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<< Previous   of   Next >> Elizabeth Armstrong / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Dressed as a cheerleader, Jamie Johns (right) laughs as she watches (left to right) Molly Miller, 14; Lizzy Wales, 13; Jessica Brown, 14; and Jaslyn Chotkald, 13, paint their faces at New Life Foursquare Church in Everett.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Thursday, March 20, 2008 Making church fun for kids New Life's youth leaders work to keep things light By Justin Arnold Herald Writer EVERETT -- It's a Wednesday night at Thrive, the junior high youth group at New Life Foursquare Church. At the moment it looks like anarchy. The group's 100 members, like most young teens, possess a unique, frenetic energy: Couch cushions and a dodgeball are thrown at subsonic speeds at others -- whether the targets are playing or not. It's up to the youth leaders to rein them in. The church's youth leaders, Erick Johns, 33, and Jamie Johns, 24, are volunteers who give up their time to help youth pastors manage a congregation's teens. They volunteer time, talent and energy to participate twice weekly, usually Wednesday evening youth services and Sunday mornings for youth church. It's 15 minutes before the 7 p.m. service and the youth leaders are engaging the teens in conversation. The Johnses have been married for three years, each of those spent as a couple involved in local church ministries. "Hey, how's it going?" Jamie Johns asks, putting her arm around a shy teenage girl who smiles broadly and begins gushing about her day. School is boring, her friend is moving -- the usual trials and tribulations of being a teenager. Johns smiles and nods, taking the girl's hand and squeezing it. She has been involved the youth groups since being in a youth group herself as a teen, and has been as youth leader for five years. Erick Johns stands with a small huddle of fellow youth workers and his easy, laconic drawl is describing their skit for the evening. He "brings the funny," putting together skits and elaborate videos for the youth program with comedic savvy. For the past six years, he has used his dry humor and wit to get kids to talk about their lives and their faith. But where does the Everett couple find the time? Jamie Johns works full time in the church's children's department. Erick Johns works full time as an electrician apprentice for Eylander Electric in Everett. They have two children, Mackenzie 8, and Micheal, a 13-year-old boy who loves the guitar and plays "Iron Man" as loud as he can, whenever he can. Chase Weholt, 13, says that he admires all of Thrive's youth leaders, but that the Johnses are special to him. "When they worship they aren't afraid to express themselves," Chase says. "They aren't afraid to be a friend." They also aren't afraid to be silly. Before that night's service is about to begin, the couple come bounding down the aisle cheering and whooping, dressed as the Spartan cheerleaders from a popular "Saturday Night Live" skit. The teens start whooping back. "Let me see your Chuck Norris!" Jamie Johns shouts and they start punching and kicking the air. A roar of laughter erupts from the teens, who are getting fired up. "I don't know what I would do without them," says youth pastor Shawn Roberts. Reporter Justin Arnold: 425-339-3432 or jarnold@heraldnet.com.

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