5 Reasons Your Middle Schooler Should Join Youth Group (Even When You’re A Busy Mom)
Have you ever thought and wondered about why your middle schooler should join youth group? Let me start this by saying that I wish I would have joined some type of youth group growing up! I was in Sunday school, but it’s nothing like what I see in our oldest daughter’s youth group! I have great memories growing up in my faith, and I am so grateful for them. I actually had a babysitter from Ethiopia when I was around that age and my best memories with her were at the church, and then after Church on Sundays she’d always take me to McDondald’s. Good times!
Now that I have my own children, I never really thought about them joining youth group until the opportunity became available for our middle schooler. Of course, as soon as we knew our daughter wanted to join, we were all for it. I couldn’t think of a better opportunity for her to learn and grow in her faith!
I’m going to list some important reasons why your middle schooler should join youth group and why you should consider it!
1- Connection
No matter what age you are, connection is a huge part of life. It’s how we learn how to communicate with the world. It’s how we learn to communicate with others and learn more about ourself in the process.
It’s so important that kids can have peers to communicate with! And It makes for a wonderful conversation when they come home! And not only are they connecting with other peers and other adults, but they are making the BEST connection of all…God!
Also, not only are they building important connections with peers, but they’re having important conversations with peers who BELIEVE the same thing that they do! They have a common thread, God! As mothers, it’s so important that our kids have good friends. What’s even more amazing is when those friends know and love God, too!
2- Being With Peers
It warms my heart every time I see my daughter talking to someone from youth group, and she talks about them all the time. I don’t necessarily get to see it at youth group, but my daughter is also on the worship team as well, and seeing her with her peers and seeing her learning and growing has been so powerful.
It is so important to connect and be with peers! This sets them up to make new friends, all while being in prayer, and learning about God in the process!
3- It Builds Confidence
The way our daughter’s confidence has grown has been incredible to witness since joining youth group. She was never exactly shy, but at the same time, she has always needed a little push at times. She has grown so much and has displayed a great amount of confidence since being in youth group! She wants to lead worship one day. How amazing is that!
She dances, plays games, speaks out loud, shares ideas. She also is getting ready to start singing for youth group and it gets her so excited to talk about! That is another thing…she LOVES talking about youth group. She loves telling her relatives about it when they call and ask what’s new.
We recently threw a surprise birthday party for her and before her birthday, all she talked about was wanting to invite a few friends from youth group. These kids dropped what they were doing on a Saturday afternoon to come and support her at the VERY last minute! It’s truly so amazing that she has built such strong friendships!
4- Independence
Our daughter has definitely become more independant since being in youth group! In addition to getting older and having more responsibility, she has truly grown in that way. The youth group takes a yearly trip out of state and that is just all in all incredible. Unfortunately, due to COVID, she wasn’t able to go in 2020 but we have high hopes for 2021! I am hoping she’ll get to experience it in such a way that it transforms and changes her life!
We have been going to our church now for almost 5 years, and every year we have watched the testimonies of the kids as they come back from their trip. I sat in awe every single year as much as I didn’t want her to grow up, I was so excited for her to be able to go on the trip!
When she came back from her first virtual conference, she did get up in front of our church and give her testimony. It was so beautiful. She had no hesitations and went right along with the lead youth group leaders. It was truly amazing!
5- Fun & New Opportunities
It goes without saying that she has so much fun! They do TikToks, silly videos, silly games, listen to Christian music, but really they just honestly enjoy each other’s company. Every time I pick her up she always has a funny story! They sing, dance, and get in the word.
Being in youth group has brought so many new opportunities for our oldest daughter! She is on the worship team, she helps out upstairs with the younger kids’ Sunday school, in addition to being in youth group. She has big goals of being a youth group leader and leading worship! I have always told her that she can do anything she wants to do!
I hope this made you more confident to let your middle schooler to go youth group! You won’t regret it! If you’re looking for even more reasons why middle schoolers going to youth group is so important, you’d be interested to read this!
