I really enjoy interacting with teenagers and spending time with them. So one of the areas I help out with at Church, is the teen youth group. It is run by a married couple at our Church that were also my teen youth leaders growing up. They are both mature Christians and truly have a gift with inspiring younger people and teaching them God’s truth.

My part in all this is usually in organizing games and helping with the worship, but my main focus is getting to know the teens better and building a stronger relationship with them. Sometimes it may seem hard to really connect with younger people in just a few hours of interacting with them, but I am glad to see that as time passes along we are starting to feel more comfortable and open with each other. Some of them have come to trust me and ask my advice on personal issues so I am trying to be there for them as best as I can.

Some teens that attend are from the Church but a lot of them come from different backgrounds. Many of them bring friends along so it’s always really nice seeing new faces and meeting new people.

The character of the youth group is a right balance, in my opinion, of challenging people who already have a relationship with Christ to grow, but also explaining things in such a way that even if someone who doesn’t have that relationship can still feel comfortable asking questions and voicing their opinion in search for answers, without feeling judged or looked down upon.

Even though not all the teens might be friends between them, they still get along just fine with everyone else and work in a friendly spirit and so I think that is one of the main reasons the teens feel comfortable coming and even bringing friends along.

My prayer is that all of us who help with the teenagers, will be Christ-like examples for the kids to follow but also people that they can trust and feel comfortable coming to and sharing about their lives.