Wednesdays at Common Ground from 5-7, meal included
BELONG In our youth group we strive to know and learn that everyone belongs to God and everybody has a place to belong. No matter the race, sexuality, gender or status, here every youth and their family is accepted. That is first and foremost, because if you don’t belong then why even be here. We strive to be a place where everyone feels seen, heard, and loved.
BELOVED We want everyone to be loved and also know that they are beloved. This is a step further from belonging, because we don’t just know that we have a place where we can belong, but are learning that this is a place where we are valued, seen, and cared about. We are learning to see others as beloved as well. If God sees them as beloved, that means that everybody within God’s world is beloved. When we see the value in ourselves and others, we can truly start being transformed by who God has made us to be
BE YOU God doesn’t make mistakes, but has been crafting us to be God’s belonging, beloved, community. When we realize that, we can finally start acting like that. When we say Be YOU we say be the YOU that has been transformed by God. We don’t expect perfection in this group, because God‘s grace has covered that. But we invite every youth into the process of discipleship by being changed inside and out by God who loves them and wants them to do nothing more than love everything and everyone around them. We strive to be our authentic selves, because God wants us exactly as we are, growing into God’s beautiful kingdom.
In this group we GOT love! We actively love God, love others, and love ourself!
““The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’” Mark 12:29-30 NIV
