MARYSVILLE — For church youth groups, visiting local schools is an opportunity in their own back yards.
Many churches are given permission to visit on certain days of the week. Most youth pastors can only show up and give encouragement, since proselytizing by clergy is not allowed on campus.
Actual preaching is left up to students who attend the school, who may find their friends and acquaintances open to a conversation about faith.
Youth Pastor Jeff Moore at Turning Point Church has encouraged his students to be missionaries on their own campuses and has seen positive spiritual and attendance growth as a result.
Q: How is your youth ministry involved on local campuses?
A: We have students and student leaders at all the schools in the Marysville area; Marysville-Pilchuck High School, Marysville Middle School and Totem Middle School. We’ll visit once or twice a week and just hang out with students; no preaching, just having fun and encouraging them.
Q: How important is it for churches to reach out to their local schools?
A: It’s hugely important, it’s gigantic. Campuses are almost a foreign country, in a way. As a pastor, I have to wear a badge and don’t have as many rights as a student. Students are like full citizens; they can talk about anything and they are the ones that talk about Jesus on campus. They are the ones with all-access passports.
Q: What kind of success have you seen as a result of campus ministries and your youth reaching out to fellow students?
A: We’re seeing kids come and watching lives get changed. Attendance has grown and church involvement is up. We see a lot of encouragement between the students, and in turn, they really encourage us coming out there and spend time with them.
Reporter Justin Arnold: 425-339-3432 or jarnold@heraldnet.com.
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