I thought I’d spend this week’s corner of the newsletter giving a shout out to our Grassroots Youth Group ministry! We’re meeting every ~3 weeks these days which is partially due to capacity of leadership but almost more so due to capacity of our youth. Not sure if you knew this but KIDS ARE BUSY these days!

Regardless, our youth group leadership (Matt, Tara, Derek, Scott B and myself to a lesser extent) are convinced meeting together matters as we’re helping form the faith of our youth and which, we hope and pray, will have a lifelong impact on them and the Kingdom of God. And so this year we’ve been up to all sorts of fun things – sledding, bowling, bonfires, hikes, backyard games and gym nights to name a few. Our next big outing will be a hike to the Sea Lion at the Sleeping Giant some time in March (stay tuned!). 

One thing we discussed as leaders was aside from the fun events, what are we actually doing with regards to the spiritual component of youth group? What kind of teaching are we giving our kids this year? This is important for all of us as leaders who also happen to be parents of a good bunch of these kids. The issue is that depending on the venue we are meeting in, a specific “teaching” isn’t always possible. And while that can be unfortunate, we also are convinced that by simply providing a space for Christian youth to be together, build friendships, form memories, encourage meaningful conversations, etc. that we can have much longer lasting impact than what a spiritual lesson might offer. That’s not to dismiss teachings, of course, and Matt, the main GYG leader, has been doing a fantastic job teaching where possible as well. Last night’s message, as an example, was a discussion on confronting our fears and it seemed to resonate with a lot of the youth. My point is, I guess, that youth group as a whole is such a worthwhile ministry and there’s so much more being gained than simple spiritual truths each time. 

Also, I don’t want to brag here, but our youth are fantastic. Seriously, every kid that comes out has just so much to offer and such a good attitude. I’ve worked in youth ministry on and off for 15-20 years and I don’t know that I’ve ever had such an enjoyable group of youth to work with. So… thanks parents for your contributions toward making great kids 😉

So I have a request. Could you commit to regularly pray for Grassroots Youth Group? Pray for our leaders, pray for wisdom, pray for our youth that they’ll continue to want to come out and will come with open hearts and desire to grow as individuals and in community. Also, if you want to do MORE than pray, we also have opportunities to help out with snacks and if you’ve got your Plan to Protect training, we’d love to have you help out as a volunteer where possible as well (for instance – drivers needed for our Sleeping Giant hike!). So let Matt Denis know what you’re able to do. Thanks, church fam!

PS – you can subscribe to our upcoming church events, including GYG, on our website to make sure you don’t miss anything! grassroots.church/events