Ep 31 - Our Generation Must Pick Up The Baton To Serve Teens

What if the most powerful youth ministry in London doesn’t start on a stage, but on a sofa? We dive into a hard truth: while many Christian communities are giving young people room to lead, London’s Adventist churches often lose teens right when they need belonging most. Rather than staying stuck in complaint mode, we unpack why this gap exists—migration out of the city, ageing leadership still carrying the load, and a church culture that can feel heavy—and how to rebuild with small, human steps.

We share the blueprint we’ve seen work: gather two or three, open a living room, and begin with worship, a question, and honest conversation. No theological degree required. Let teens choose topics, pass the mic, and watch trust grow. If the building feels intimidating, change the venue. If one church says no, collaborate across churches. From gospel roller skating to inter-church youth nights to discovery via Eventbrite, there are already seeds to connect with. Our task is to pick up the baton Generation X held for us and carry it forward with consistency, warmth, and cultural fluency.

Across the hour, we get practical about starting monthly, sharing responsibility, and preparing for pushback without losing heart. We talk about making space for those who’ve drifted, keeping the tone welcoming to people with questions, tattoos, or doubts, and choosing presence over production. We close with a prayer for courage and a challenge to act now, not later. If you care about youth ministry, London faith communities, Adventist youth, and building safe spaces that actually hold young people, this conversation is your nudge to begin.

If this resonates, tap follow, share it with a friend who leads youth, and leave a review with your best small-start idea. Your suggestion might spark the next living-room revival.

Transcript

Framing The Big Question

SPEAKER_02 0:02

Hello guys, hope you're doing well. I'm Shay CeC and today it is my question. So Cece. We are the early 2000 kids. Um we went to church in those times. We were quite active in that time. You you more know um how church was around that time more than myself even. So my question is, are we or is our generation failing our youth in church right now?

SPEAKER_01 0:51

Okay. This is a yes and no. Um be specific here.

Christians Versus Adventists In London

SPEAKER_00 0:59

For as Christians, no. As Adventists in London, yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:10

Okay, I need you to break down those two answers. Start with as Christians apart.

SPEAKER_00 1:18

As Christians, I would say the reason why I say no is because I feel like a lot of Sunday churches and other churches, as they're seven-day Baptists, I feel like our generation and our generation is from 80s to like I think like 95. Um I see a lot. I see that they're doing a lot. Um and then as as I now denounce being Adventists, but I still do Sabbath, I feel like uh in America, when I look at certain places or in the Caribbean, like seven-day adventist people are our generation are doing stuff. However, within London, um, because that's where we are, I feel like our generation is not in church.

SPEAKER_02 2:12

I love that. That is a perfect breakdown. Um, I don't even think I thought about it like that because my mind was obviously automatically going straight to us as Adventists, but you have specified it exactly. I agree. As Christians, um I I do see a lot being done for our use, like there's a lot of involvement, they're giving them that free space um to create and be creative. But for us, yes, in London as Adventists, um, we are failing. So do are you say do you think that the churches outside of London? We're gonna just I'm gonna rein in on the adventist side here. Do you think they are doing a lot for the use?

SPEAKER_01 3:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:04

Okay, and you're you're actively seeing that.

SPEAKER_01 3:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:10

What what do you think could be the problem here? Where why are we failing? Because London is a massive city when it comes to the amount of churches we do have. I'm sure there's less churches within those kind of rural areas, if that makes sense. Like what Reddin has what, two churches? Um I'm guessing. Am I correct?

SPEAKER_01 3:33

I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 3:34

Yes. Well, I'm just saying, like, compared to London itself, that has, I don't know, how many, you know, when double digits of how many churches are within London. Um, what do you think that is? Well why is it that why is it that we're not doing enough?

