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September 2021

Courageous Conversations for Youth: Christian Nationalism

By Dena Kitchens

Christian Nationalism: Courageous Conversations for Youth are designed to equip a youth leader with a model to create brave spaces where youth can share their thoughts and feelings on pressing topics. The point is not to arrive at consensus, simply for a youth leader to create a space where everyone can be heard.

This series on addressing Christian nationalism provides youth leaders language and questions to inspire conversation about idolatry, what happens when patriotism and faith interact, and current stories affecting the lives and systems in the culture we create together. This youth version corresponds with the adult version available on UMCDiscipleship.org. If a church were to choose to use both resources at the same time, some amazing intergenerational opportunities could arise.

Courageous Conversations for Youth invites teens to explore difficult subjects in a brave space. Teens are encouraged to freely express their own ideas and perspectives and to listen to the ideas and perspectives of others with an aim for learning.

This unit on Christian Nationalism is precipitated by the current climate in the United States, which was highlighted by the events of January 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Patriotism and Christianity may have been merged to a point where many seem to believe they are one and the same, leading to unhealthy consequences. In this dialogue, we will examine the terms “patriotism,” “Christianity,” “nationalism,” and “Christian nationalism,” and we will explore ways each of these terms is expressed.

This sample outline is based on four ninety-minute sessions. The many tensions and concepts involved in this topic necessitate breaking the topic into manageable parts. As a leader, if you wish to further subdivide the sessions, please feel free to do so.

Session 1

Setting a Safe and Brave Environment:

  • Providing an environment to encourage listening, reverence, respect, and learning is crucial.
  • Post and/or discuss guidelines for conversation so participants will know what to expect. This will set a proper tone for respectful dialogue. Samples can be found at "Sample Guidelines for Courageous Conversations."
  • Talk about the difference between a “safe space” in which participants are cautious about speaking so as not to offend others and a “brave space” where exploratory questions are expected and respected.
  • Find a way to mark God’s presence such as lighting a candle or singing a well-known opening song.
  • Small round tables are useful for encouraging interaction. If unavailable, use chairs arranged in circles. Six people per group is recommended for the best small group dynamics. (If meeting in a video-conferencing format, make use of breakout rooms and limit groups to four or five people per group.) It is recommended to have a facilitator in each group who can redirect if the dialogue slips into debate or argument.
  • Place a different colored tablecloth on each table for identification. Also supply each table with a small two-minute game timer (like a small hourglass) that will function as a “talking stick.” For the first session, place a small bowl of M&Ms (or similarly colored candies) in the center of the table.
  • As they arrive, have participants pick a number (or symbol or color) to designate their table. Encourage them to sit at their designated table and chat with others in their group until the event begins.
  • It might be helpful to provide light snacks for the participants as well as paper and pens for those who might like to doodle or take notes.
  • Place posters as described below around the room.

Needed:

  • Small tables with up to six chairs per table
  • Brightly colored tablecloths or bulletin board paper—a different color for each table
  • Basket or bowl with colored slips of paper to match table colors
  • Bowl of M&Ms or similarly colored candies for each table (optional, provide a small pack for each participant)
  • Paper and pens at each table (optional, cover table with craft paper and provide pens and/or markers)
  • Two-minute sand timers—one for each table
  • Poster or screen for “Guidelines for Courageous Conversations”
  • Posters on wall (or at separate tables around the room) as described below
  • Copies of “Tips for Being a Good Listener” at each table

Estimated Timeline:

This timeline is based on a ninety-minute session. Adjust as needed.

  • Opening Prayer – 3 minutes
  • Overview – 5 minutes
  • Icebreaker – 10 minutes
  • Practicing Dialogue – 15 minutes
  • Break – 5 minutes
  • Gallery Walk – 10 minutes
  • Small Group Time – 30 minutes
  • Large Group - 10 minutes
  • Closing Prayer – 2 minutes

OPENING PRAYER

Begin the session with a moment of centering and prayer. Check “Prayer Guide” for sample prayers to use. Provide a printed copy of the prayer or display it on a screen so all participants can pray together.

OVERVIEW

Explain the posted guidelines, emphasizing the concept of a brave space where ideas and opinions can be expressed. Encourage participants to listen for underlying assumptions that influence their own and others’ perceptions.

M&M ICEBREAKER

If your teens do not already know one another well, begin with this icebreaker. Have each participant (leaders included) choose one candy and respond to the prompt associated with the color of the candy.

