Being a Teen is Remarkably Difficult
Posted on Friday, February 22, 2019 by
By Brandon Bowman, Campus Life Site Director
In January our Campus Life middle school group attended the Snowbound winter camp with nearly 500 other teens from the area! I can honestly say that going on trips with Campus Life students is one of my favorite things! There is something unique offered by living (or surviving) side-by-side for days on end. They get to see that adults aren't so different from them, and I'm able to see a bit more of the real them come out! Plenty of fun was had with the ping pong and foosball tournaments, muck war, and impromptu tater tot eating competition. But my favorite thing above all was that because of this time together, real, honest and sometimes difficult conversations were able to happen.
"Brandon, I have a friend who is going through some really tough things. I don't know what to do or how to help. I feel like I should help somehow but I just don't know how."
Every so often I need to be reminded that being a teen can be remarkably difficult. In many ways, I believe it's even tougher today than when I was their age. More now than ever, our teenagers don't just have to deal with their own struggles like depression, popularity, stress, relationships, loneliness, etc., but they're frequently troubled by the struggles of the people and friends they care for. Fortunately, we are able to share with them that there are caring adults around them and a God who is there to listen, guide, encourage and give hope!
Thank you for being a part of the ongoing conversation with youth in our city and helping us share God’s story. It's our honor to be the storytellers on your behalf who meet kids right where they are and give life to their story.
Providing young people in our community with the opportunity to make an informed decision to be a follower of Jesus Christ and become part of a local church.