Hands-on youth ministry isn’t just for young(er) people.
When youth from First Lutheran Church in Taylor Falls, Minn., made plans to attend the Sonshine Christian Music Festival in Willmar, Minn. this summer, six self-described “seniors,” none of whom had teens involved, decided to come along. They wanted to provide a base camp, a safe place where the kids could hang out in between concerts. Their campsite in the parking lot of Willmar High School was half-way between the main concert setting and the general youth campground.
The adults cooked meals, handed out lots of bottles of water, and offered smiles, encouragement and listening ears to the teens who stopped by in between performances. Though the festival’s loud music might not have been their personal preference, the adults who went wrote in the First newsletter that “We went to some of the concerts and actually enjoyed them!” But more than that, they enjoyed getting to know the teens from their congregation, and let the kids know they cared about them.
Like most churches, First Lutheran encourages adults to be involved in youth activities. But they make those activities more accessible by listing specific ways adults can help out. A recent headline in their newsletter read “Looking for a way to get involved with our youth?” Below were listed eight different ideas, from chaperoning a youth outing, to offering rides to kids who need help getting to church activities, to picking pumpkins on a family fellowship outing. And by sharing the stories like the seniors’ trip to Sonshine, they remind the congregation that every member can make a difference in the life of a kid – and that no one is too old or too young to help pass on the faith.