  • Red – Tell us something about your family.
  • Orange - What is one thing that makes you happy?
  • Yellow – Tell us something you do well.
  • Green – What is one thing that makes you angry?
  • Blue – Tell us about someone you admire.
  • Brown – What is one thing that makes you sad?

PRACTICING DIALOGUE (15 minutes)

Choose a topic of interest in which youth may have differing opinions, but is unlikely to result in a heated argument, such as “What is your favorite sport?” or “What music do you prefer to listen to?” Consider the specific interests of your group in choosing a question for dialogue.

  • Allow students to get a feel for this type of dialogue with a less controversial topic. Encourage them to practice listening and learning rather than participating in the debate style of discussion that is more familiar. Provide copies of “Tips for Being a Good Listener” for participants and keep those tips visible in the meeting space.
  • After you read the question, allow a minute of silent reflection.
  • After reflection, each person who would like to speak will pick up the talking stick before speaking. The stick is then passed from person to person. You might pass the stick to the person next to you, or have participants indicate that they want the talking stick by raising their hand.

BREAK (5 minutes)

GALLERY WALK (10 minutes)

Place posters around the room, each with one of the following definitions printed in the center.

Patriotism – gratitude for or devotion to one’s own country.

    • Patriots care for the common good for all citizens.
    • Patriots work for that good through voting, service, and acting in democratic processes.

    Nationalism – pride for one’s own country to the exclusion of others.

      • Nationalism claims all should speak one language and have a common ethnicity and culture.
      • In its extreme, nationalism claims superiority over all other nations.
      • Extreme nationalists shun foreign trade and cooperation with other nations.

      Christianity – religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ

        • Christians read scripture to discern the will of God.
        • Christians follow Jesus’ command to love God and love others.

        Christian nationalism – the ideology of the United States as a Christian nation.

          • Christian nationalists support laws that claim Christianity as the dominant religion.
          • In its extreme, Christian nationalism favors special privileges to Christians or may rationalize the exclusion of those not deemed “Christian.”

          Encourage youth to walk around the room to read each poster. This will give them an opportunity to calmly reflect on their beliefs and assumptions before engaging with others on the topic.

          SMALL-GROUP TIME (30 minutes)

          Small group dialogue provides an opportunity for clarity of thought and naming assumptions and perceptions on the topic. Emphasize listening attentively rather than debating or persuading. As in the practice dialogue, allow a moment of silent reflection following each question and use the “talking stick” to manage the discussion.

          • What values or concerns are most important to you on this topic? (15 minutes)
          • Do you believe your home country is a Christian nation? What does that mean to you? (15 minutes)

          LARGE-GROUP TIME (10 minutes)

          Use this opportunity to hear from the different groups. Encourage participants to keep their statements brief to allow all groups an opportunity to share. Enforce a time limit for each speaker. Encourage attentive listening by asking speakers to share what they have heard from others rather than expressing their own opinions. It would be best to have a trained moderator to facilitate this time.

          • What did you hear that was new?
          • What did someone else say that you would like to share?

          CLOSING PRAYER

          Close with a moment of silence and a prayer. Provide a copy of the prayer to encourage participation from everyone. (See “Prayer Guide” for samples.)

          Session 2

          Setting a Safe and Brave Environment:

          Follow the guidelines from session 1 for setting up a safe environment. Replace the Gallery Walk posters with new posters for this session.

          Needed:

          • Small tables with up to six chairs per table
          • Posters on wall (or at separate tables around the room) as described below
          • Brightly colored tablecloths or bulletin board paper—a different color for each table
          • Basket or bowl with colored slips of paper to match table colors
          • Paper and pens at each table (optional, cover table with craft paper and provide pens and/or markers)
          • Two-minute sand timers—one for each table
          • Poster or screen for “Guidelines for Courageous Conversations”

          Estimated Timeline:

          This timeline is based on a ninety-minute session. Adjust as needed.

          • Opening Prayer – 3 minutes
          • Overview – 5 minutes
          • Opening Questions – 10 minutes
          • Gallery Walk – 10 minutes
          • Break – 5 minutes
          • Small Group Time – 45 minutes
          • Large Group - 10 minutes
          • Closing Prayer – 2 minutes

          OPENING PRAYER

          Begin the session with a moment of centering and prayer. Check “Prayer Guide” for sample prayers to use. Provide a printed copy of the prayer or display it on a screen so all participants can pray together.

          OVERVIEW

          Review the posted guidelines, emphasizing the concept of a brave space where ideas and opinions can be expressed. Encourage participants to listen for underlying assumptions that influence their own and others’ perceptions.

