Since its founding, Westminster has been a school that prioritizes participating in church and going to youth groups. Lots of students participate in youth groups with their friends and people from their churches. Some students form their friend groups around people they have known from church their whole life, because they have made a really special bond over the years.
Youth groups are a great place to connect spiritually and socially with people from your church, and possibly from your school. If you meet someone at Westminster who regularly attends a youth group at their church it is very possible they will invite you to join them one evening. It’s such a fun way to connect and spend time learning about God with your peers, while playing games together.
At youth groups we take a break from our weekly lives filled with homework and school activities to connect with the Lord and learn lessons from leaders that we can implement as practice in our daily lives as teenagers. It also is a chance where as an upper classman you can participate in being a mentor and friend to younger students. Leah Bruce, a Freshman at Westminster, talks about the positive experience she has had attending Central Presbyterian’s youth group and Sunday school:
“I look forward to both the Sunday school and youth group. I enjoy it a lot. It’s another way to get closer to God, and it’s like another group of friends I have. It’s nice because I feel very comfortable sharing spiritual struggles around them because everyone’s so close. I know most people pretty well, actually. We don’t have a huge group of people, so it’s easier to get to know everyone, and like, it’s such a nice community. Everyone’s really nice. So it’s easier to talk to people.”
Learning to share your struggles and thoughts with others in a church setting is very important to your spiritual life. It opens doors for you that may have stayed shut, such as learning to identify when you’re struggling with your sin or your mental health. People really learn how to care for each other without judgement in these situations. Learning to share your struggles and thoughts with others in a church setting is very important to your spiritual life. It opens doors for you that may have stayed shut, such as learning to identify when you’re struggling with your sin or your mental health. People really learn how to care for each other without judgement in these situations.
Sam says this about living life and doing school and youth groups. “I think we try to provide a space for them to escape the rat race of junior high and high school. Life is so stressful. Teenagers nowadays are filling their schedule in addition to school with sports and clubs and all the other things. And I think that it’s good to have a space where you don’t need to perform. You can come and just receive grace. You can connect with the Lord. You can spend time with other people who aren’t expecting you to be a certain way, but you can just come and be yourself and sit at the feet of Jesus and hopefully be refreshed.”
Sam and other youth pastors have helped make differences in the lives of so many other kids who have given themselves to the Lord because of their teachings. As youth pastors they learn that people want someone who they can relate to and have fun with, but they also understand how hard it is to struggle and they are eager to help.
