olger,

Will you please list all the reasons that the attendance is deteriorating in Adventist schools, churches and clubs? This list will be greatly appreciated so that in the future I may reference it so as not to forget any one element.

Thanks for your cooperation,
Aubrey

I personally think "lack of compassion" is a huge one. While we don't have any SDA schools anywhere near us, we also don't have Pathfinders or Adventures, due largely because of lack of compassion. It certainly isn't because we don't have a lot of kids that could benefit from these clubs.

All it takes to get a Pathfinder Club started is for a concerned parent to do it. Get some supplies from the Conference office; put a notice in the church bulletin; phone all families with kids of that age; plan an invigorating program for the kids, and do it!

The kids themselves will keep it going, once there's something there that they enjoy doing.

They'll thank you for years afterwards.

It also takes commitment from parents--to get the youth to the meetings on time, to help with the carpooling for the campouts, to pay for the uniforms, to help with the memorization work required at home, to remind the youth to read and do their work.

It takes a church--willing to open it's doors for the club to meet, to be supportive in fund-raising, to attend induction and investment services, to provide enough staff to support a large club (one teacher for 25 Pathfinders just doesn't cut it when there's at least 6 different classes to teach).

In the 6+ years I've been involved in a Pathfinder club, I have never seen the youth take the initiative to "keep it going". They have the desire to be there, to do the work while at the meetings--but because of their age, they simply cannot take over the club. They cannot drive, they are not responsible for risk management issues; and frankly, with the issues that come up in meetings these days (drug abuse, sexuality, homosexuality, self-injury, anorexia/bulimia, suicides, etc), they really shouldn't be the ones to keep it going. It really needs to be adults who run the clubs and provide good, solid mentoring for the youth.

Young people need people who care. Not just one person, but a "people" of persons who care.

Hi Daniels, I'm new too. I wonder, what is the difference between reply and quick reply? anyone?

HEY DANIELS AND RICH4TRUTH

welcome i think there is a welcome forum


but hope you like it here


dgrimm60

You're right, Aubrey. It's a HUGE commitment for the parents and church to make. Many simply don't have that kind of time and money to commit - which is why I prefer AY or some other youth group type of program as opposed to Pathfinders.

That's the whole problem though, Carolaa. Time and money, but particularly time--is not spent on/with the children. It is a HUGE responsibility given by God.

What sort of activities do AY groups do? What sort of time commitment is given to the kids in church? What sort of time commitment is given to kids at home?

I support Adventist education at least at the elementary level. I think it is less important at the high school level and even lesser important at the university level. I think it is absolutely crazy that we have students paying for an Adventist college education with student loans.

In my area our Adventist school is less expensive than any of the other private/church schools in the area.

Active parenting is the best thing any of us can do to improve the education of our children. A child with an active parent going to an academically poor school can outperform a child with an uninvolved parent attending an excellent school.

Pathfinders is not only for Adventist children but for outreach. My goodness! It is a ministry. The Texas conference has a fantastically wonderful Pathfinder program. This is a life-changing ministry for both the kids and adults involved in it. Churches that are not growing and don't have an active Pathfinder program need not scratch their head and wonder what is wrong any longer. Get on the stick and get one going. There are even Pathfinder brochures available to pass out to nonbelievers to invite them to join the club. Change the life of a child and change the world.

I haven't read anything in the Bible or elsewhere that says Pathfinders was given by God. It's only a tool. AY and/or youth groups can be just as fun as Pathfinders, if not moreso, for a fraction of the cost. Usually they meet weekly. They might have a Bible study/discussion, put on a skit, play Bible games, do community service, etc. The point is to bond and train in a spiritual atmosphere, and they don't need a military type program to do that.