“What changes do you want to see happen with youth group?” I asked this question of the two teen representatives who were a part of the search committee during my interview. Expecting an answer like “attract more kids from other churches” or “more trips to Cedar Point”, I was surprised by their thoughtful response. “We want deeper relationships.” Wow. God, might I be as mature and vulnerable as these two teen sages sitting before me. As a mom of two teens, I know the constant tension of desiring a happiness for my kids that our world tells us is accessible through iPhone 6’s and Top Thrill Dragster rides and the relational, life-giving message in the gospel that prioritizes community: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” One pursuit leads toward abundant life, the other towards emptiness and disappointment, if it is placed in the wrong order of priorities. We like things. Things can be great. However life comes from loving our God and then each other. Even our kids know this.
So in light of this Godly desire that our teens at Hope Church have, I want Fish Club and High Hopes to be a place where deeper relationship is the goal; whether we are laughing during a scavenger hunt or crying in the shared pain of another, let us strive towards deeper, more vulnerable relationships. First, joining with a God who pursues us with more G force than any coaster Cedar Point can offer and then with each other, as we learn to love each other in the way Jesus loves the church. With our sponsorship teams, I will be prioritizing devotional and sharing time with our youth to ensure that youth group is a place where they can know and be known. I invite you to pray for God’s formational work to be done among us this year, so that we might be ready for any roller coaster life might throw our way.
–Beth Jarvis, Youth Ministry Director