Many students are involved in youth groups. According to freshman Jakob Clayton, it’s a way of bringing teens of the same age together to practice their faith and to spend time with other teens of the same religion. It’s also a way for students to bond outside of school.

“As students, I believe they have two main jobs to juggle,” counselor Lisa Woodrum said. “One being the seven hours of school during the week and the second being work, sports, family, and friends. And some participate in faith based groups and that fulfills the need for faith and fellowship.”

Most youth groups meet one to two times per week for a few hours. Throughout the time, teens play games, go through small lessons, sing songs and worship. Some youth groups even go on retreats and getaways, and the teens get chances to build stronger relationships with others, and most importantly, according to Clayton, become closer with their God.

“I like that I can be able to have fun as well as praising Jesus,” Clayton said. “Another thing is new friendships I wasn’t the best of friends with a few people there but after a while, the bonding and being together made us closer.”

Teens face some inconveniences to be able to commit themselves to a youth group, such as work or other activities. They push through it so that they can practice their faith, and build a stronger relationship with their church.

“Sometimes it’s hard to balance going because of school, clubs, sports, family, and friends, but I always try to make my faith a big priority,” senior Audrey Forth said.

Students like Clayton and Forth both feel passionate about their faith and love for God.

“I think that everyone should have something they believe in. I also feel that everyone should understand why they believe it,” Forth said. “Everyone has the right to decide who and what they worship. For me, I like knowing who I’m putting my faith in, and I encourage everyone to ask questions and figure out where they stand and why.”

AUDREY FORTH

Nondenominational – Grace Community Chapel

“I love how everyone is fun and inviting. For me, it’s a place where I can be myself and meet other people, but it’s also a place where I can learn more about my faith.”

JAKOB CLAYTON

Baptist – Ridgecrest Baptist Church

“I really enjoy my youth group. It’s a great place that I get to go to on a weekly and I like how I get to chill with my friends. Overall, the best part is that I’m having a good time while being close to Jesus.”

MARIAM HAMDAN

Muslim – Dar Al Jalal  Mosque

“I enjoy how everyone’s together and were all on the same page. We have fun together and were free to talk about whatever we want and people are open to talking about anything”

COONG TRAN

Buddhist – Fo Chang Shan St. Louis Buddhist Center

“You can do anything you want. You don’t even have to be Buddhist to come to our churches. It’s very open, so I can always bring a friend to show them what it’s like. There’s a lot of celebrations and a lot of events which are also fun to be a part of.”