I’d like to begin this article by sharing with you a brief, yet true, story. There once was a teenager whose life was changed when he decided to give God one last chance before giving up on faith completely. This young man, an upperclassman at a nearby private school, decided that his best chance to allow God to make His presence known was through joining his local youth group.
Once there, he made authentic new friendships; an under- standing that there was more to life than just performance and success; and most importantly, he met adult mentors who believed in God’s purpose for him. That teenager was me... not so long ago. Now, it is my great desire for our teens to know just how important they are to the Church! It is also my desire to seek out those adults in our community who believe in our teens in just the same way.
As we prepare for the upcoming year for our EDGE, Life Teen, and Confirmation Preparation ministries, I am seeking to recruit a team of adults who are ready to get out of the “comfort zone,” meet our teens where they’re at, and show them that their lives can be so much more. It doesn't matter if you are a young adult or a young-at-heart adult, or what reserva- tions you have ministering to teens; if you love God, you love your Church, and you are open to offering your presence to youth for 2-3 hours on Sundays, I would love to chat with you. I’ll even treat you to coffee while we’re at it. If you are reading this article, consider this a gentle “nudge” from the Holy Spirit.
To the parents of teens: I wish to thank you for all that you do to raise your kids in the life of the Church! I know it’s hard. STAY Ministry can help. As we prepare for our kick-off dates - Confirmation Info Session on September 9, 3pm-4pm at SAG and Life Teen and EDGE - September 24, 4pm-5:30pm at OLR. You may now register your youth directly on our website and get a glimpse of upcoming events. May the Lord bless you all as we begin another school year.