This year has gone by unexpectedly fast and looking back, it's cool to see how God has been at work amid all that we have done this year.
Newness
Along with welcoming our new grade 7 students this September, we also welcomed 10 new youth leaders to our team. This year's team of leaders has been a blessing through their willingness to dive in and learn first hand how to walk with youth. I’ve loved watching them grow and pour into these kids.
Parents vs. Students Night
Last year we thought we would experiment with an event where parental figures could join students for a youth night and it was a massive success! Because of the success of this event, we decided to do it again in October and another in March this year. At the first one we had around 27 parents come. It was such a great opportunity for students to show their parents around and interact with them through the games. For Talk-Time, we split off and the parents joined me for a table discussion in the Fireside Room while students stayed back and heard testimonies from two of our leaders. In the Fireside Room I shared some of the topics that came up as I read Paul David Tripps book The age of opportunity and asked; “Is this an age of chaos as the world continues to tell us, or is this an age of opportunity?” I really enjoyed being a fly on the wall and hearing parents engage on the subject. In fact, parents liked it so much they stayed talking all through snack time and until the end!
I was worried about the second Parents vs Students Night because I wasn’t sure if parents would enjoy it again or if this needed to be more of a once-a-year type of deal. My other concern was the subject matter of my talk with parents because it was on mental health and I was not sure what everyone’s experience or comfort level was going to be. But 29 parents ended up showing up which was an answer to my first prayer! Later, when I talked with them about despair, anxiety, depression, and suicide, parents were eager to meet the challenge and share honestly about their experiences with the kids. They were vulnerable in the things they shared and just like last time, they continued to talk right until the end of the night. I am so grateful for the parents who not only showed up but were also engaged! I look forward to finding more ways to connect with parents and let them know how much they matter in the life of their youth.
Christmas Around the World
Normally our Youth Coordinator, Jaycee Friesen, plans our monthly events but this year I was excited to run my first Christmas Around-The-World Night! We divided the youth into small groups and had them travel room to room, learning about Christmas in Kenya, Colombia, Philippines, Portugal and Nigeria. I am so grateful to the people who volunteered to represent each country and share a bit of culture and faith in the Christmas season. I had one student who begged me to find the recipe for a Portuguese Christmas treat he had tried! I saw two other students asking for more food from our Columbian presenter, Carlos Pulgarin. Overall, it was an amazing night and I think it helped students understand the impact of the gospel around the world!
I Like it Here
My favourite thing about working here is watching as a student comes to youth for the first time, and they like it so much they’re excited to come back! One student joined youth later on in the year and they raved about how much they loved this place and declared that they would be back. They returned another week and he had invited many of his friends to come along! Our goal is for youth to get connected and it’s so cool to see when students are engaged in the other kids and activities and they feel comfortable inviting their friends to come too!
I often think about the diverse group of youth we have; how some have grown up in the church and others have never heard the Good News. I use this knowledge as I prepare my talks and I am invigorated by this fact. I am confident this is how the church is meant to be in the world—by growing our Jr. High Youth attendance with kids that have developed a relationship with Christ, and with those that haven’t (yet) digested the goodness of a relationship with Jesus. This is our #1 goal, because we know that in Christ, we have a stronger bond to each other and have the opportunity to enjoy the adventure of faith together. Students are not always ready to dive deep right away, but we, the Youth Ministries team, have seen growth in students as our youth leaders come alongside them through this year.
Thank you for your support!
The fact that you are reading this now is a testament to how much you care about what God is doing in the lives of young people in Central Alberta. I feel so blessed to be able to share about the events of this year and I look forward to the next chapter in the ongoing journey of youth here at Crossroads Church.
Pastor Josh
