1. Youth Group is not about you, but it is for you.

• Our faith is not a means to an end; it is a part of us. Jesus was selfless, and he is our model. 
• Other people come to Youth Group too. If I’m only thinking about my friends and myself, I don’t make time or space to think about others.
• Some weeks I may not really love what we’re doing, but it is still important for me to be there, and it is important for me to remember and respect that somebody else really needs the program that week.

2. It’s Okay To Not Be Okay

• No one is perfect. Not even Sam and Nicole! We all make mistakes, feel inadequate, and have pain in our lives.
• Even so, we aren’t meant to live in that pain forever. There is goodness, and God is kind.

3. God calls us to love of neighbor. This means everyone.

• This means going out of our way to show people we care about them.

• Spreading rumors, gossip, and bullying will undermine everything we do here. It only takes one person to disrupt the whole group.
• Even conflict can be handled with love. Before we do or say something hurtful, maybe some time and space will help us to put things in
• perspective. IF I can’t handle a conflict on my own, we have sponsors and leaders who are impartial and ready to help mediate.

4. Youth Group is a safe place to grow your faith

• If someone lets down their guard and shares something, the biggest service we can provide is listening.
• Quick judgments about others can be harmful.
• What is shared at youth group is confidential. The only exceptions are instances where you or someone else is in danger.
• All perspectives are welcome. Jesus didn’t turn people away.

5. Age Isn’t Always Wisdom

• We all have wisdom, and we’re all experts on our own lives. While we generally have more wisdom as we continue to age high schoolers are not necessarily better or smarter or above middle schoolers. We all have something to contribute.

 6. We were all strangers once

• All of us were once first time visitors. Who welcomed you? Would you have stayed if you didn’t find a place to belong?

7. It is important that I show up to youth group.

• If you’re not at youth group, we notice and we miss you.
• Someone else might have really needed to see you that week.
• Sam and Nicole spend a lot of time planning and organizing events each week. If attendance is low, plans fall through. Attendance also affects the experience of those who did make the time to come.

8. Being here is not the same as being present.

• If you’re here, but you are not participating or not engaged, you will miss out on something.
• To get the most out of youth group means offering your honest input as well as listening to what others have to share.
• Turn your phone off if you can’t ignore it.

9. Youth group is a place to unwind and have fun.

• When you come here we want you to enjoy it. By having fun together we find common ground and it makes it that much easier to be authentic with one another.

10. Youth group is a commitment.

• We are all busy and have difficult schedules to manage. We understand when things get tough. However, if youth group is important to you, we hope you will make the time to be here. Sometimes this means missing something else, or planning ahead. 

Sam Hastings

Director of Youth Ministry