MondayMorningInsight - Leadership & Encouragement for Church Leaders

Partying With the Amish: Rumspringa

Posted by: Todd
Posted on: Wed, June 21, 2006
Viewed 1339
(10) comments so far

Because they are not baptized, they are not required to follow the church’s dress requirements or rules against drugs, drinking, and unsupervised relationships with members of the opposite sex. Some rent apartments with friends, while others continue to live at home with their parents. Although many Amish teens do not engage in “wild” behavior, some of them do, and wind up with alcohol and drug addictions or dealing with unplanned pregnancies.

(A sidenote: I grew up Baptist; and it seems that we have our own “Rumspringa”, only we didn’t call it that. I still have friends who never returned, sadly).

The main part of the article is an excerpt is from the new book “Rumspringa: To Be or Not to Be Amish,” by Tom Shachtman, a documentarian who began studying the phenomenon of Amish teens running wild for the film “The Devil’s Playground” (2002). The rumspringa activities described below take place near the town of Shipshewana, Indiana (just a little over an hour from where I live).

If you’re interested, you can read the full article here…

Do you have any thoughts on “Rumspringa”?

Todd

I find the Amish fascinating on a number of levels. Partly because we have a pretty good population of the Amish still around these parts of Northern Ohio and Indiana. Beliefnet.com recently ran a fascinating piece on what the Amish call "Rumspringa". When Amish youth turn sixteen, they enter their rumspringa, or "running around" period. Because Amish teens are not baptized until later in life, they are given the opportunity to experience the world outside of their community and decide whether they want to leave it, or become baptized in the Amish church...

Comments

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Jeff on Wed, June 21, 2006

Not so strange, mainline churches have been practicing this for generations.

They call it confirmation. Then when the youth grows to marrying age they return and visit often until the need to baptise their own child and train them up to confirmation…

We are so like the Amish… if only they had big screens for worship…
Sam on Wed, June 21, 2006

This is very interesting because I also live about an hour from Shipshewana, Indiana and we take an annual family trip (our family and grandparents) in the RV to the flea market there. Actually, this is the first year we haven’t done it since I was about 10 (I’m 19 now). We also usually went into town to shop or eat after we were done with the flea market. We always saw some Amish working there or on the side of the road in their horse and buggy (some roads have a horse lane). We had heard about the period where they can live outside the Amish teachings and then decide but this sheds a whole new light on that. Very interesting, I am contemplating getting the book now.
Just visiting on Wed, June 21, 2006

This isn’t about Rumspringa in particular, although I do understand their reasons behind it and it seems logical, almost a good way to handle the whole rebellion aspect of the teen years. I suppose it’s a real test of how grounded the youngsters are and how much they value their way of life.

I guess I’ve been waiting to comment on the Amish way of life for a while now. I’ve been listening to the audio books by Beverly Lewis who writes about Amish characters and situations in a very realistic way. I grew up not far from where all these stories take place outside Lancaster PA, so I am familiar with the lifestyle from many a school field trip.

These books made me pity the Amish in a lot of ways. Many characters seem to have a lack of joy of knowing their salvation is real. I really have a problem with the whole Ordnung (the rules, as in; the way it’s always been done), the shunning, their works mentality, and the idea that it’s in being plain that they are elevated spiritually.

I hope I don’t come across as anti-Amish; I am working on simplicity and fighting against the pull of this world in my own neck of the woods. And in that way, I guess I went thru my own Rumspringa when I went to college. The only difference is that I was never grounded in the faith the way Amish youth are, and boy did I wander. I am intent that my children will be grounded so that if they decide to Rumspringa, they will at least KNOW the truth, hopefully to return to it.

These books though, as well-written and enjoyable as they are, really make me want to evangelize the Amish. It seems the Mennonites have understood the joy of the Lord more.

Sorry I’m not totally on topic, and I do recommend the books for really nice quiet reading. Ms. Lewis handles the whole Amish environment very well - you really get a feel for thier way of life.
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Sickle bar mower on Sun, July 04, 2010

These books though, as well-written and enjoyable as they are, really make me want to evangelize the Amish. It seems the Mennonites have understood the joy of the Lord more.
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