Youth 'sermon' poses questions [Grace Mennonite Church]

Brandon, Man.

The worship service on April 14 at Grace Mennonite Church here was different from most Sundays as 11 youth, mostly junior high age, led the congregation of about 80 people. In the past, the annual youth service differed little from any other Sunday.

This year, the youth decided to include only aspects of the service that were meaningful to them. Many felt that they had more questions about faith and worship than answers, so the theme of the morning became, "Having questions doesn't mean we doubt God."

The "sermon" consisted of each youth presenting a question and a time for the congregation to respond. The questions ranged from the age-old "Why do we have to dress up for church?" and "Is a variety of music styles good?" to deeper questions like "Did Jesus really experience everything we do?" and "How do we know ours is the right religion?"

Some members of the congregation had been invited to prepare thoughts in advance to ensure responses. It was a pleasant surprise to have more than enough people responding to the questions.

People entering the church were greeted by youth serving drinks and dainties they had made. Young ushers handed out rainbow-coloured bulletins. Each youth was involved in the service--in song leading, ushering or praying. The youth planned the entire service and many learned to appreciate the effort that goes into a Sunday morning service.

Our church is supportive of youth involvement in worship. Responses to this special service varied from thorough enjoyment to the feeling that it was inappropriate to ask questions during the service.

The youth leaders hoped that this service would better connect the youth to the rest of the congregation, and they received both written and verbal affirmation from the congregation. It was interesting to note that the youth chose to follow the traditional worship format for their service!