          OPENING QUESTIONS

          Invite each table to split into two smaller groups of two or three each to explore these questions:

          • When have you been the most proud of the United States?
          • When were you the least proud of the United States?

          GALLERY WALK (10 minutes)

          Place posters around the room, each with one of the following definitions printed in the center.

          • Idolatry – devotion to or worship of an item, person, or institution other than God
          • Freedom – (Political Freedom) liberty from government oppression or control
          • Freedom – (Christian Freedom) liberation from sin and death
          • Freedom – (Religious Freedom) capability to openly practice religious expression

          Encourage youth to walk around the room to read each poster. This will give them an opportunity to calmly reflect on their beliefs and assumptions before engaging with others on the topic.

          BREAK (5 minutes)

          SMALL-GROUP TIME (45 minutes)

          Small-group dialogue provides an opportunity for clarity of thought and naming assumptions and perceptions on the topic. Emphasize listening attentively rather than debating or persuading. As in the practice dialogue, allow a moment of silent reflection following each question and use the “talking stick” to manage the discussion.

          • Where is the line between appreciation and idolatry? (10 minutes)
          • How do we distinguish between political freedom, Christian freedom, and religious freedom? Why might that be important? (10 minutes)
          • How does one gain political freedom? How does one gain Christian freedom? How does one gain religious freedom? Are there similarities and differences for those processes? How have you seen people express (act out) those freedoms? (15 minutes)
          • At what point does our loyalty to our country cross the line into idolatry? (15 minutes)

          LARGE-GROUP TIME (10 minutes)

          Use this opportunity to hear from the different groups. Encourage participants to keep their statements brief to allow all groups an opportunity to share. Enforce a time limit for each speaker. Encourage attentive listening by asking speakers to share what they have heard from others rather than expressing their own opinions. It would be best to have a trained moderator to facilitate this time.

          • What did you hear that was new?
          • What did someone else say that you would like to share?

          CLOSING PRAYER

          Close with a moment of silence and a prayer. Provide a copy of the prayer to encourage participation from everyone. (See “Prayer Guide” for samples.)

          Session 3

          Setting a Safe and Brave Environment:

          Follow the guidelines from session 1 for setting up a safe environment. Replace the Gallery Walk posters with new posters for this session.

          Needed:

          • Small tables with up to six chairs per table
          • Posters on wall (or at separate tables around the room) as described below
          • Brightly colored tablecloths or bulletin board paper—a different color for each table
          • Basket or bowl with colored slips of paper to match table colors
          • Paper and pens at each table (optional, cover table with craft paper and provide pens and/or markers)
          • Two-minute sand timers—one for each table
          • Poster or screen for “Guidelines for Courageous Conversations”

          Estimated Timeline:

          This timeline is based on a ninety-minute session. Adjust as needed.

          • Opening Prayer – 3 minutes
          • Overview – 5 minutes
          • Opening Questions – 10 minutes
          • Gallery Walk – 10 minutes
          • Break – 5 minutes
          • Small Group Time – 45 minutes
          • Large Group - 10 minutes
          • Closing Prayer – 2 minutes

          OPENING PRAYER

          Begin the session with a moment of centering and prayer. Check “Prayer Guide” for sample prayers to use. Provide a printed copy of the prayer or display it on a screen so all participants can pray together.

          OVERVIEW

          Review the posted guidelines, emphasizing the concept of a brave space where ideas and opinions can be expressed. Encourage participants to listen for underlying assumptions that influence their own and others’ perceptions.

          OPENING QUESTIONS

          Invite each table to split into two smaller groups of two or three participants each to explore these questions:

          • When does allegiance to God and allegiance to country conflict?
          • When does healthy patriotism cross the line into Christian nationalism?
          • Can you think of or share memes or other images that might come from a Christian nationalist perspective? Why do these images tend to circulate?

          GALLERY WALK (10 minutes)

          Place posters around the room, each with one of the following definitions printed in the center.

          • Misinformation – false information that is spread, either intentionally or not
          • Disinformation – false information spread intentionally with the intent to deceive
          • Discernment – the act of perceiving something that is obscure
          • Prophets – people who speak to the people for God
          • New Apostolic Reformation – an affiliation of churches and Christians that believes that God has appointed “apostles” to be governors of a “New World Order.”

          Encourage youth to walk around the room to read each poster. This will give them an opportunity to calmly reflect on their beliefs and assumptions before engaging with others on the topic.

