Kelley Woggon - Youth investment

What parent of a teenager wouldn’t want to hear these words:  of course we want to go to church tonight!  That is what I hear from my two girls all the time. The thought of having to miss a single event that happens for the youth group is unthinkable to them.  It often feels cliche to say that the young people are the future of the church, but we know that, in fact, they are.  So the investment that we are making right now in our youth group is some of the best ways that we can use the ministry money of the church. 

            As I write this my girls are with the youth in Georgia at Passport.  Sending a group of nearly 50 away for a week is not an inexpensive undertaking but is worth every  penny.  It is the absolute highlight of Hannah and Erin’s entire year!  I think it surpasses Christmas.  There they experience fun and inspirational worship experiences, Bible study, mission work of some sort and lots of joy and laughter.  They also learn that we, their church family, want them to have that experience of camp because we have supported them in their fundraisers all year and helped to make it possible. 

            By supporting the youth ministry of our church we make it possible for them to do a variety of activities together that forge life long friendships and positive experiences of what being church is, what being Christian means in the treacherous world in which they are growing up.  They have an amazing youth lounge to come to and be together.  They know that the adults of the church wanted them to have a place they could call their own.

            Finally, the most visible way that our ministry dollars are at work is through the day to day ministry of Jason Crosby.  As we, as a larger church family of Americans and immigrants seek to understand one another better, Jason is an inspiration.  He knows the names and family connections of all young people in the church.  I am grateful to Jason for the ways that he is helping my girls walk in the way of Jesus.

(If you have ideas for a future article, please contact Anne-Britton Arnett at 896-2337.)