By Lisa Collins, Family Ministry Youth Coordinator

May 27, 2021

We did it! We made it through the strangest school year in recent history. Maybe ever.

In Loudoun and in Fairfax counties, we got a phone call at 5am one morning in March 2020 that changed the trajectory not of a day (as if school had been canceled due to snow), but of the remainder of that school year and the next one.

No more in-person classes. No seeing friends in the hallway or during lunch. No personal instruction from teachers. No activities after school. It was hard!

Our college age students were getting similar calls to head home for “a couple of weeks” to ride out what we hoped was a temporary inconvenience. I doubt many of us could have imagined how the next FIFTEEN MONTHS would unfold.

The strangest school year ever is now in our rearview mirror. 

As it was with school, so too with our church. We had great plans for Youth Ministry in 2020, but soon found ourselves physically shut down. Youth Group went virtual, like so many of our social interactions. We learned how to play games like Online Charades and Zoom Code Names. While maintaining our bonds of affection, we explored topics like coping with feelings, comparing ourselves to others, social justice, and the impact Jesus made on society—an impact that we take for granted today—and on all of our lives. 

And you know what? It worked.

Doing Youth Group via “distance learning” enabled us to invite guest speakers that normally we might not hear from. We had guests share about serving in foreign missions, campus ministry, and healthy living. We connected with college students who are Galilee Youth Group alumni.

Throughout the pandemic year, we followed the normal rhythm of life in family ministry. We held Scout Sunday, enjoyed Youth Sunday led by young people, and celebrated a fantastic Confirmation with a wonderful class of confirmands. 

I think Youth Ministry this year was definitely more than “just one more virtual thing” that kids had to do. We were even able to gather in person a few times for real face-to-face fellowship, which was such a relief.

This Sunday, we’re going to lift up the students who are graduating from high school this month. As the semester ends, so does our regular Sunday Night Youth Group. But we’ll return in the fall and for summer we already have plans for the first ever Youth Summer Crew camp (July 26 – July 29) as well as gatherings planned for July and August.

As we consign this school year to the history books, we turn our sights to reimagining what Youth Ministry needs to be in 2021 and beyond. But let’s not move forward without first taking a moment to reflect on the incredible year we see in our rearview mirror. 

I mean, WOW. 

If in the coming days you see a teacher, school administrator, parent, school staff member, and especially a student—congratulate them on making it to June 2021! Our students are amazing and it has been a blessing to help them know Jesus. With God and these kids, our future is very bright!