This week, I'm letting Lisa Pritchard pass along some helpful truths about our youth, who are the church of tomorrow and the church of today.  Let's support them and love them.

My husband Bill and I have had the pleasure of working with our high school youth for over two years and, boy, has it been a roller coaster ride! They are loud!  Their humor can be questionable!  But, the most important thing you need to know is that they are wonderful!  These kids are the cream of the crop, and there are some things about them that I really wanted you to know. So, I thought I'd tackle a lot of the myths that surround youth in the church.
1- The youth can be disrespectful.  Despite what many people think, this is really not true. Disrespect has to be purposeful, and they absolutely never mean to show disrespect.  If they happen to have a piece of candy during worship, or neglect to take off their hats, it is NOT because they don't care.  Their version of respect to God may just not be the same as others.
2- The youth don't care about worship. Nothing could be further from the truth! What is true is that they don't sit well for long periods of time, and in all honesty, a great deal of adults don't either. They may write on the bulletins during church, but that doesn't mean they're not listening.  Many people learn better when they're keeping their hands busy, and it's often a matter of diverse learning styles.  Truthfully, the kids want to get more involved in worship!  Some of them want to read scriptures for worship, others want to participate in dra

matic skits and they all want to be part of the worship experience.  Their growing faiths are strong, and they want to share in Christian fellowship with you all as well.
3- They just want to have fun. Of course, there's a grain of truth in that.  Heck, I want to have fun!  Anybody who knows me can tell you that.  However, I'm a very serious Christian as well.  That's what I want you to know about these kids.  These kids have JOY and PASSION!  They come to Sunday school to have fun, but they really get into serious topics like the study of world religions and what it means to be a Christian.  Many of these kids are here for Sunday school, church, Youth Group and Wednesday night activities!  Did you know the kids want to find ways to serve others in the church?  They have some great ideas like using umbrellas to help people to and from their cars on rainy days or assisting greeters in the mornings, among many others.  And they will have fun while they do it.  Why not?  As someone we know said, "The joy of the Lord is our strength."
I could truthfully go on for hours, because one of my passions is to let you all know that what we have is wonderful and that we should treasure these future church leaders.  We also need to do everything we can to encourage them; let them get out of the box a little!  Just like the world around us, the church is evolving, and these kids are going to be on the cutting edge.  Take the time today, and every day, to let them know that you're glad they're here.  They may dress funny, talk funny, and act funny, but they belong to us, and we love them!