I came across this link on smallworld and bestsister's blogs some time ago now, but last night I was remembering my own youth group time and lamenting that things just don't seem to be the same anymore. 

My own youth group was something I pined over until I "came of age" to join.  You HAD to be in first year high school ... these days, youth group starts in grade six.  Grade six?  Come on ... what is "high school" about a bunch of eleven and twelve year olds? 

We didn't date in youth group either (though we talked about it a little), but the youth group my son went to talks about dating 101 ... they have too ... ovey 80% of the kids who attend are dating by the time they reach grade six (and doing more).

My youth group participated in youth choir, even singing Handel's Messiah once, and travelling with our Pastor to sing at congregations he was visiting preacher at, dramas (when my mom was the sunday school teacher), visiting shut-ins (who we sang for and baked goodies for)

group fasts, lock-ins at the church, volleyball tournaments with other kids from all over Ontario, mystery bike tours that often took us to Port , scavenger hunts, progressive dinners, skating and tobogganing parties, always a Superbowl party, movie marathons (where every parent knew what we would be watching because we actually asked permission), newspaper rolling, Reformation parties ...

Withe the exception of only two families, we all attended the same high school and sat with our families during service (every once in a while one could sit with a friend but if you were caught yaking instead of listening, the Pastor actually stopped the sermon until you noticed ... talk about embarassing).  In grades eight and nine, we also had to hand in our sermon notes at the end of the service.  Not an entirely bad idea.

I really enjoyed my youth group days and believe I would gladly send my boys to a group just like this one when they were high school age.  I am not against youth groups, I just don't think I get what's going on in most of them anymore. 

Posted by anotherblogonthefire

I noticed that the top picture has the paint-by-numbers-looking Jesus that was still there looking down on us when we cut our wedding cake.
Would He feel welcome at youth groups today?

Posted by JenIG

oh heavens to betsy... don't get me started on youth groups.

thankfully, you've provided plenty of extraordinary 80's pictures to keep me distracted and otherwise occupied.

Posted by bestsister

how many boys are adoringly flocked around you...and how it would have been fun to be in that group with you. I had the same bangs (two curls back, one curl forward, lots of hairspray). We spent most of our youth group sleep overs (co-ed at my house with my mom sleeping on the floor between the girl room and boy room) memorizing Janet Jackson choreography....I rocked.

Posted by ClagettsFLStyle

I went to youth group when I was younger, but I was the bad girl that seemed to always want to test the limits and drive the poor youth pastor crazy. Then when the Lord called me by name and I became born again, I worked in the youth group. I saw A LOT of things as a new mom too, that I wasn't real thrilled about going on in that youth group.

I could probably write a whole entry on this , and maybe I will one day, but I won't take up your blog to write about it. LOL.

My 2 princesses attend a youth group, but I truly love the youth pastors and my girls are being raised totally different then I was. So I think it's all a case to case basis. I don't think you can say no to youth groups across the board. We as parents just need to be involved and check it out AND pray about it to see if that's where God desires for our children to be.

Thanks for a great post to read.

Posted by PumpkinsMomma

I agree with the way your youth group did things. The youth groups now a days seem to be different then what we are comfortable with. I hope when our children are older that we can find a youth group that fits what we want our children to be involved in.
marie

Posted by QueenoftheHill

But I haven't seen anything like it since! I wonder why that is? We were constantly going on weekend basketball tournaments or big campouts and yes, you sat with your parents in church. At our current church, we do try to teach the kids to take notes, but it is an uphill swim with mine.

By the way, Port Stanley sure looks like a fabulous place to visit! The King and I spent some time in Portsmouth, NH, and Portland, ME, summer before last and it looks reminiscent of that. I imagine it so fresh and clean compared to our heavy heat and humidity.

I love your poetry, by the way.

Posted by AcceptanceWithJoy

I really, really struggle with the youth group question too. I had a wonderful experience in youth group. I had fun too, but we also... developed our gifts in the area of service. We sang at nursing homes. We had work days in the spring to help the older members of our congregation get their yard ready for summer. We planned and prepared services for the rescue mission.

Marissa has been given the list of questions I found at http://www.ylcf.org/newattitude/4-2/youth-groups.htm: Is the church youth group right for me. Right now she is not attending. It is hard because the church we attend is program driven... not participating in the programs is almost equivalent to not participating.

Posted by mommajo94

Yup, I was also the "bad girl" of the youth group. I got in trouble a lot with the other kids' parents. In fact, after my husband and I started dating (in my senior year) we used to go to youth group to score drugs. (WHAT???!!!) True story! But I, too, grew up and was rescued by Jesus - and I have to say, I'm not thrilled with the whole idea of youth groups, now that my son wants to join one. Many parents of unruly, misguided kids send them to church thinking to get them "fixed," not realizing that a little leaven leavens the whole lump; in the end, the youth pastors have to make so many concessions for those kids that the so-called "good" ones (for lack of a better term) get left in the dust when it comes to teaching, encouragement and wholesome fun.

Posted by kympossible

Aaaaahh... gotta love the 80s.

I think youth groups can be such a great tool to grab kids' hearts for the Lord, but it's a big challenge for youth pastors and leaders to not compromise. Because it's supposed to be fun - walking with the Lord is the biggest adventure any of us can be part of, and youth groups are too often - sadly - not getting that message across because they are settling for being just a "safe" place for kids to hang out. The church can and should do better than that. We should be calling out our young people to walk with God and accept the challenge of discipleship. Sports and silly fun is great, and should be part of the program, but the Kingdom has so much more to offer!

I am so thankful for a youth pastor that found that balance for our group when I was a teen. I was a troublemaker, but I needed to know that following Christ would not mean I'd become one of the "frozen chosen" that I saw in the adults of my church. We had a youth pastor and wife that were on fire for the Lord and they were more fun than anybody I knew. That made a huge difference to me.

Now I'm thankful for an awesome youth pastor and a balanced youth program at our church, because I know it is having a positive impact on my boys.

I'm so sad that there are so many youth groups that aren't offering much of lasting value to the kids they should be ministering to and training up.

Blessings,
Kym

Posted by mommajo94

I have actually been reconnecting with a lot of the kids from my high school youth group - apologizing and asking for forgiveness, too! If only I could remember what I was asking for forgiveness for...

I do credit my youth pastor and many of those kids (the blessed ones who were true Christlike examples) with the fact that when my life hit bottom, I knew where to go - to Christ. I will be forever grateful to them for sticking in my memory that way!

thanks for the fab blog!

~ Momma Jo