Moving Out And Passing The Baton

SPEAKER_00 3:56

I think there's two reasons, and I can only speak for myself. Um, number one, a lot of our London youth has moved outside of London. Um so that that is our generation again from the 80s all the way to like 1995, has moved out of London to buy houses or whatever, so they're now outside of London. And I feel like the major problem that our generation has is we're always complaining that we don't have this and we don't have that, but we don't want to do it. We don't want to carry the button because the generation before us, which is Generation X, they're still doing a lot um in London and and everywhere else. And we seem to be going to their events, and then we complain that there's nothing for our youth or our age group, but we're not doing anything about that. We're just complaining.

SPEAKER_01 4:57

Agreed. Completely agree.

SPEAKER_02 5:01

Um yeah, I completely agree with that. I'll be the ones that'll be one of the people attending to the Generation X programs as well. But you know, I feel like um for someone like myself who has tried um to start off small. Um, I don't know. I don't know. For some reason, there's no support. I'm just speaking for myself, maybe on my side. Um the support is not there when you're trying to do something. Um, because you can't do it all by yourself. So I can come up with an idea, for example, and try and start it off, but there's no support there. Um, but also there's not enough of us to create something or to do something as well.

Support Gaps And Small Starts

SPEAKER_00 6:01

Um I disagree um with there's not enough of enough of us because with with with anything, the Bible says where two or three are gathered, he is there. Um, like when I think about like how Bible studies starts or how certain things starts, it starts off with just two, three people um before it becomes big. So Shay's right in terms of like I used to be a youth leader, I used to do so much with like the youth and teens um back in the day. Um and that was because don't get it twisted, we got shut down, but when you rally up um youth and teens and you have an idea, I feel like I feel like with well, with you not being in church at that time, it's different. Like if if our if our church shut us down, we'll we'll take we'll take the program somewhere else. Like it's not just your church that needs stuff. So that's why there was why back in the day there were so many churches that was integrated with each other, to work with each other, or like you would have a church that will come to take AYS program, which means um oh god, what did AYS mean again?

SPEAKER_02 7:14

It's Adventist Youth something, I can't remember what the S means.

SPEAKER_00 7:19

Service. I think so, you know.

SPEAKER_02 7:22

Yeah. I thought it was Adventist Youth.

SPEAKER_00 7:26

Anywho, um like they would come and like take over, and then vice versa, and we were so integrated with each other. Um actually one thing that I would say, I I would say Louis let me take that back. Our generation, there's a there are people in in the church that are doing stuff, like in South London, yeah, there's two churches that I could think of that there's youth of um our age that are doing stuff. Yeah.

unknown 7:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:00

So I take that back.

Cross-Church Collaboration Revival

SPEAKER_02 8:01

I just thought about that as well. I think I think you were about to say one of them. Um and I thought about I thought about that one and the other one. And I was thinking to be honest, that's a that's kind of a sister church for us. We could even come, like you said, we can come together, right? We if we don't if we don't have enough going on on our side, we can always kick connect with them.

House-Based Worship And Belonging

SPEAKER_00 8:23

Um and I think that uh another big thing is as well, is that I took notice that um the church that we attend that what something that we used to do is we used to keep in touch with our youth and we we used to do things that were fun. So it wasn't just all church that we might say, like, oh let's go out to eat. Now the teens that I used to teach, none of them are in church anymore, like that. Like they will come to events, but they're screaming out they want to come to church, but there's nothing for them. And like things like that, it's kind of like, oh, well, you could like do a little dinner, or we all with us, we all think like, oh, I don't have that skill, or I don't know how to do this, I don't know how to do it, but who's gonna do it? It's kind of like um there was one guy in a church at the time that he was such, you know what, we struggle to keep um Sabbath on on um so on Friday when the sun sets early, so it might set like from 38 3 p.m. We used to go to his house so that we can keep the Sabbath until Saturday. He wasn't a pastor, he wasn't a preacher. We he just used to open a Bible, we used to read a verse, and then we all then all you knew his house was packed. It started off with just like three, three, four of us, and then someone said, Oh, come, let's invite, or let's invite, and let's invite. And it all starts off like that, and then every Friday people started bringing stuff. Um and it's something small like that, but we expect something big all the time when it's and when it's not that. And I guess, yes, you've got to have a house to be open to um because I think house is more it's more comfortable, especially like where people might feel judged because they have on jewelry or they got tattoos, or they're not about church life, but they they're trying to step in, like stepping foot in a church building might be too much for them. So, yeah, you can open up your house, Shay, you know? Start a little study.

