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It's All About Trust

© Barb Huff

We all envision the ideal youth setting-- a place with Christ at the head, teens of every background sharing on the same level without fear of rejection or ridicule, and ourselves there acting as a guide, a friend, and a teacher.

So, how do we achieve such a setting? If we lived in an ideal setting, we would be in a place with Jesus at the head and peace and love among everyone, but, unfortunately, we don't. The truth being, we will always deal with teens who feel less adequate then their peers for various reasons. Just the same, there will always be others that are confident in their walk and some who just show up because their parents walk them in the door.

How do you take a mix of teens of different ages, different socio-economic backgrounds, and different emotional states and create a coherent group that wants to grow in their walk with the Lord?

Trust.

First, they have to trust in you by knowing that you will follow-through with what you say, that you care for their emotional and spiritual well-being, and that you are someone who lives by the Word. Nothing sells Christianity better than seeing someone secure and happy with who they are while they live for God. Trust also means admitting defeat or apologizing for shortcomings. Trust is something that must be built over time. Whether that trust is built by a relationship with that individual teen or passed down from another, it must be worked on continually.

Second, the group has to trust in the Word of God. Ideally speaking again, that trust would be created by loving Christian parents. Find a youth group with only children of church members, and you find one that is not living up to its potential. Once again, this may fall back on you. Trust in the Lord's Word will not come from outings to the movies, concerts, and softball games. Teens have to see it, live it, and want it. A group that has a healthy balance of worship, prayer, study, service, and fun will bring trust to both the Lord and you.

Last and most influentual, the members must trust each other. This last step is sometimes the most difficult simply because we cannot directly control it. We can take steps to help it thrive, but only the individuals can create trust among themselves.

Some steps to foster an atmosphere of trust among peers:

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