What will teenagers and emerging adults pray when they dont have youth workers or parents there to tell them what, when, or how to pray?

How will they read and engage scripture when no one from their childhood or adolescence is there to guide them?

We suspect the answers to these questions largely center around the faith practices, or rhythms, kids establish in the teenage years, with the help of youth leaders and parents in their lives. Yet, according to our and others research, few students graduate from high school with established rhythms in practice.

So thanks to a small grant from a generous foundation, over the next year were exploring this research question as a follow up to Sticky Faith: What are the daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal/annual rhythms that help weave prayer and scripture into the internal fabric of kids’ lives?

Heres how you can help. What are your responses to that question? How have you seen the good and bad (but especially the good) of spiritual disciplines take root in students lives? What practices have you found especially effective in shaping kids for the long haul?

If youre extra gutsy, ask some of your youth ministry graduates from past years what practices they started in adolescence (or maybe even childhood) that continue to be rhythms in their lives, and what new rhythms have emerged. What do they most remember about rhythms from youth ministry that have stuck with them? Let us know what you hear back!