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by Andy Gustafson, Associate Conference Minister for Stewardship & Financial Development
June/July 2005
If we are stewards of all God has entrusted to us, then we are certainly stewards of our children. But are we as a society being good stewards of our children? Consider this from “America’s Most Wanted” by Juliet Schor (Boston College Magazine, Fall 2004) “The typical American child is now immersed in the consumer marketplace to a degree that dwarfs all historic experience. …By three and a half, experts say, children start to believe that brands communicate their personal qualities – that they’re cool, for example, or strong or smart. … Upon arrival at the schoolhouse steps, the typical first grader can evoke 200 brands. American children view an estimated 40,000 commercials annually.” $15 Billion is spent annually on marketing to our children. And what is the effect all this is having on our children? 45% of them have diets that failed to meet any of the USDA recommendations. Children eat excessive amounts of advertised food -- food full of added fats and sugars. Rates of youth obesity are skyrocketing, along with type II diabetes and hypertension. While rates of child poverty have fallen over the last 20 years, the overall state of our children’s physical, metal and emotional health has severely declined. Childhood depression and teen suicide are at alarming levels.
What values are our children learning? Children’s top aspiration now is to be rich. Nearly 2/3 of parents report that their children define his or her self worth in terms of the things they own and wear. A third of all children ages 9 – 14 would rather spend time buying things than doing almost anything else. More than half agree that when you grow up, the more money you have, the happier you are, and 62% say that the only kind of job they want when they grow up is one that gets them a lot of money.
In the midst of all this we hear Jesus telling us – “it would be better a millstone be hung around your neck and be thrown into the depths of the sea, than to let one of these little ones stumble.” (Matthew 18:6)
As Ellen Goodman wrote “Americans once expected parents to raise their children in accordance with the dominant cultural messages. Today they are expected to raise their children in opposition. Once the chorus of cultural values was full of ministers, teachers, neighbors, leaders; now the messengers are Madonna, rap groups and celebrities pushing sneakers. Parents are considered 'responsible' only if they are successful in their resistance...” (Family Circle, 3/14/95).
How can we in the church respond? We can lead our children by example, by demonstrating in practice what we really value by where we invest our time and money. We can support parents and each other by actually talking about money and faith and lifestyles in the church. We can teach stewardship to our children, reinforcing their parent’s values about where true joy is found. And finally, we can give generously of our money and our time to support the local and global ministries of the church, thus keeping alive the voice of Jesus in the marketplace of values.