Why Does Youth Collective Matter?
Students are facing more and more challenges each day. Alcohol and drug use, sexuality and gender confusion, pornography, bullying, social media influence, hook-up culture, depression, anxiety, and suicide are just a handful of the things students in middle and high school face every day. Students need to know they are not alone during times of trial. Youth Collective is a safe space and community to wrestle with whatever they might be going through. Collective knows Jesus is what students need to walk through life. Having a relationship with Him, and a supportive community, is what makes Youth Collective matter.
What Does a Typical Wednesday Night Look Like?
A typical Wednesday night starts with dinner, hanging out, and playing some games together. We then have our Large Group, which is a chance for all the students to get a refresher and reflect on what was talked about in the teaching on Sunday. After that, we go into our Small Groups that meet by age and gender (Middle School Girls, Middle School Boys, High School Girls, and High School Boys). In Small Groups, the students get to discuss, learn, and grow together. Each Small Group has an adult leader that guides the discussion and cares for the students.
Why Sermon Based Discussion?
Each week at Youth Collective we have discussions based on the sermon teaching from the Sunday before. Every adult group at Collective has the same discussion as well. This gives students and their parents the opportunity to hear and be talking about the same things in their groups. This makes conversation for parents easier because everyone is discussing the same topic.
What Can I Do to Better Lead My Student?
With all of these challenges, the world does not make it easy for students. However, you (parents) have a powerful and unique opportunity to have a relationship with your teenager. In a small survey of graduating seniors done in the book Sticky Faith, it was shown that out of all the groups of support these students received, parents rank number one. Your relationship with your child is just as important to them as it is to you, even when it does not seem like it. So, how do we influence our children to grow in their relationship with Jesus, to take next steps in their faith, and to continue this through their life?
Ask Questions: After church on Sunday, ask them, “What did you learn from the teaching today? When you pick them up from their small groups, ask them, “What did you talk about tonight?” These questions seem small, but they are the tip of the iceberg to bigger conversations with your kids. They only get 25-35 minutes of teaching on Sunday’s and about 40 minutes of discussion time on Wednesdays. Most of their time is with you.
Lead By Example: Your teenagers pick up from your spiritual disciplines. They will most likely model what practices and steps you take. If you are consistently taking notes in service, they’re more likely to. If you are taking time to read your Bible and pray consistently, they’re more likely to. If you are giving and explaining what it means to be generous, they’re more likely to take on that practice. The bottom line is always keep growing and taking steps yourself. When you take the time, your kids will notice and hopefully they will model it.
Make Faith A Priority: We know that schedules are busy and families have a lot going on but making Sunday morning and Youth Collective a priority will have a larger impact on their faith, emotional and mental health, and their growth than most of the things that we prioritize. This matters too much to not do the hard work to get to Collective on Sundays and to Youth Collective on Wednesday nights