. Time at home - Young person is out with friends "with nothing special to do" two or fewer nights per week.


Internal Assets	Asset Type	Asset Name and Definition
	Commitment to Learning	21. Achievement motivation - Young person is motivated to do well in school.
		22. School engagement - Young person is actively engaged in learning.
		23. Homework - Young person reports doing at least one hour of homework every school day.
		24. Bonding to school - Young person cares about his or her school.
		25. Reading for pleasure - Young person reads for pleasure three or more hours per week.
	Positive Values	26. Caring - Young person places high value on helping other people.
		27. Equality and social justice - Young person places high value on promoting equality and reducing hunger and poverty.
		28. Integrity - Young person acts on convictions and stands up for her or his beliefs.
		29. Honesty - Young person tells the truth even when it is not easy.
		30. Responsibility - Young person accepts and takes personal responsibility.
		31. Restraint - Young person believes it is important not to be sexually active or to use alcohol or other drugs.
	Social Competencies	32. Planning and decision-making - Young person knows how to plan ahead and make choices.
		33. Interpersonal competence - Young person has empathy, sensitivity, and friendship skills.
		34. Cultural competence - Young person has knowledge of and comfort with people of different cultural/racial/ethnic backgrounds.
		35. Resistance skills - Young person can resist negative peer pressure and dangerous situations.
		36. Peaceful conflict resolution - Young person seeks to resolve conflict non-violently.
	Positive Identity	37. Personal power - Young person feels he or she has control over "things that happen to me."
		38. Self-esteem - Young person reports having a high self-esteem.
		39. Sense of purpose - Young person reports that "my life has a purpose."
		40. Positive view of personal failure - Young person is optimistic about her or his personal future.

�1996 Search Institute. This chart may be reproduced for education use in this form only (with this copyright line). No other uses permitted without the prior permission of Search Institute, 1-800-888-7828. This list is an education tool. It is not intended to nor is it appropriate as a scientific measure of the developmental assets of individuals.

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