A Tale of Three Stories

If asked, most people will probably say they believe in God. Most of the parents of kids in our youth groups would also tell you that Christian faith is very important to them. They want their kids to grow up to be solid, well-rounded people of faith. Why is it, then, that so many youth workers struggle to get families to take youth events or attendance seriously? Ask almost any youth leader and you will find that students have calendars full of all kinds of activities, from band to sports to homework, which constantly take a higher priority than youth group involvement. Why do these activities take a higher precedence if parents really believe faith development is important?

One possible answer lies in the back-stories which drive our decision processes. We are all shaped by the larger narratives which help define how we see the world and understand our roles in the church and in society. These narratives, often unspoken, run in the background like the basic operating system of a computer. They help define who we are. They define the framework through which we see the world and make decisions about priorities. As a result, they guide our actions.

In preparation for a summer camp in 2012, three youth ministers recognized this phenomenon and labeled three possible narratives which help shape the contemporary world view of teens and parents These narratives are: The American Narrative, The American Christian Narrative, and the Godly Narrative. A great deal of current research in adolescent identity formation and spiritual development offers conclusions which are compatible with the framework of these narratives. [1]

The American Narrative

In a telling article, Susan Schulten details how the American concept of success began as a Puritan idea concerned with glorifying God. Over the last two hundred plus years seismic shifts have changed the focus of the American Dream.[2] She notes that as the Puritans came to the New World in search of social and religious freedom, they placed a high value on the community as a means to glorify God. To be a valuable, successful person one needed to live for the glory of God and good of the community.

Moving through the eighteenth century and into the industrial revolution, the new ethic became one of consumer rather than producer. The idea of success was not focused on being a valuable member of society in the sense of adding to the community or improving the state of all people. Rather, the dominant picture of success became that of the person who had more money, possessions, and time to enjoy leisure.

This is how we define the American Narrative. It is a world view which is dominated by individualism, consumerism and personal achievement. Motivated by consumer desires, it is largely self-centered and focuses on personal gain, achievement and comfort. Most importantly, it is devoid of any real reliance on God and sees little need for religious or spiritual pursuits.

Having said this, do not be mistaken, the American Narrative can seem very positive and altruistic. A father can expend great amounts of time and energy trying to “get ahead” so that his children will have a better life than he had; missing out on many good points in life with his family along the way. Parents can spend so much time and energy trying to get their kids involved in sports or band or any number of “good things” only to find years later that they never really had a significant relationship with these kids they drove all over the country. They may also find that in the process of giving so much to the kids they have lost themselves, and their marriage has become hollow and empty. Also, Chap Clark has clearly pointed out that when students are driven by their parents to excel, they begin to feel that they have no value in themselves except what is wrapped up in how they achieve.[3] The real tragedy is that their lives can become so consumed with these pursuits that they feel no need for any kind of spiritual pursuit, nor do they really “have time” for it if it does cross their minds.

This narrative drives people to believe that if they are good people who work hard, that is good enough. If they make enough money to have a house and support their kids and take good vacations, their lives are full. Chasing the American Dream, they can be successful and have a fulfilling life without any thought of spiritual things or the need for God.

The American Christian Narrative

The American Christian Narrative is similar to the American Narrative. While, those who live this story still largely chase the American Dream, they also acknowledge the need for cultivating their spiritual lives. The problem is that the American Narrative dominates their thinking. For these people, Christianity is little more than an add-on to their otherwise achievement-focused lives.

In a recent survey, Barna describes adults living this lifestyle as “Casual Christians.”[4] They are perfectly happy going to church once a week, saying prayers at meal times or bed time and giving little or no regard to a deeper relationship with God. This same attitude has been recognized in American teens and labeled as Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (MTD) by researchers in the National Study of Youth and Religion.[5] In Soul Searching, Smith and Denton describe the attitude American teens have toward religion as “benignly positive.”[6] Teens and adults alike, living the American Christian Narrative, see religion as a good thing that helps people be nice and have good morals, but they don’t seem to give it much thought beyond that.

