2 minute read
Negotiating Change
Growing up is complicated enough without having to deal with the fallout of a global pandemic — thank God for Teen Encounter!
Teen Encounter (TE) has come a long way to where it is today — and it’s still in the process of being fine-tuned. The age group it ministers to (youngsters aged 11 to 14) is characterised by varied and rapid changes: growth spurts, hormonal changes, development of abstract cognition… tweens are busy discovering their personal identity and place in the world.
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NAVIGATING ROUGH SEAS
“The major challenge we faced in 2020 was, of course, having to suddenly shift from onsite to online when COVID-19 hit. We had to quickly learn how to use Zoom and other online tools,” says ministry leader Richard Kwan. “On top of that, we’ve also had to re-craft the curriculum, within a very short time, to make it more suitable for online delivery. A lot of time and effort also goes into searching for appropriate and suitable media.”
Holding TE online allows for greater flexibility in terms of the programme and creative use of videos and games. Breakout for discussion is more efficient and is are no longer constrained by size of rooms that are available. However, response has been mixed; while some kids are thriving, others seem easily distracted or are harder to engage with.
“We’re thankful that the parents have been very supportive, despite of the changes and disruption to their busy schedules. It was also very encouraging and heartening to see parents dropping off their kids, even though they couldn’t attend adult services themselves, due to the limited onsite attendance.” Richard shares.
CASTING BUOYS, LAYING ANCHORS
Developmental experts concur that while at this age, young adolescents’ brains are beginning to grasp concepts like action and consequence, their lack of experience still impedes their judgment and decision making. Stability and support is needed to help them sort things out and grow in confidence, and one way this can happen is through guided programmes.
“A lot of our kids come from pretty well-off families, so we want to expose them to the fact that not everyone is as privileged,” Richard says. “Getting them involved in serving the community — organising games for Junior Church, interacting with kids from Heartfriends BASC, undertaking outreach programmes in Dover, helping out in the Nursing Home at some point — is part of discipleship and developing a missional mindset.
“We hope to inspire our young people to look beyond themselves and realise that even though they are young, they can also contribute and make a difference. We believe that they can grow in kindness, generosity, hospitality, and more. Two fish and five loaves, placed in the hands of Jesus, can be multiplied to feed five thousand!”
Bonding outside of regular TE hours is highly encouraged, between tweens and teens as well as with adult servers, as it prepares them for a better transition into Heartbeat.
