Youth groups are central to the church. As an important ministry in the church, youth group is a place for young people to go and find meaningful community, be mentored and discipled in their faith, grow as individuals, and have fun as followers of Jesus.
All of this is important, and it makes it tricky to check each of these boxes. As I was growing up in youth group, I enjoyed my time, but it wasn’t always my highlight of the week. There were many competing aspects in my life, as I was fairly involved in my school’s extracurricular activities. Don’t get it wrong – there is good value in sports teams, music lessons, or other activities. However, as I look back now, while those good memories are cherished, they remain in the past, and it is my relationships with my leaders, the Godly encouragement I received, and the growth in my faith that has lasted and stayed with me to this day.
One of the church’s main focuses is discipleship, as teaching other people about God and pointing them to live lives following Jesus is how we live the great commission. While this is important for people of all ages, youth is a special time in one’s life where much faith formation can take place as they begin to experience the world more personally and make decisions that will impact their future.
As youth experience so much change in their life around friendships, new schools, more responsibilities and opportunities, they are often looking for a place to go where they can simply hang out, be themselves in a safe environment, and know they are loved for who they are in the midst of all the change.
There are many different groups and activities that youth can choose to be a part of, but youth groups offer something different – relationships with peers and leaders built on fun in playing games and taking part in different activities, and faith, where we learn more about God, and have space to wrestle with questions without being looked down on.
Youth group isn’t perfect, and sometimes it doesn’t always do these things well either, but the key to what makes it different is that in those times when we fail, we turn back to Jesus. We try to be an example of what it means to be a follower of Jesus and encourage youth to take those steps along their journey.
In a world where youth are being questioned on what they believe, and making big life decisions earlier than in the past, having a place to journey through these questions can make an eternal difference. Youth groups strive to create opportunities to develop their leadership skills by serving in small ways within their current context and encouraging them to serve in bigger ways, such as on mission trips or serving at other organizations such as camps.
Discipleship is key to the church’s mission. In a youth group context, this happens through the youth leaders, who commit to building relationships, praying, and engaging in different activities with youth. Shoutout to the awesome youth leader team we have here at PCC, who without it wouldn’t be able to do the ministry we do!
Not only is youth group important for the ministry it is to youth, but it is also a great opportunity for the larger church to grow in their discipleship as they invest in the younger generations. I remember reading an article about the impact of having a caring adult outside of their family unit on a youth’s development. The results were clear: those who had caring adults in their lives were more likely to continue going to church as adults and become leaders.
Many of you have spent time as a youth leader, provided snacks, driven youth to events, hosted our small groups, or even just had conversations with youth over the years, and we want to say thank you. The energy and effort have been felt and appreciated, and we are ever thankful.
If you are interested in how you can help serve our youth, please reach out to Chris, as he would love to chat more! It could be leading small groups, providing and distributing snacks, welcoming and checking kids in, wanting to invest specifically in some student leaders, or even encouraging/supporting our youth leaders intentionally – important aspects that go into a successful youth group.
Today’s youth are the church leaders tomorrow, which makes what happens in youth groups so vital as we disciple our students to grow in faith and how they live out that faith.
Chris Reimer is the Youth Director at Parliament Community Church in Regina, SK, Which is located near Harbour Landing. As a church, we offer programs for all ages, from children to youth, young adults to Seniors who are part of our Heritage groups. We are also diverse in cultural backgrounds but share a desire to grow as disciples of Christ together.