Youth/Young Adult Ministry
Come! NOW is the time!
When I was a teen, the Sunday School teachers that I had taught, year after year, the Ten Commandments. It seemed like they thought if they drilled the words of those ten commands into our heads then we wouldn’t disobey them. Questions about how we were to walk out that ‘holiness’ in our day-to-day lives were not welcome. They did not know how to answer the question. Bible study was not a part of the class. We were just to do what we were told.
When my children were teens, they had a youth director who was (is) a God watcher. By that I mean, she is actively seeking to see what God is doing today. She does not want to miss God’s active presence in today’s activities. One day I got a call from her. She was very excited. A revival had broken out at a local church. People had come to church at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday morning and did not leave until after 4 p.m. L. was calling to ask my permission, as the parent of two of her youth, to take them to the service. I trusted her to take them. Two weeks later, they were rushing home from school, doing homework, and going to church every night. My 16-year-old twins went from fighting to studying the Bible together! I was so shocked (and concerned!) that I began to attend the revival services and dedicated my life to Jesus Christ a month later. Many said that L. was “taking a chance” by “exposing” the youth under her leadership to “that revival”. (It has seen become known as the Pensacola Outpouring.) I worked with 22 of those youth who were in a musical worship group. Of the 22, 18 are still in active ministry, ordained and laity. L. took a prayerful “chance” and reaped high Kingdom dividends!
Today, youth are still looking for answers. If we, the Church, want the youth to turn to God for answers, then we must create an inviting, relevant atmosphere. My home church began a new service a year ago. It was created for this generation. Here is the welcome note about it:
ICON is a new style of worship at First United Methodist Church of Pensacola, Florida which is cutting edge, tradition rich, art embracing, and Christ centered. ICON is a service of word and table, serving communion weekly, and meets in First Methodist’s new contemporary worship space, Wesley Abbey at 11 AM every Sunday morning.
I hope that you will share what is bringing youth and young adults closer to the Lord in your fellowship! – Jody Neufeld, Editor, BSP