Faith Footprints: What Makes Youth Group Special

I truly believe my time at Good Shepherd has thoroughly shaped me as a person, and even more so the high school ministry. When I started regularly coming to youth group, I would only go on one condition. I had to have a confirmed “Yes, I’m going to youth group too” from at least 3 of my friends. There was no way on earth I was going to hop into a car to head over without those confirmation texts!

But over time, I noticed something miraculous happened every time I attended youth group – I’d walk in with my friends – but walk out with someone new. Each time I came, I never only spent time with with the friends that I came with, instead it was someone a little bit new to me, a little bit different – definitely not the same people I texted.

Maybe I met them through the walkie talkies Sarah sends us on or maybe we were on the same team for a scavenger hunt or game. I really think this is what is so special about youth group. Through the experiences we share and the stories we hear, it’s easy for us to connect with one another.

Church has become an amazing space for us, as high schoolers to learn about God with friends, and I cherish it deeply. Nowadays when I come to youth group, I have no idea who’s going to be there because I never send those texts anymore. And yet I still manage to learn, grow, and have fun, and that’s why you can find me sitting front row every Sunday night at Good Shepherd, and why you should try it out too.