Loud. Crazy. Silly. Fun.
This may be what we often think of youth group nights.
And certainly, there’s good reason for churches to be hosting evenings that focus on the good pleasure and fun and energy that teenagers enjoy.
However, it may also not completely satisfy the ache of youth and the purpose of the local church in general.
So what is missing?
Varsity Bible Church in Calgary, AB is changing up their approach to youth group. Instead of always creating loud and busy youth events, sometimes they are breaking up the group into smaller groups. They’re meeting in homes instead of the church building. So a family or an older couple may host a small group of teenagers. The youth will experience hospitality somehow – whether it’s a meal together or eating snacks around the living room. They will engage in conversation with people who are their own age and who are outside their age bracket. They will connect with another generation. Since it’s a smaller group, no one will go unnoticed. They will engage in conversation with men and women who are further along in their spiritual journeys. They will experience the body of Christ in more of its fullness.
It means that on Sunday, a senior may wave at a youth and remind them that they’re praying for them as they write their biology exam on Thursday.
It means that a youth might slip a handmade get-well card into the hands of someone the age of their aunt or grandma.
It means that the body of Christ isn’t segregated according to age but instead – their common faith in Jesus becomes the thing that ties them together.
There is such potential here.
Isn’t God’s idea of the family or body of Christ a good one?
This is something our churches and our world needs.
Photo creds: Tim Mossholder (Unsplash+)