Caroline Newbold

Young men and women, old and young together; let them praise the name of the Lord   Psalm 148
 
Since Chris Willis left I have been acting as interim youth worker and it’s been an interesting experience for me.  I have worked with young people in different ways over the years but never using video conferencing, so it’s been a steep learning curve! I’d like to share two things that motivate me in this ministry and help me persevere when things are not straight forward.

The first thing is remembering that each young person is made in the image of God and is infinitely precious to him.  He longs for them to have a relationship with him.
The second is that they are an integral part of the church family and, we all have a role in encouraging them.

There can sometimes be an expectation that when young people reach secondary school age they are bound to drop out of church but this needn’t be the case!   I’m proud that, unlike some churches, we do have a group of young people at St Stephen’s,  and several of them contribute their gifts to the church as a whole; for example in the worship band and with children’s groups. 

I acknowledge that young people can sometimes seem intimidating. Perhaps you feel you don’t know how to talk to them, that their life is so different from yours at that age.  It doesn’t matter! Pray for them, show an interest, get to know their parents, learn their names and use them!  

Young people are trying to establish their identity and dealing with all sorts of conflicting emotions and influences, never more so than at the moment; let’s support them with friendship and prayer and do what we can to help them explore their faith and develop their gifts, and ensure that they all feel a valued part of our church family.
 
Prayer:   Thank you Lord for the young people at St Stephen’s.  Please help them cope with the stresses caused by the disruption to their education and friendships that they have experienced recently, and give them hope for the future; help them trust that you have a plan for their lives and will not desert them.

Prayer request:  For young people whose exams were cancelled this year; for them to be able to manage the disappointment and uncertainty that has caused.  Also for their teachers and parents at this time.