Don’t Cancel Youth Group Yet

From my article Don’t Cancel Youth Group Yet at RootedMinistry.com:

I remember my high school youth group with fondness. Death-defying games, sitting legs-crossed on Berber carpet, acoustic guitars and songs sung in a round, overhead slides slid the wrong way, worn out back pocket Bibles…these images stir my heart as much as they cause me to grin and chuckle.

Most of the lessons I heard then I’ve forgotten now, but I still remember the godly leaders who invested in me. I still remember pivotal moments where my fledging faith leaped forward with deeper understanding and new commitment. I loved my youth group.

I loved my church, too. I did not always understand what the senior pastor was saying, but I knew it was important and I listened as best as I could. Youth group and “big church” intertwined to profoundly shape my spiritual journey. I never saw one as a threat to the other. The two were a powerful combination.

But maybe I was wrong. I know some people think so…

Read the whole thing here.