The Church should talk to young people about sex!

Elim Summit speaker Rachel Gardner looks at a difficult topic and explains why she wants the next Greta Thunberg to be a Christian

- Rachel Gardner

I would love it if the next Greta Thunberg was a Christian teenage boy or girl who said, ‘Today’s social issues really matter to God – I’m going to get involved,’” says Rachel Gardner.

“I want to see young people stepping up and being the voices in our communities.”

An energetic youth activist, speaker and writer, Rachel’s vision is to support youth practitioners to empower young people and help them develop strong godly identities in a world strewn with issues around identity, sexuality, mental health and social isolation.

As director of partnerships at national youth work organisation Youthscape and president of The Girls’ Brigade, she works to help youth leaders support teenagers by connecting with them on tough topics, and to help churches catch a fresh vision for what local youth ministry could look like. Two such topics are at the forefront of her mind.

“We need to work out, as the UK Church, how we’re going to engage with young people on the really tricky areas of identity and sexuality – especially when a Christian view will often put you in tension with the culture around you,” she says.

To this end, she recently decided to close the Romance Academy course she developed for Youthscape 15 years ago in order to launch a research project with churches, leaders, youth workers and parents and produce more up-to-date advice.

“I want to know if the average church-based youth volunteer or youth worker is initiating conversations with young people, specifically about sex, desire, temptation and consent,” she says. “I’m asking what the barriers are, what young people are hearing from the Church and what it would look like for the Church to engage with young people. What would that fresh vision for young people’s lives look like?