A Pastor, a Worship Director, a Youth Director, and a Couple Dozen Teenagers Walk into an Ice Rink…
It’s like the start of a joke. Surely there’s a punchline on its way, right?
No, it’s not. Broomball is no joke.
Having retired from my career playing soccer for my treasured Lost Soles every Sunday night, I found myself on the first Sunday night of my retirement standing on ice, holding a de-bristled broom, trying to use it to swat a deflated volleyball into a mini hockey goal. It was more exhausting than ten soccer games, and I woke up with soreness in places that were never sore from soccer. I even aggravated a lingering soccer injury, and I’m pretty sure I made it worse, but it didn’t matter. It was an awesome way to start my soccer-tirement.
Playing broomball was a ton of fun, but that’s not what made yesterday so great. It was great because I was reminded of the great spirit that exists among our students. I know there were far more of them back in the 1990s and 2000s. Some went with their families to others that aren't UMC churches, some got out of the habit during the pandemic, and some went with friends to other youth groups. Some liked other pastors and youth directors more, some felt there was too much Jesus and not enough fun, and some felt there was too much fun and not enough Jesus, etc. Every student who leaves for whatever reason has a ripple effect on the tenuous social culture around them, and on top of that, when they're gone a while it's always a little socially weird to come back.
What has been built in our youth group by Peggy, Jason, interns, and adult volunteers is a sincere family of brothers and sisters who are not just here consuming entertaining church or youth group experiences. They are learning the purpose of them, and they are learning how to provide them for others. They're having successes in doing so that have boosted their confidence, and they’re having a lot of fun together along the way.
It's not the 400 kids of Heritage's youth groups of legend. Most of the time it's not even 40. It is absolutely, however, the kind of group that God can use to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. I give abundant thanks for the opportunity to see God already doing so week in and week out.
One thing is abundantly clear. This group is no joke.