SPEAKER_02 10:38

It's funny, that's powerful. But once again, I think that's where I feel like I'm not a study person. I don't know how to I don't know, I don't know how to to study the Bible to be there um given a Bible study. That's why I would never think to do that. That's not my thing. I could maybe discuss a scripture, but I don't have that knowledge to be like, oh, if you go to this scripture, you'll find this, and I don't really have that.

SPEAKER_00 11:03

What do you think? Like it could literally start off with like the youth come into your house and you have praise and worship, and you could be like, What what do you think is missing? What what what do you guys want? And it's that's how it starts off. I remember like with the teens when we used to do the teens, it was like, What do you want from us? That what how can we be a beacon for you? And they said that this is what they want, this is what because you don't know. And it's about us opening um that door. And I guess it I think with the missing teens that are now in their like mid-20s, it's more easier for them to come because you don't have to think of like um having a parent or to sign them that they can come to your house and all of the stuff that you need to like health and safety. Yeah, it's not health and safety, what's it called? Whatever that word is.

SPEAKER_01 12:00

Um, yeah.

Starting Without Expertise

SPEAKER_02 12:03

That's interesting. I mean, now that we're talking about it, because I've always wondered what I can do, and also um I figure something I need to pray about because I can be inconsistent sometimes and I don't want to create stuff start something and I don't continue with it, if that makes sense. Um, and I also want to take on something I feel I can handle. I don't want to kind of carry too much on top of what I'm already carrying. Um because I tried it at church one time. I was gonna start doing like a little um every, I don't know, every other Sabbath or whatever, I was saying to the teens, like, you know, come and talk to me, let's do like a little quote unquote round table thing. And we'll just have a free space to talk. But like you said, sometimes it's a thing where it's the building, like they they they kind of just want to be away from there so they can feel a bit more free. So they can speak and so they can talk. Um and like you said, it can start with two or three and it can grow from there, which is I think that's where my mind is not thinking. I'm just thinking, you you're gonna need this amount for it to work. Do you get my point? And in my head, I can probably guarantee at least two of the teens that would come and be comfortable to be in that space with me. Um guaranteed. And I'm thinking, to be honest, I can work with that. I can work with that. We can start off that way.

SPEAKER_00 13:37

Um and the mid and the mid and the mid-youth too, you know.

SPEAKER_02 13:41

Yeah, but then again, once again, I don't know those people, but it's just I can bring them in for years, okay. Yeah, it's just exactly, it's just it's just now doing that, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 13:50

You know, as I because one thing the the amazing thing about Yah, he created all of us in his own image, and you might think it's all on you, and then you might start that one session, and then people will come up with different ideas, like, oh, can we do this or can we try this or can we talk about this topic? Like when we used to do it at um person A's house, like he would say, What do you guys want to talk about? and it could be anything, like what is sin, for example, and then we would all have to go and find what sin is, and then we'll come back. So that's it, like, and then you bounce um bounce off each other because everyone will see things differently, or like what Bible texts did you come up with, or certain stuff like that, so it's just not on you.

SPEAKER_02 14:38

I love that. I love that, that's powerful. I really do love that. Um definitely gonna pray around this.

SPEAKER_00 14:46

This could be for anybody, like, even if you are in a rural community, like you can just gather like two or three people and just have like worship or have a little study, you know. We always think that we need the masses for something to work, and it doesn't start off like that.

