Praxis Of Pastoral Care To Teenagers In The Nigerian Context

Adeyanju, Janet Omotola1 and Akano, Omolola Adepeju2

1&2The Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso, Nigeria

Abstract

Pastoral care is the spiritual and morally sustaining concern of the pastors for their flock, of which teenagers are inclusive. Every teenager needs the full attention of the pastoral caregiver in the area of healing, sustaining, guiding, educating, nurturing and reconciling to God. The paper examined how pastoral caregivers can comprehend the peculiarities of teenagers in Nigeria to minister accurately and adequately to them. The findings of the study revealed that there is a wide generational gap that often causes a problem between adults and teenagers. It also revealed that teenagers have a hardened lifestyle when their survival needs are deficient or are neglected due to parental or societal challenges that negatively affect them. The paper recommends that pastoral caregivers familiarize themselves with the peculiarities of teenagers, especially in Nigeria, and also get a proper understanding and adequate deployment of the pastoral care functions to minister effectively to teenagers in this contemporary time.

Keywords: Pastoral care, Teenagers, Nigerian context, Contemporary, Praxis.

Impact Statement

The paper examined how pastoral caregivers can comprehend the peculiarities of teenagers in Nigeria to minister accurately and adequately to them. There is a wide generational gap that often causes problem between adults and teenagers. The study investigated how the generational gap can be filled and found that pastoral caregivers need to study the teenagers well enough and should be able to cut them some slack when and where it is needed. The study establishes that guided and balanced familiarization with the peculiarities of the teenagers could be of immense help to the practice of pastoral care to teenagers in Nigeria.

About Author/s

Janet Omotola Adeyanju, PhD is a lecturer in the Administration and Leadership Department of the Faculty of Education at the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso. She holds a PhD in Pastoral Care and Counselling from the same institution. She also holds another Ph.D. in Educational Management from Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria. Her interest is in Christian Leadership through timely Caregiving and Empathic Counselling.

Omolola Adepeju Akano, is a Master’s student at the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso, specializing in Pastoral Care and Counselling. She is a passionate teacher of God’s word, a Missionary, an educationist, an astute writer, and a communicator with a mandate among teenagers and youth for raising kingdom leaders. She possesses a good sense of humor and delights in seeing that her arts and acts contribute to people’s happiness. 

References

1. Agbakwuru, J. (2022). ASUU Strike: I Am Pained by Recurring Disruption to Our Tertiary Education System in Buhari. Vanguard Newspaper, Retrieved October 1. https://www.vanguard.com. https://www.vanguardngr.com

2. Agency report. (2022). https://www.punchng.com. Nigeria’s “Japa” migration phenomenon. Punch September 5.

3. Akinrinade, K. (2020). Teenage Suicide Is on the Rise. Retrieved from The Nation Retrieved October 10. https://www.thenationonlineng.net

4. Amao-Kehinde, A. O. (2009). Fundamentals of guidance and counselling. Bashyprints.

5. Best, R. (2000). Concept in pastoral care and PSE. In R. Best, P. Lang, C. Lodge, & C. Watkins (Eds.), Pastora care and personal social education: Entitlement and provision (3–18).

6. Carey, T. (2020). What is my teenager thinking? Practical child psychology for modern parents. Dorling Kindersley Limited.

7. Cherry, K. (2020, March 20). Biography of Erik Erickson (1902–1994). Retrieved from verywelmind. https://www.verywelmind.com

8. Chukwuemeka, E. S. (2022, September 22). Problems of Nigeria: 13 Major Problems/Challenges of Nigerian Economy. Retrieved from Bscholarly. https://www.bscholarly.com

9. Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2022, May 1). Adolescence. Retrieved from Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/adolescence

10. Dark, S. (2020, October 25). #EndSARS: How Nigerian harness social media against police abuse. Retrieved from Aljazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news

11. L. Mums (Ed.). (2020, October 8). Characteristics of 21st-century teens. Retrieved from Lagos Mums. https://www.lagosmums.com/characteristics-of-21st-century-teen/

12. Egbochuku, E. O. (2007). Bullying in Nigerian schools: Prevalence study and implications for counselling. Journal of Social Sciences, 14(1), 65–71. https://doi.org/10.1080/09718923.2007.11978400

13. Fry, R. (2020, April 28). Millennials Overtake Baby Boomers as America’s Largest Generation. https://www.pewresearchcentre.org. Retrieved from Pew Research Centre.

14. Glasser Institute for Choice Theory. (2022, October 01). What is the choice theory? https://wglasser.com/what-is-chice-theory. Retrieved from Glasser Institute for Choice Theory.

15. Golden, A. (2019, September). Generation Z Was Redefining the Business of Music. Retrieved from The Music Business Journal. https://www.thembj.org

16. Idowu, A., Aremu, A. O., Olumide, A., & Ogunlaja, A. O. (2018). Substance abuse among students in selected secondary schools of an urban community of Oyo state, South West Nigeria: Implication for policy action. African Health Sciences, 18(3), September, 776–785. https://doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v18i3.36.   Retrieved from African Health Sciences

17. Lartey, E. Y. (2003). In Living Color: An Intercultural Approach to Pastoral care and counselling. London and New York: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

18. Lateju, R. A. (2015). Touching Teenagers’ World with God’s word. Kogiah Communications.

19. Lawal, I. (2021, December 9). Taming Menace of Bullying in Nigerian Schools. Retrieved from The Guardian. https://www.guradian.ng

20. Merriam-Webster. (1828). Retrieved from Meriam-Webster Dictionary. webster-dictionary. https://www.merriam-

21. Ogundipe, S. O. (2014). Pastoral perspectives on caring and counselling for humans and sustainable nature. Danobish Creative Prints.

22. Olatunji, D. (2022, September 22). Ogun Govt Tackles Ondo over Monarch’s Installation. Retrieved from Punch. https://www.punchng.com

23. Olson, K. (1984). What makes your teenager tick: A parent’s guide to understanding and dealing with teenage personality. Group Publishing, Inc.

24. Ononogbu, D. C., & Chiroma, N. (2018). Social media and youth ministries in Nigeria: Implications and Christological thrust. International Journal of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Education, 5(1 (January)), 48–54.

25. Oyedele, S. O. (2017). Principles and practices of pastoral care and counselling: Resources for effective pastoral ministry. Amazing Grace Publications.

26. Prime, D. J. (1989). Pastors and teachers: The calling and work of Christ’s ministers. Highlands Books.

27. Sarah, B. A. (1999). Caring Ministry: A Contemplative Approach to Pastoral care. Continuum International Publishing Group.

28. Addo, D. E., Efut, E. N., Akpo, D. M., & Egor, O. W. (2023). Innovative instructional design packages for promoting inclusive and participatory interactive learning experience in Nigeria. Shodh Sari-An International Multidisciplinary Journal, 70–87. https://doi.org/10.59231/SARI7575

29. Spitznagel, E. (2020). Januray. Generation Z is bigger than millennials and is out to change the world. Retrieved from New York Post. https://www.nypost.com, 25.

30. Sullo, B. (2011, July 23). Choice theory. Retrieved from F understanding: Education. curriculum and learning resources. https://www.funderstanding.com

31. World Health Organization. (2019). Suicide in the world: Global health estimates. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/suicide-in-the-world. Retrieved from World Health Organisation.