Missionising Youth Identity Crisis: Towards a missional hermeneutic of coping in youth ministry practice

Victor Counted

doi:10.7832/44-1-141

Abstract

The intention of this paper is to interpret the ontological conditions of youth identity crisis missionally. This is first done by conceptualising identity crisis as a psychological phenomenon using frameworks of authenticity and attachment to explain the impact of early attachment abuse, abandonment depression, insecure attachment anxiety with God, and self-regulation on the identity formation of the youth. Secondly, the paper introduces a missional hermeneutic that provides an interpretative framework for coping with the crises of identity amongst young people. A missional hermeneutic for coping with the crisis of identity formation, therefore, elaborates on the missional basis of biblical interpretation as a powerful framework within which to interpret a skewed, conflicted identity. The author herewith proposes a missional opportunity that can activate the missional consciousness of young people in their time of crisis and identity formation. Furthermore, the author insists that this missional methodology can be a very useful strategy for producing therapeutic change in young people and can help youth ministry workers and pastoral caregivers to reframe the crisis of youth identity from the perspective of 'missio Dei'.

Highlights

Elsewhere (Counted, 2015b, 2016a, 2016b, 2016d) the author has established that staying true to self and resolving a relationship conflict with God due to the effects of attachment abuse, abandonment depression, separation with loved ones, etcetera, are the building blocks of youth identity crisis
The church can start by asking critical questions such as, ‘How does our understanding of community and family affect the way we relate with our loved ones?’, ‘How has the circle of parental abuse and apathy become a norm in our communities and affected the way young people relate to God, self, and their social others?’, and ‘How can the church build and encourage better family models that can encourage and strengthen secure attachment relationships between parents and their children?’ These questions and many more could help the church understand the missio-logical issues related to the cultural locatedness of the youth-in-crisis and engagements of communities with the youth culture, as faith communities set the path straight for reconciliation and healing
This article aimed to highlight the experiences of youth identity crisis and to provide a missional hermeneutic for youth coping with the crisis of identity formation

Summary

Introduction

Elsewhere (Counted, 2015b, 2016a, 2016b, 2016d) the author has established that staying true to self and resolving a relationship conflict with God due to the effects of attachment abuse, abandonment depression, separation with loved ones, etcetera, are the building blocks of youth identity crisis These negative and conflicting experiences often give young people problems coming to terms with what their identity should look like in relation to the “mission of God”, i.e. missio Dei, which is stylishly explained as the story of God’s walk with humanity from beginning to end and humanity’s response to God’s invitation to become part of his mission, even in the time of crisis (cf Wright, 2006). The author will pay close attention to the missional interpretation of youth identity crisis as an opportunity for representing the character of God, after the youth is reduced to a ‘weak’ state of mental experience due to the effects of a compounding internal conflict

Conceptualising Youth Identity Crisis

Introducing A Missional Hermeneutic

Towards A Missional Hermeneutic of Coping

Personalising the missional direction of God’s story

The missional purpose of the crises of youth identity formation

The missio-cultural locatedness of youth identity crisis

The prophetic-missional voice of the youth in crisis

Conclusion