On Sunday nights a small group of teenagers and adult volunteers gather together in the Plymouth Church gym. Sometimes we eat pizza and talk about prayer. Sometimes we have burritos and play basketball. Sometimes we dine on spaghetti and do a service project.  No matter what we eat or what we do, the Plymouth Church youth group meets regularly to know God, grow together and live out our faith.

I have enjoyed being with the Plymouth’s youth each week. Teenagers are entertaining people. We laugh a lot. We share stories. We make memories.

Here are some of my favorite memories from our youth group so far:

• James teaching me how to play Stratego at The Brooklyn Strategist (and watching him revel as he proceeded to kick my behind in the game)
• Holding hands in silent prayer with Brian, Freja and Aaron in front of the Reception Room fireplace
• Cason playing corn-hole with Edith Bartley
• Wilsie making slime with Dick Yancey
• Amelia giving a thoughtful, spirit-filled answer to “Why should we still pray if it doesn’t change our circumstances?”
• Clay teaching me how to play basketball
• Melanie making a ginormous Christmas cookie which took forever to bake in the church oven
• Anaya and Daisaya talking about the ins and outs of middle school as we walked down Cranberry Street
• Noah enthusiastically collecting trash in Harry Chapin park
• Starr and Martin’s kindness and patience when I stressed out over our dinner order not arriving
• Being envious of Ayo’s boundless energy walking back from the movie theater
• Natalia, Lulia and Charlie leading the Christmas Eve family worship
• Everyone asking “Where’s Calder?” and cheering when she comes to youth group late from swim practice
• Lulu patiently helping her sister when her orthodontics malfunctioned at our Christmas party
• Being inspired by Lucy’s passion for gun safety in America
• Bringing the entire youth group to Avery’s house after her surgery
• Robert doing a cartwheel in Beecher Garden
• Being moved by Owen’s intelligence and honesty
• Living vicariously through Kalia’s recent adventures
• Kai’s agility and strength on the ropes course at the church retreat
• Paul and Matthew asking difficult theological questions (which I am still unable to answer)
• Coming to know Emily’s deep desire to own fuzzy slippers during our White Elephant gift exchange at Christmas

Adult Christians often ask the question “What impact does the church have on the lives of young people?”

My experience with the Plymouth youth group has me asking different question: “What impact do young people have on the life of the church?”

Thanks be to God for the youth group here at Plymouth. These young people make the church a better place, and me a better pastor.