Lisa Witherspoon, Director of Children & Youth Ministry
Youth E- Note April 2025
One of our students’ favorite things we do is Breakfast Club at Chick Fil A. Even at 7:15 on a Wednesday or Thursday morning, they show up. Maybe it’s for the fellowship. Maybe it’s for the devotion. Maybe (probably) it’s for the chicken minis! When one of those Wednesdays also happened to fall on Ash Wednesday, we invited the high schoolers to join the middle schoolers and they all showed up. Newton & Jill showed up, too, to impose ashes on foreheads and hands. Then, the kids went to their respective schools with visible signs of their faith for others to see.
When one of our recent confirmands requested a baptism by immersion because it was an important part of his family history and his faith foundation, we talked to Jill, Donna made some calls, and our friends at First Baptist allowed us to use their baptistery one Sunday afternoon. The student’s friends and fellow confirmands showed up. Parents, confirmation mentors, and worship committee members showed up. It was a powerful, meaningful experience for everyone.
We have a new tradition of inviting 8th graders to join high schoolers for a cookout during the last youth group session of the year. We talk to the high schoolers about being inclusive and welcoming, reminding them that they were the “new kids” not so long ago. That Sunday rolled around a few weeks ago and the 8th graders showed up but so did the high schoolers. They played basketball together, had conversations, shared a meal, and discussed our Easter faith.
More and more, I’m realizing that one of the most important things about youth ministry is simply showing up. It’s being present to play silly games, have deep conversations, and share meals. It’s the showing up that lets kids know they matter, assures them that they are loved, and gives their faith roots so it can continue to grow.
Over FPC’s history, so many people have shown up for our youth to love them and nurture their faith. Many of those people are still showing up and many of the youth they have nurtured over the years are now showing back up with their own young children.
We have spent the past several months remembering all the ways FPC has shown up for our community, for worship, and for each other over the past 200 years. As we look toward the future, my prayer is that we will keep showing up, in big ways and small ways, for our children, our youth, our community, and our family of faith.
