How to Help Your Church as a Teenager!

 

I'm excited to announce that for this post, my sister Callie will be helping me.

Silas- Blue

Callie-Red

Our family started a church over 10 years ago and it has been growing ever since! Today, I wanted to give everyone 5 different tips on helping your church as a teenager. And we wanted to post from the viewpoint of being a pastor's kid. I believe that teens in churches have the power to "make or brake it", as they say. Teens are one of the most vital people groups in the church and are the next generation of Christians. But how can we help our church and actually make a difference? I hope to answer that question today by giving these 5 tips on how to help your church!

But before we begin, I want Callie to say something about herself.

Hey! My name is Callie and I am Silas's sister. I hope you enjoy this post, and I am really looking forward to talking about this vital subject with Silas. Teens have a greater power in their church than they realize and the key is in the 5 things we will be talking about. I look forward to sharing them with you!

1. Be There.

Being there is so crucial! How can your pastor and youth pastor be encouraged if you don't show up? Make it a priority! Even if it's not required, go above and beyond. God can't move in your life if you don't make yourself available!

This point is more important than the other points because if you're not there, then you can never help your church. And what does being there even mean? It means being there early! Don't be one of the guys who forgets or is late because they were playing one last minute of their video game. Be there for any extra meetings. This is such an encouragement, not only to your pastor and youth pastor, but also to the other church members. 

2. Be Excited

Girls, I know with us, it can be easy to be excited about things like makeup or nails, but we need to start channeling our hype toward things that matter more in the long run! If you teen director plans a teen activity you are not looking forward to, be excited anyways! Don't complain about it to others. It's a big help when others see the next generation excited about the things of God!

Next is being excited. Its easy for us guys to be distracted about whatever happened that day and come in to church dis-interested and are ready for the service to end. We should instead come to church and ( this is gonna be hard) but smile. Have enthusiasm and excitement that you are in the house of God with other people and you get to worship your redeemer and the King of Kings!! Don't sit in the back. Get as close as you can to the working of God. Sing with all of your heart and earnestly listen to the preaching. EXCITEMENT is a MINDSET! If you enter your church doors mopey, you will leave mopey. if you come dis-interested, you will leave dis-interested. Being excited is a choice you have to make before you make a difference in your Church.

3. Be Friendly.

This can be easy for us guys not to do. We come into church, find our Group and leave everyone else alone. Don't do that! Greet any visitors that come to church. Especially young people. According to a statistic, teenagers are 60% more likely to come back if they are greeted by someone their age. If you want the church your at to grow, we have to be friendly. And lastly, a huge fault of teenagers across America, is that they never talk to older people. Don't be one of those. Try every now and then to find an older person and strike up a conversation. First it will brighten their day that you made it a point to talk to them. And secondly, you might learn something from them. After all, they were your age once.

Girls, cliques can be easy to slip into. You find a friend who has the same interests as you, and you fit together perfectly. Soon, there's a group going with a bunch of your friends and you don't realize that there may be some other girls around you feeling left out. Or maybe you are the one on the outside of a clique... but don't be mopey about it! Your best friends in your church do not have to be the people your age. It can be sweet older ladies or married women. After all, we have a lot to learn from them! And when it's your turn to get married, girls, you'll have the basics of how to keep a home down flat because of the time you have spent with the wise older ladies of your church.

4. Be Involved

This is hugely important. But also super easy. Find ways you can help serve in your church. There is something you can do in your church. Serving is something we must each do. Find a way you can be involved. Personally, I work in kids church, choir, youth choir, orchestra and part of the people that set up tables after the service for our Faith Bible institute. I get their early with my family and help clean before church. And lastly, I help in our Nursing Home ministry. if we are not involved now in the best years of our lives, we will never be. Don't wait till your older to be involved, start now!

Keep in mind that serving the Lord takes sacrifice! Sacrifice of our time, money, will, and sometimes emotions. If you see a job waiting to be done, do it! If you see trash on the floor, pick it up! If a nursery worker needs someone to fill in for them for a service, volunteer! It may not be comfortable, you may miss out on sitting with your friends, but it is what God wants you to do - be involved!

5. Be Growing

Lastly, there should be growth within our hearts. It easy for me to do everything I'm supposed to on the outside but never be growing on the inside. There should always be something we find in every service that can help us spiritually. During the service, let the singing prepare your heart. Take notes during the preaching. And use the altar! let the Holy Spirit change you through the service.

Let what you are hearing effect your heart. Don't be afraid to go down to the altar during a special. Take someone with you to pray at the altar before services, asking God to bless the people's hearts. Consider the words of the hymns and how it applies to you. Ask the Lord to do a special work in your heart. And don't be afraid to share what God has done in your life and the decisions you have made for Him!