Stat Of The Day:
13% of young adults ages 18-25 experienced serious suicidal thoughts in 2021, the highest percentage among any age group (NIH)
Why It Matters:
Mental health always matters. At this time of year, it is more and more common for Christian communities to conduct some kind of “Blue Christmas” service acknowledging the grief that many experience during the holiday season. Major holidays often stir grief and sadness connected to the loss of a loved one, whether child, parent, spouse, or friend. Blue Christmas services create an important space for grief amidst a season of seemingly forced, commercialized joy. Unfortunately, they are often more popular among older congregants and may not address young adult seasonal sadness and grief.
As young people continue to grapple with an ongoing mental health crisis, often reporting the highest levels of suicidal ideation, church leaders should consider ways that their Blue Christmas or other holiday programming around grief can be used and/or translated to young adult and youth groups in their congregations.
Try It:
How can we make our churches a safe space for congregants of all ages to openly share their greatest sadnesses and burdens even in seasons of joyful expectation? Work with a small group of parishioners to design a simple liturgy around grief and loss during the holiday season, being intentional about ways to engage young people in it. How can you lead a discussion about grief and loss during the holidays that will allow young people to openly share their own experiences with grief?
Let Us Know:
If you’re already doing something as a congregation around grief and young people, or if you’re trying something new, let us know! We’d love to hear more about what local congregations are doing around these issues. We will feature your feedback or lessons learned in a future Weekly. Your insights and experience might be exactly what another congregation needs as it tries to think of creative ways to share Christ’s love with young people struggling with grief and sadness during this holiday season.