I got to lead Youth Group today after church. It's not something that the pastor usually gets a chance to do. Being with young people is my happy place.
I haven't had a chance to work with youth of any age for quite some time. I think the last time I did was well before COVID - when I worked at Monte Toyon (Methodist Summer Camp) for a week. It was life affirming to be with these 8 youth today, laughing, playing games, and asking deep questions.
I once had a teacher tell me that everyone needs a mentor who is younger than they are. There is so much we can learn from our young people, but so often, we are afraid of what they might say. We don't always understand them and put their views as lower than others because they are young and inexperienced.
While it is true, they are young, I would say that inexperienced is the wrong word for our youth. They have had many other experiences that we may never have had. We have a great deal that we can learn from them because of their experiences, just like they can learn from us because of ours.
Today, we had a simple feast of Tacos, played a game to get to know each other and break the ice, had an activity about noticing God, and talked about what they would like the path of Youth
I asked them to leave me with their questions, so I can prepare for our upcoming meetings to address them. I am in awe of some of the areas these youth are so curious about. Here are just a few:
I want to know more about the bible and its history.
What is the difference between the different denominations of
Christianity? What's the difference between Methodism and Catholicism?
Why do we lower our heads to pray?
Do all Methodist Churches have an inclusivity statement?
Why church - meaning why did church start? How did it start?
Wish me luck as I bring information forward for us to digest as well as learning from these great young people.
Blessings.