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The leader of my son’s Presbyterian youth group “let go” his friend that was helping out. Seems his 27 year old buddy couldn’t keep his hands off his steady girl friend. As goofy as some of the fun stuff that they do is, I was pretty impressed that the idea of sexual purity was so strong.

They have a fun-night once a month, the other three Sunday evenings are a bit of fun, an hour of Bible study, and a half-hour of praise music. And another evening in the week for separate girls and boys Bible studies.

What I have heard is important is that the kids “own” their faith in their own way. Yes, we worship together as a family, and pray together and talk about things as a family. But it needs to become their personal faith.

I also think that they need to do some work in the church as a community with others (not just painting the youth room or whatever). Working side-by-side with a 70-year old is enjoyable for both. And of course their youth mission trips where they have contact with others not like them is a huge growing experience.

The youth that I have seen at a few churches of late seem like they have their acts together - better than my youth group when I was a kid. (Which yes - was mainly a social thing.) Lots of them are going to college to study ministry, medicine for the purpose of missions, etc.

I hope that there are enough of them to pull us out of the quagmire we are in now.