How To Help Your Students Find Faith Beyond Youth Group
Kara Powell , Jen Bradbury & Brad Griffin
When one high school girl went home after each Sunday ’ s youth night at her Catholic parish , she eagerly told her family that she felt God speaking to her through the prayers and discussions . Based on the change he saw in his daughter , her dad decided to return to mass . Her youth leader reflected , “ God transformed her heart , not just for herself , but now she ’ s bringing so many other people to God with such a humble , joyful spirit .” For this girl , what happened at youth group did not stay at youth group . It transformed her life and her family .
For a handful of students from a different church , when a friend of a friend made a joke about George Floyd ’ s 2020 murder , rather than just let it go , they felt it was so wrong that they spoke up . Later , they started a group on social media to proclaim , “ These things are inappropriate . As a generation we need to put a stop to this .” For this small group ,
what happened at youth group did not stay at youth group . Instead , convictions formed in their ministry empowered teenagers to live out their faith all week long .
When a teenager felt God calling her to focus on justice issues but her family did not support her , she started regularly texting questions to her youth pastor . Those conversations equipped her to speak up for herself and respectfully tell her parents why justice ministry was important to her . What happened at youth group did not stay at youth group . Instead , her youth ministry gave her the courage to use her voice in new ways outside of youth group .
In each of these stories , a young person lived out Jesus ’ goodness every day by loving God and their neighbors . That ’ s character . In each of these stories , a teenager demonstrated
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