Youth Formation at Christ Church
You who are young, be happy while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. – Ecclesiastes 11:9
How can young people keep their way pure? By guarding it according to your word. – Psalm 119:9
One of the great joys of being a youth minister, or volunteer youth leader, is getting to see and remember the joy of youth, which the writer of Ecclesiastes recognizes as a blessing from God. Another great joy is knowing that the Lord blesses these young men and women through faithful older brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers in the faith. Youth ministry exists to encourage students to keep their way pure by guarding their hearts according to God’s written word, Scripture, and his living word, Jesus. There are few things quite as rewarding as the moments when we get to see the Spirit of God moving a young person’s heart with the knowledge of his love for them.
Youth group at CCA consistently provides middle and high school students with opportunities for deep conversations about God, the Bible, cultural happenings, and following Jesus faithfully. We also regularly provide opportunities to participate in meaningful service trips, community projects, and adventurous trips together. This year, in addition to these regular opportunities, we also have seven students attending our teen confirmation class. Please pray for them as they are prayerfully seeking the Lord’s will about their potential confirmation in 2024.
Our Lord is always faithful, and that most definitely includes his goodness to CCA youth ministry. He has done so much for us since CCA began. He continues to provide faithful and kind volunteers to invest in the lives and faith of our teens. By His grace, students who attend on Sunday morning are growing in their knowledge of His redemptive work throughout Scripture. On Wednesday evenings the Lord has provided a great opportunity for us to eat and talk with all ages before breaking into groups for more fun and good lessons on following the Lord as middle and high school students. He has also blessed us with so many other good things, like our friendship with the youth at Living Faith Anglican, trips to serve in Mexico, service opportunities right here in Maricopa County, and our retreat to Camp Glorieta.
For this coming year, 2023-2024, we would love to continue doing everything we’ve been able to do this last year. One new thing we’re hoping for this year is to expand our connection with other DWA youth groups for our 2024 summer trip. Another interesting change this year is that our trip to serve in Mexico will be with a different organization this year, i6eight. These service trips always point to the Lord’s goodness to us and provide a truly meaningful time together for our youth and every member of CCA who attends the trips.
Some of the things we need for 2024 to continue offering and improving all these opportunities for our youth are:
● Your continued prayer for our youth, their families, and our youth leaders. Please especially pray for the youth to deeply know and trust in Christ our Lord.
● More youth leaders for Sundays, Wednesdays, and special events.
● Students to attend programs and events as often as possible to increase the fun and friendship opportunities for everyone.
● Your continued financial support through regular giving and special events like the Shrove Tuesday dinner. Also, scholarships for the big trips and retreats are almost always needed and greatly appreciated.
● Faithful CCA adults to make an effort to get to know our teens. Fuller Youth Institute found this in their research: “By far, the number one way churches made the teens in our survey feel welcomed and valued was when adults in the congregation showed an interest in them. More than any program or event, what made kids more likely to feel like a significant part of their local church was when adults made the effort to get to know them.”
Fr. John Laffoon