Why work with youth?
A good friend of mine who works closely with her youth group
told me that she gets irked every time she hears someone talk about how today’s
youth are “the future of the church.” At first I was puzzled: Isn’t it good to
focus on the next generation, to help them grow inward and outward? Then she
explained that the idea, while well-meaning, overlooks the fact that teenagers
are valuable members of the church right
now, and that their contribution to the Kingdom of God is just as
worthwhile as anyone else’s.
When I thought more about it, I realized her analysis was
spot on. Is there another demographic in the American church today as
consistently active in outreach as teenagers? They are, in general of course,
much more willing and able to give of their time to volunteer for a service
project, attend a conference, invite their friends and classmates to church, go
on a missions trip, and bust out of their comfort zones than most adults. In
many cases, teenagers aren’t the future of the church, they are
the church. They are a wellspring of enthusiasm and energy, and they are open
to trying new things and getting deeper with God.
That is “why youth.”
We want to provide an outlet for teenagers, college students, and adults to test God out in the city and see what He has for them there, to see what they can learn from Him, to see new missions and methods for themselves.