Consistency, Capacity And Safe Spaces

SPEAKER_02 15:04

I mean, this is definitely missing. I think having that space outside of church, and like I like you said, as Christians in the Sunday church, I'm seeing those spaces being created, I'm seeing those events being created, you know. Um, I saw this thing pop up, you've probably seen it. Um, I don't know if you've seen this one called Christian Dinner Club. And someone came up with the idea of bringing like-minded Christians together, you don't know each other, they just they plan the whole thing. Um they just find a space in London for you to go. I think you have to pay, but still, and you just meet people that you haven't, and I think you fill out a form that says, like, you know, someone with a similar per personality or whatever to yours, and you just meet and you just sit down and have dinner and form these friendships. Yeah, it keeps popping up for me. And I'm thinking, this is such a cool idea, you know, it's different for whoever it will appeal to somebody, but it's not, it's actually not just in England, it's in America as well. Um, because when you hear people speaking, you can hear like there's Americans like giving their testimony about how much they like it, there's people in London speaking about it, like when they give a little clip. And I think, wow, this is amazing. The same way that I sent you another event the other day, and I thought, oh my gosh, someone thought of this. This is amazing.

SPEAKER_00 16:20

Um, see, the event that you sent me, that was an event that we always used to do, like once a month, like rollers gospel roller skating. Like that that was once a month, and then what happened is we lost the venue because it used to be in Vauxhall, it used to be in South London. Yes, yes, yes. When when that venue closed down, it was in another venue in East London. Um and then so I'm happy that it's now back up, like a small roller disco. Um and I guess another thing that for people as well, like event bright, uh if you type in like Christian like events, a lot of things will pop up. Um and a lot of people use that just to track numbers and stuff.

SPEAKER_01 17:08

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 17:09

Um, but I think that is what is missing from the church. Um, which say we're gonna pray for her, guys, aren't we? All of us that are listening, um, we're gonna pray for her um that this will come into position.

SPEAKER_02 17:24

No, definitely. No, I I claim it. I don't reject it at all. I'm sitting here nervous, like getting a bit stress pains behind my neck, but I don't reject it because I know the space is needed.

SPEAKER_00 17:36

And um the one thing I'm even like sorry, like even what I used to do, I used to do it back in the day, like back in the day, and it was for people who's left church and they just used to come to my house on a Saturday and we just used to talk about whatever the topic was. Like I would put a topic in the group, and because sometimes the building is heavy. Like the church building is heavy, but sitting in somebody's house where you could just feel comfortable, lean upon a ready or lean upon a sofa, it you and and a safe environment.

SPEAKER_02 18:14

I was just gonna say the safe space is there.

SPEAKER_00 18:17

Um, and I used to do that like once a month. I'm trying to think why it stopped, it stopped because somebody felt offended, but I won't get into that because we're gonna talk about chat chat. I keep saying that we're gonna talk about anybody else.

Ideas From Wider Christian Events

SPEAKER_02 18:31

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. We do need to do that. Um, but I I think that, like you said, even as you're speaking about it, um I didn't even ask this question for me, but clearly I did pray about this recording that um not just others will be blessed, but also will be blessed as well. And um clearly something has sparked here because I'm even thinking it doesn't even have to be every week, it could be every other week. You could start off that way first, once once a month, like you said, it could even be once a month, I could start off just to make it, you know. Um, but I I feel like it's I'm encouraged because I feel like I myself feel like I can't really do anything. You know, you tell yourself you can't really do much because I feel like I'm only now integrating in church in the past in just under two years, where I'm like getting to really know people, getting to know our youths, where I see them regularly. But um, I love seeing others who have built relationships over the years and connected with so many, and you see people all around, and you think, oh my gosh, you know, this is so nice, you know. So many people are connected. Um, and definitely I feel like this is something that could be really powerful. Um, and yeah, I'm loving this. I'm loving this. Um trying to think if there's any other parts to my question. Sometimes what I will say, I feel like um when we have tried to do things in church or you try to think of stuff, you do get that pushback. But I love what you said that where you guys got the pushback, but you chose to um do it somewhere else or create a different space. Um and it just takes someone to start, to start, and and others will follow. Because I always hear when I'm speaking to the generation X of the church who are trying to still do things for the teens. You know, I'll hear stuff like um, oh, the moms don't you know the parents don't want to contribute, um, like say if they want to do something that involves paying, the parents don't want to contribute, um, the kids don't seem that bothered, the teams don't seem that bothered, and then you feel discouraged because you you keep hearing this stuff, you're hearing that they're trying, they're trying with the the teens, but the teens don't seem interested. So what can we do about that? Is it a thing where they're not doing the right events, or what is it? Because if the teens don't seem interested, how would I feel encouraged to want to do something?

