For those of you who may not know, William was hired on at Westminster last November as our Coordinator of Youth and Outreach. Over the past 9 months, we have all been blessed by William’s leadership skills and his heart for the Lord. As William begins to gear up for the year ahead at Westminster, he has written a post reflecting back on his first season leading our Youth Ministry. He also takes a look ahead at the season to come.

William’s message:

It is hard to believe but back-to-school is only a few weeks away, which means… Youth is only a few weeks away!  It is always exciting to think about what is to come, but as we shift gears to think about what Youth will look like in the fall we should take a moment to recognize what this past term was like. 

Between January and June of 2023 we re-launched the youth with gusto!  Every other Friday we gathered to have great food, fun games, fellowship events, community service, radio station tours, pool parties, studying the Bible and worshipping together.  The main goal of the term was to help our Youth grow a sense of belonging and family within the church… and as Rev. Matthew put it “It’s like night and day!” We are seeing friendships strengthen and grow, all on the foundation of the Christian faith. 

We have so many individuals to thank for this: those serving in the kitchen and as chaperons, the volunteers and leaders who helped prepare games and lead discussions, all those in the church who are praying for the youth, and all the parents who committed to bringing their children out to church on a Friday night!  I have been floored by the eagerness of all those involved in wanting to serve and contribute to the youth ministry… and we’re only just getting started!

Our theme verse was taken from 1 Timothy 4:12 “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”  and I strongly believe that our youth can be an example to us all.  In fact there are those here that have a depth and Spiritual maturity that I wish I had growing up! So, I am certainly learning a few things along the way as well! Praise be to God. 

As we think about the fall term, we would like to continue to intentionally grow in faith. The majority of our youth nights will be focused on growing in our knowledge and relationship with Christ through worship.  There is a longing in all of us to draw near to the Lord, and it is no different in our youth… you can hear it in their singing!  While there will still be food and games, our prayer is that Westminster will be a place where our youth can mature into those who worship the Lord in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:24) by spending more time in the Word and in Worship together (1 Tim 4:13).

There will also be opportunities for parents to come alongside us to learn about what the youth are learning and pray over them.  Our Senior youth will be given the chance to serve the ministry in various capacities.  And we hope that you might prayerfully consider how you can support and invest in our children. They are not the future of the church… they are they church. 

As Dr. John Trainor said: “Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.”

Thank you for your ongoing support and prayers. 

In Christ, 

William 

Youth & Outreach Co-ordinator