"The Other Side of Youth"

Dan Cassel - Blog Entry

Resource:
Title: "The Other Side of Youth"
Author: Willard Conchin
Copyright 1987 by Williard Conchin, Meridanville, Alabama

When I was 16 years old, my congregation used this workbook as a resource for family home Bible studies. The purpose of the home Bible studies was to get the congregation to spend time with families, outside of the typical meeting times, studying the Bible and discussing topics with each other. The groups would change on a quarterly basis allowing for different families to interact and visit each other's homes. Often, the focus of the studies was topical and topics were chosen with the idea that entire families would be involved in the studies. This particular workbook focuses on topics which the author believed important for teenagers to discuss with each other, their parents, and for the church as a whole to bear in mind.

The workbook itself is broken into eleven chapters and the idea is that each chapter will be the focus of one weekly Bible study. Because the studies are intended to spur discussion, the workbook itself introduces a topic, offers several points to consider, and the remainder of the lesson is filled with series of Bible passages the student is asked to read and fill in (blanks are left to insure the student has read the passage and was able to complete the missing words). [I remember as a teenager calling the last part, "Fill in the King James," because the authors of workbooks always seemed to use the King James version of the Bible, which I did not use and always had to borrow my mom's old study Bible.]

Due to the emphasis the Church of Christ places on a Christian's ability to handle the scriptures and always refer to the scriptures when discussing a topic, I believe the workbook is a sound resource for what is attempts to achieve. For someone who was raised in the tradition of the Church of Christ (CoC), this workbook does a very good job of introducing topics and scripture passages that may deal with that topic and leaving the heart of the discussion to those leading the class or study. Converts to the CoC tradition can also find in this workbook a good resource for beginning to understand the way in which the CoC deals with scripture when discussing topics. The topics in the workbook range from "Ye are Strong" in lesson one to "You Have Much Going For You" in lesson eleven, building the confidence of the young Christian while not forgetting to warn of "Some Pitfalls To Avoid" in lesson six. From the basis of Christian faith, to how it can be build up, what attempts to tear it down, and the responsibilities of a young Christian, (using the example of young Timothy), this workbook has been effectively used for years as a tool to discuss important aspects of transition in the life of young Christians to young adult Christians.

However, no one workbook is perfect or complete in dealing with the wide range of needs of a teenager seeking to find a place in a religious community. While this resource provides the diligent family with a mechanism to discuss some challenging topics facing the youth of the church, it does indeed take a diligent student to make it through the "fill in the King James," and the rather traditional discussion of topics in the workbook. This workbook was written in the 1980's by a man who is very evidently the product of a post reformation Church of Christ family. Certain ideas are presented as doctrine that I would now venture to say are matters of opinion, and matters of admitted opinion seem rather dogmatic in their presentation.

Also, the idea of an individual who is dealing with topics of a coming of age youth are often introduced as if they are obvious topics of concern and I question whether someone raised outside the tradition of the CoC would see the concern with many topics. Does an individual's failure to spend regular time with the scriptures in meditation concern a teenager who is battling with a family who does not support his/her decision to be a part of the CoC? Surely the majority of the CoC would have much to say on the benefits of time spent with scripture and in meditation, but again, that is coming from within the faith tradition.

I believe this to be a solid resource for those in the tradition for which it was intended, but I would recommend its use outside of the tradition be limited, and where used it may be well accompanied by some sort of disclaimer lest it cast a less than genuine on the Church of Christ as an antiquated tradition of faith out of touch with modern concerns.

While this workbook is intended for teenagers, I believe it could be well adapted to students of any age who were able to use a Bible and discuss topics contained therein. The manner in which it was used in the home Bible studies allows this book to be adapted to any maturity level and provides congregations and families with great opportunities to discuss faith formation, faith development, and faith preservation. Because the emphasis of this workbook is discussion after each student has spent time with selected Bible passages, I believe it is able to be manipulated to benefit students of all ages and maturities. Adults in the studies are also provided the opportunity to pass on their faith tradition while allowing students to develop and decide on their own application of traditions, truths, and dogmas.