SPEAKER_00 21:11

This is no pun intended on generation X, but generation X and the teens, there's a massive age gap. So what they might think would work would not. It's for our generation, whatever we're called, millennials or whatever.

SPEAKER_02 21:29

I think we're Z. Are we Z?

SPEAKER_00 21:31

Um it's for our generation to because Generation X held our hands because we're we can relate to that generation, and then now we can relate to the teens and uh mid-twenties growing up because we grew up in their era at the same time. So it's for us to come in because we can relate to them more than they can relate to Generation X. And I'm not saying all of them, but I think we're more we can relate to them.

SPEAKER_02 22:08

I see where you're coming from. That's a good point. Um yeah, I see your good yeah, I see your point. I don't know.

Learning From Generation X

SPEAKER_00 22:17

And I'll give you an example, like back in the day I used to do plays in church, and the gen how I how I even became to to doing plays, one of the generation X wrote a play, and I was just like, this is so not relatable. It's relatable for your generation, but not for us and the the other generation. And I remember we took that play to like Birmingham and we went here and there and everywhere with it. It was it's kind of good, but it's kind of like Jan knows what he's doing, you know, like he really does. So it's for our generation now to pick up the button and do the work because Generation X did the work for us. I'm not gonna lie, there was always something going on. There was like youth days, socials. We were going up and down the country, um, traveling left, right, and centre. Like Generation X did their work. It's for us, our generation, now to pick up the button and do the work for the next generation.

Owning The Work As Millennials

SPEAKER_02 23:19

So that's what was spoken about in a um Generation X event I did go to this year, um, not too long ago in September. They spoke about the same thing you just said. You know, they were saying that they had their old elders that did for them. That's why they're still going, that's why they're still in the church, that's why they're still doing things. And even if they fell or whatever, because they had that seed planted or that foundation, that's why they're still going. And then they're saying, wow, so what's happened to our youth now? You know, we're not seeing that in the church. What's going on? Why have they, you know, how why have they fallen out? Why did they been, you know, what's happened? Um, and I love the fact that they keep going no matter what people try to say, because like for example, there was a lady that was from that older generation, and there was like, oh, it was a bit loud, isn't it? It was a bit this, you know, all this kind of stuff. But it's if it's not for you, you don't have to be there. Because it's not necessarily for you. Um, that's still something they're still catering for us. Um, and sometimes you you've got to drown out the noise because there's gonna be noise everywhere in church, outside of church, at work, you know, there's noise everywhere, right? And I think that's a prayer for me. Like, and I need to start getting a notebook for these recordings because clearly we're walking away with gems here. Um, and I really do pray that we can start to do more, and it just starts with one of us. Um, and I don't think now walking away from this discussion, I don't think now I can now do you know do this and then say it walk away and not do anything. Um so I really do pray, pray for me guys that I can start off something because my youths in my church are really in need of a space. They really are. They're really in need of a space. And even if I can start with one or two, which I can guarantee, like I said, I can guarantee two, would be open to come in. Um I feel like all others will do as well. And I think for me, even me, I would feel more at ease with it being outside of the church. And I always thought when I had my own space that I'd be doing more with it, and I haven't. And I feel like I need to start doing that. Like, God did not bless you with a home or with a space for us to do nothing with it. It's you know, everything we have should be for his glory, um, and we should be really working on doing that, really working on creating a space and um allowing those in need to come in. And um, yeah, we need to stop failing our our youth and our generation, you know. We don't want them to now say, oh, you know, they grew up in church, why are they on the streets? Why are they involved in gangs? Why are they doing this? You know, we didn't we didn't feed them enough. They just they just came and they they dwelled and they weren't gaining, they weren't gaining anything. Nothing was coming from, they weren't being fed.