          BREAK (5 minutes)

          SMALL-GROUP TIME (45 minutes)

          Small-group dialogue provides an opportunity for clarity of thought and naming assumptions and perceptions on the topic. Emphasize listening attentively rather than debating or persuading. As in the practice dialogue, allow a moment of silent reflection following each question and use the “talking stick” to manage the discussion.

          • How can Christians discern between misinformation and disinformation? (15 minutes)
          • How can Christians discern whether a person is a prophet and whether his/her message is from God? (15 minutes)
          • What is the responsibility of Christians regarding information and messages? (15 minutes)

          LARGE-GROUP TIME (10 minutes)

          Use this opportunity to hear from the different groups. Encourage participants to keep their statements brief to allow all groups an opportunity to share. Enforce a time limit for each speaker. Encourage attentive listening by asking speakers to share what they have heard from others rather than expressing their own opinions. It would be best to have a trained moderator to facilitate this time.

          • What did you hear that was new?
          • What did someone else say that you would like to share?

          CLOSING PRAYER

          Close with a moment of silence and a prayer. Provide a copy of the prayer to encourage participation from everyone. (See “Prayer Guide” for samples.)

          Session 4

          Setting a Safe and Brave Environment:

          Follow the guidelines from session 1 for setting up a safe environment. Post all the Gallery Walk posters that have been used for the previous sessions. Provide Bibles and lists of scriptures for each table.

          Needed:

          • Small tables with up to six chairs per table
          • Posters on wall (or at separate tables around the room) from all previous sessions
          • Brightly colored tablecloths or bulletin board paper—a different color for each table
          • Basket or bowl with colored slips of paper to match table colors
          • Paper and pens at each table (optional, cover table with craft paper and provide pens and/or markers)
          • Two-minute sand timers—one for each table
          • Poster or screen for “Guidelines for Courageous Conversations”
          • Bibles for each table
          • List of scriptures, as described below, for each table

          Estimated Timeline:

          This timeline is based on a ninety-minute session. Adjust as needed.

          • Opening Prayer – 3 minutes
          • Overview – 5 minutes
          • Opening Questions – 10 minutes
          • Gallery Walk – 20 minutes
          • Break – 5 minutes
          • Small Group Time – 30 minutes
          • Large Group - 15 minutes
          • Closing Prayer – 2 minutes

          OPENING PRAYER

          Begin the session with a moment of centering and prayer. Check “Prayer Guide” for sample prayers to use. Provide a printed copy of the prayer or display it on a screen so all participants can pray together.

          OVERVIEW

          Review the posted guidelines, emphasizing the concept of a brave space where ideas and opinions can be expressed. Encourage participants to listen for underlying assumptions that influence their own and others’ perceptions.

          OPENING QUESTIONS

          Invite each table to split into two smaller groups of two or three each to explore these questions:

          • Why might Christian nationalism present a problem?
          • How might Christian nationalism hinder evangelistic (outreach) efforts for the church?
          • Do you feel like you have ever been judged for being a Christian?

          GALLERY WALK (20 minutes)

          Place posters from previous sessions around the room. Encourage youth to walk around the room to review each poster. Invite them to add notes to each poster to share their thoughts, impressions, or something they have learned. Encourage brief and casual conversation during the walk.

          BREAK (5 minutes)

          SMALL-GROUP TIME (30 minutes)

          Invite participants to choose one or more scripture passages from this list (or others you may choose to add) that they feel speaks to the topic. Encourage them to read or summarize the scripture and speak briefly to how it relates. Discuss those that your group finds the most interesting. To save time, consider finding and printing these passages. Individuals should read each and lift those they find most interesting to discuss.

          • Psalm 96:1-6
          • John 8:31-38
          • Romans 12:1-2
          • Colossians 1:9-14
          • Philippians 3:17-21
          • Hebrews 13:7-9
          • Deuteronomy 18: 15-22
          • 1 John 4:1-9

          LARGE-GROUP TIME (15 minutes)

          Use this opportunity to hear from the different groups. Encourage participants to keep their statements brief to allow all groups an opportunity to share. Enforce a time limit for each speaker. Encourage attentive listening by asking speakers to share what they have heard from others rather than expressing their own opinions. It would be best to have a trained moderator to facilitate this time.

          • What in our conversations has caused you to think differently?
          • Are there things that came up in this conversation that you want to continue to wrestle with?
          • What will you do differently because of this series of conversations?

          CLOSING PRAYER

          Close with a moment of silence and a prayer. Provide a copy of the prayer to encourage participation from everyone. (See “Prayer Guide” for samples.)

          ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

          Courageous Conversations Sample Outlines