376. Why Youth House Church Meetings are on Sundays

This might not be new information for everyone, but since we have some new members who have joined without every interfacing our youth ministry I believe this information will be helpful.

At The Seed, just like the adults, youth are also part of a house church ministry. However youth do not have the freedom and agency to go to someone else’s house every week for house church like adults. That is why youth house church meetings happen on Sunday after church.

This solves a lot of logistical concerns that could come from coordinating meetings between youth, youth’s parents, and the youth shepherd. Meeting on Sunday helps the meetings happen consistently.

Youth have fellowship time, just like adults, but then quickly transition into youth house church meetings which happen from 2:00-2:30. During this time, I request that adult members of The Seed be mindful of our youth house church meetings.

Youth ministry team has spoken with the strategic leadership team (SLT) about getting more classrooms in our building lease for the purpose of Youth House church (YHC) meetings on Sundays, but for now meeting spaces are limited so some youth house churches gather in the stairwell, in the Atrium, and in the hallways on the second floor.

I kindly ask that adult members acknowledge that there is a youth house church gathering by giving them space and time. Giving them space means creating distance from the meetings and allowing real conversation to happen. For some it might mean lowering your volume around YHC meetings. It also means not interrupting them, even if you need something—because you are giving them space to be a youth house church during that time.

Giving them time means letting the house church run from start to finish without making them feel like they need to rush. I have observed parents picking up their kids early from YHC meetings. Unless it is an urgent matter, I encourage all parents (and serving adult members) to give them time.

When we honour YHC meetings by giving them space and time, we are communicating as a church to our youth that we value them and their faith community. When YHC are not given space and time for their meetings, youth will indirectly learn through our actions that youth house church is not important. We might say with our words we care about youth, but youth will not feel this way if YHC meetings are not valued. Therefore, I encourage every single member of The Seed to communicate through our actions that we value our youth by valuing their meeting space and time. Although not everyone is in youth ministry directly, everyone is in youth ministry indirectly. Let’s do a good job for the next generation, together.