Teaching the Way of Jesus

“The Jesus I grew up with was zero percent relaxed, but the Jesus I know now carries an ease I’ve wished for my whole life.”
—Jen Hatmaker

The above quote comes from author and podcaster Jen Hatmaker’s new memoir, titled Awake. In the book, Jen talks about the mid-life awakening she experienced when her long-time marriage ended in 2020. Though much of the book centers on her divorce and the rebuilding of her life after it, she also reflects on the evolution of her mindset, faith, and spirituality.

So much of the book speaks to me, even though I am not in the same stage of life as the author. I especially appreciated when Jen writes about her evolving relationship with Jesus. She talks about growing up in a strict, “rules” and fear-based version of religion, but now views her relationship with Jesus through a gentler and loving lens. You can read more about this in the book or listen to this conversation with Emily P. Freeman to hear about the evolution of her faith journey (she talks about it at about the 21-minute mark).

Listening to Jen share her story has invited me to think more deeply about how we teach young people about Jesus and what it means to follow him. Helping young people shape their understanding of Jesus is a big task. As someone who works in Christian formation, it’s not a task I take lightly. I may not parent children of my own, but through my ministry role in church, I participate in both the exciting and challenging work of helping children and youth grow in their faith and understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

I say exciting because it’s energizing and moving to watch young people grow in faith, ask questions, and be involved in the life of the church. It’s challenging because working in children’s and youth ministry means bearing the responsibility of helping young people shape their understanding of the nature of Jesus and his love. Now, I understand that I am not the only one who has this responsibility. I cheer on and equip volunteers and households as they do this work, too. And we all have a shared desire: to watch our young people develop a faith that remains with them and is nurtured for the rest of their lives. How we teach young people about Jesus matters because of stories like Jen’s. This is especially true when so many young people are questioning their faith or their upbringing in the church.

I wonder, what is your understanding of Jesus?
How do you describe him?
How can you share that understanding with the young people in your midst?

For me, Jesus represents love, peace, and compassion. He listens and loves and heals and includes people exactly as they are. I want every person I interact with to know that they are seen, known, loved, and that they belong.

How do I share this understanding in my ministry? I do it in a variety of ways. Of course, there are the more obvious ones: teaching lesson plans that explore these themes, using inclusive curricula, modeling servant leadership, and even inviting kids and youth to engage in justice and service work. But there are other, not-so-obvious ways I can share this understanding of Jesus, too, like decorating a bulletin board or classroom door to promote belonging and welcome, or showing patience in the classroom. Nurturing faith can take a variety of forms. We both explicitly and implicitly share our understandings of Jesus with others.

Thinking about how to teach the way of Jesus can feel overwhelming, especially when we start to wonder how to talk about and share Jesus with our kids. But there are helpful resources out there to guide our own formation and reflection! One of these is another book I read recently, titled Woven: Nurturing a Faith You Kid Doesn’t Have to Heal From by Meredith Miller. In it, the author outlines approaches and faith practices for helping kids develop an understanding of God that is beyond following rules or doing what is right and wrong. Instead, she invites parents (and others who work with young people) into the work of weaving “webs” of faith that help kids develop their own understanding of God and while building a resilient faith. I found Woven to be incredibly helpful in that it articulates the Jesus whom Jen Hatmaker describes and offers practical ways to share that understanding with kids.

If you have a moment, I invite you to pull out a journal, or a notes app, or simply a piece of paper. Write down the understanding of Jesus that you had as a kid. Then write down the understanding you had as a teenager. Then write down how you would describe Jesus now. Are they the same, or has your understanding evolved? If it’s changed, consider why. And finally, ask yourself: what is the understanding of Jesus I want to share with the young people I love and for which I care—and how can I do that today?