In Almost Christian, Kenda Dean labels this concept as “The Cult of Nice.”[7] She goes on to explain that the faith that many teens are practicing is really not Christianity at all. The true faith has been supplanted by this watered down philosophy of being nice, treating others well, and believing that above all, God wants people to be happy. This is the American Christian Narrative.

Those who live by this story believe that all people are basically good and that happiness is life’s goal. They live their lives believing that success is achievement. They seek personal gain and happiness, appeasing their consciences by filling out a “checklist” kind of religious faith. They are hauntingly similar to the Pharisees whom Jesus criticizes for focusing on the minor things like sacrifices and offerings but ignoring the more important matters of faith and God’s Law.[8] Paul echoes these words in 2 Timothy, describing people in the last days who practice all kinds of disobedience and self-centered actions. He says "they have a form of godliness, but deny its power.”[9]

The Godly Narrative

The Godly Narrative is not about achievement or fulfilling a list of Christian duties or rituals. It is about finding your purpose within the grand story of God. To recognize that our lives are meant to be an extension of something bigger than us lends meaning and purpose to our existence. It grants a new significance to our life choices.

Those who follow this narrative are guided by the belief that God is the reason we are here. We are created for his purposes. He is writing the grand story of which we are privileged to be a part. His story, written throughout all of eternity, is the back drop to our story. Our stories do not make sense and will never find their full meaning until they are lined up with him.

In Almost Christian Dean points out that those students from the NSYR who are labeled as “highly devoted” have four things in common:1. a creed to believe in, 2. a call to live out, 3. a community to belong to, and 4. a hope to hold onto.[10] These priorities line up with the ethic of the Godly Narrative. The basic creed this narrative breathes is that “God is” and he longs for relationship with us. Our calling is to use our gifts and talents in such a way that he is glorified and others are drawn to him. We find community with others who share this vision and are driven by it. Standing together we order our lives by our faith in the clear hope that this world and our present circumstances are not all there is to existence.

Living by the direction of this Godly Narrative, we and our teens can find meaning and purpose in our eternal significance. We make decisions about activities and priorities which are defined by the question, “How do we glorify God with our time and our activities?” Rather than being driven by the ideals of “success by achievement” and anxious self-interest, Christians who are shaped by the Godly Narrative live their lives believing that the Kingdom of God is present now. This narrative drives us to make God’s Kingdom a reality in our lives and usher it into the lives of others.




[1] Dan Henegar, DJ Iverson and Zac Luben developed these concepts over a period of months from January through June of 2012. The material was presented at So Cal Teen Camp for the Churches of Christ in July of 2012. While at camp I, the author, joined with them in discussion about how these concepts lined up with the research findings from the National Study of Youth and Religion, presented in Almost Christian by Kenda Creasy-Dean and Soul Searching by Christian Smith and Melinda Lindquist, as well as the work of Chap Clark in Hurt 2.0, and the Fuller Youth Institute in Sticky Faith.


[2] Susan Schulten, “Success,” in the Encyclopedia of American Cultural and Intellectual History,Vol.3,eds. Mary Kupiec Cayton and Peter W. Williams (Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2001), 3-10.




[3] Hurt 2.0 Chap Clark


[4] George Barna, The Seven Faith Tribes: Who They Are, What They Believe and Why They Matter. Tyndale House, Carol Stream, IL 2006 16.




[5] This study was conducted among American teenagers from 2001 to2005 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Both Soul Searching by Smith and Denton and Almost Christian by Dean are based on the findings from this study.


[6] Smith and Denton, Soul Searching, 124-126


[7] Dean, Almost Christian, 25-42.


[8] Matthew 23: 23-24 NIV 1984.


[9] 2 Timothy 3:1-5. NIV 1984.


[10] Dean, Almost Christian, 42