Helping Students Build Relationships - Madi Prentice

This past Sunday, when Middle schoolers were dismissed after worship to come down the hall, 23 students poured into the meeting room to eat some snacks, play games and talk about Jesus. In that room, there were kids who had never walked through those doors before, those invited by a friend, and those who feel like Hope City is a second home to them. There are kids who don’t remember a time before knowing about Jesus and those who just recently got their first Bible and are beginning their journey with Him. 

Last summer, on a Sunday morning, I met a high school student who had attended a camp with a friend and decided she wanted to follow Jesus. She walked into Hope City on her own because she had a fun week with her friends and leaders, which led to her trusting them enough to go deep, and she decided that she wanted to follow Jesus. That decision brought her to show up at a church in her neighborhood where she could continue to take steps of faith. 

No matter a student's background or understanding of Jesus, everyone wants to have fun. I would argue that fun is often the first step of discipleship because fun leads to trust, which leads to depth. That’s why we do events like student game nights, retreats, and camps for both middle and high schoolers. Students engage in fun experiences with leaders they can trust and are invited to take a step deeper into their walk with Jesus. 

This isn’t just true for students. Have you ever been in a new group that skipped all the get-to-know-you questions and went straight to the deep topics? It can feel uncomfortable because fun can be a natural path to deep conversations.

If you want to help a middle or high school student have a unique opportunity for fun and depth at the students retreat next month or camp in the summer, you can give in the “HCC Student Scholarships Donation” box on the Give Page of our website, or send me an email to find out more about the different opportunities to serve with our middle and high school students.

 

Madi Prentice 
Hope City Church | Student Ministry Director