SPEAKER_01 26:28

Um and we definitely need to do we need to do better, we need to do more.

SPEAKER_02 26:37

Any um lasting uh any end remarks, CeCe? Anything you want to add?

SPEAKER_00 26:46

No, I'll just say pray, start, open your house. Y'all will do the rest. That's how these things like that's how I even came to church through a Bible study in somebody's house, and then there was like um they used to have like just praise uh praise uh praise and worship which somebody keeps telling me to have in my house.

SPEAKER_02 27:13

Um yeah, maybe we need to pray for you too.

From Noise To Purpose

SPEAKER_00 27:19

But I've got a dog and I know that a lot of people, like my dog is very um very friendly, she's over-friendly, and not everybody um can handle dogs, and like for her, I can't just put her in a room because she's my baby. Like, she needs to praise and worship too, you know. Um yeah, I hear you.

SPEAKER_02 27:41

But I have a pet too, some people might not like that one as well. I have a cat too.

SPEAKER_00 27:45

Your cat will be fine, trust me. You'll be in the corner somewhere. Lala's not like that. Lala's like, oh I've gotta greet everyone. Hi, hi.

A Call To Begin Small

SPEAKER_02 27:54

This one I have now. It should be in everybody's face. But um definitely I'm going to I'm gonna pray now because it's something really big that we need to um we need to be praying about this, you know, it's and it's not enough to just be praying, but we need to be praying about what can we do, what can be better, what can we do to make things better. So let's pray. Blessed holy Elohim Yeshua. Thank you so much, gracious God, for this day. Thank you for this episode, thank you for placing this subject upon my heart, and thank you, Father Lord, that we've been able to discuss and be honest and dissect, Lord in heaven, what we can do, where we can move forward, and for even blessing me, Lord, with something that I can do, and potentially even for what CeC can do, or even with just supporting me, Lord. Father God, I just pray, Lord, that you'll be in control, Heavenly Father Lord, of this idea that you'll take charge and you'll be in the center of everything, Lord. Help me to stay encouraged and Lord, encourage others, Lord, hearing this prayer right now, Lord, if there's something that they feel that they can do in whatever way, whatever idea that's been lingering in that individual's heart that they've been wanting to try, but they haven't, they felt like they might receive pushback, they felt scared. Father God, encourage them, push them, let them just go and do it, Lord. Because everything that we do for your kingdom, there will always be someone trying to push us back because the enemy's dwelling. He doesn't want us to grow your kingdom, he doesn't want your children to come to you, he wants our youth to be lost. But Father God, I rebuke that in Jesus' name. I pray for our youth, Heavenly Father, Lord, who are struggling. They're struggling with the balance of doing the right thing, they're struggling with focusing their mind on doing the right thing, making the right decisions because they are being pulled. They're spiritually being pulled by the enemy. Into doing things that they know it's wrong, but they have the peer pressure. They have the they have so much upon their shoulders that we cannot even see. And so, Father Lord, I just pray that you may please be with them. Lord, drown out the noise and help them to only hear your voice. Father God, may they hold on to you and draw closer to you and stay focused on you, Father Lord, and help us, Lord in heaven. Help our generation, Lord in heaven, to start doing more for our youth, heavenly, Father Lord, to start giving them that safe space to just come and just be who they are, Lord, and for them to grow in a relationship with you, Father Lord. Gracious God, thank you so much, Lord in heaven, for what you're about to do. And we cannot wait to give our testimony for what you did, not for what we did, but what for what you did. Lord, please hear our prayer in your blessed name as we pray. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 31:02

See you guys soon.

SPEAKER_01 31:04

Love you guys. Bye.

Closing Prayer And Charge

SPEAKER_00 31:10

If you enjoyed this episode, please do share to your friends and loved ones and to people that might need to hear this word. And if you have a question or scenario, then please send it to our email address at unfiltered Christian at the number one at gmail.com. Thank you for always listening and thank you for your support.