Youth

It's All About Relationships

Allyson Evans

NextGen Central Group Leader, Life.Church

Allyson is passionate about leading our next generation to become fully devoted followers of Christ through partnerships with parents and volunteers. Her team provides vision, direction, training, and resources to all Life.Church campus teams for LifeKids and Switch. Hear from her below:

My daughter was explaining to me how she must be on the cheer squad because this particular team will win the state championship. Now, this squad consistently has drama and weekly battles between the team members. I assured her that 10 years from now, when she looks back on the things that shaped her into a role model, she would not include being on a state championship squad or attending a particular school or having a particular experience. Instead, her list would include the relationships she has with her family, her interactions with friends, teachers, coaches, mentors and, most importantly, her relationship with Jesus.

Our experiences don’t determine who we are, it’s the relationships we cultivate that make a difference.

As the church leads the next generation, it is crucial for us to help connect young people in relationships that are meaningful and move them forward in their spiritual development. We must show parents the importance of their role as spiritual leaders and encourage them to deepen those relationships.

We should provide resources for families, so they are equipped to lead Christ-centered homes. Parents will begin to see for themselves that they can leverage their influence to help their children choose a strong circle of friends, a wise mentor, and a bold accountability partner. The kids who come from these homes will be sure of who God is, certain of who they are in Christ, and convinced they can impact the world.

If the church and family truly operate with that sort of focus on the emerging generation, what will our world look like in ten years?

What we've learned:

Consider the relationships your ministry is building between kids, leaders, and parents. What connections haven’t been made yet? Which ones are flourishing?

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