Lilian Wang 

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

The sound of laughter and voices float up as you walk down the stairs to the basement. When you turn the corner, you see a group of teens rambunctiously playing four square and small groups of kids standing off to the sides, chatting or playing on their phones. The worship team is finishing up their practice and sound check. Counselors are milling around, catching up with students about how their week has been. While most students are of Chinese heritage, you can see there is a diversity of age, style, and personality. There is a table of snacks on the side, with opened bags of chips spilling onto the table and a fruit platter barely touched. The atmosphere is warm, welcoming, and vibrant.

This is the CBCGB ALIVE Youth Ministry. This year, we will meet from 7:00-9:00 pm in the basement of the church. We offer programming that includes games, worship, and small group Bible study for grades 6th-12th. We average about 80-100 students every Friday night, 15-20 students in middle school Sunday School, and 15-20 students in high school Sunday School. Our Sunday School teachers work hard to teach biblical curriculum in a way that is fun and engaging. Our dedicated counselors sacrifice every Friday evening to mentor and disciple our youth as their older brothers and sisters in Christ. Many of these relationships go far beyond Friday nights, since the youth will often text and call their counselors throughout the week and stay in touch even after graduating high school. Youth Ministry has been a core ministry of our church, providing a space for the younger generation to learn about God, study Scripture, and build lasting genuine relationships with one another.

I myself grew up in CBCGB’s youth program. It was there that I heard the gospel, saw it lived out through the lives of others, and eventually accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior. I then stayed in the Boston area for college and attended CBCGB’s then-thriving Intercollegiate Fellowship (ICF), which now no longer exists. After I graduated, I got a job nearby and decided to stay at CBCGB because I felt called to return and serve as a youth counselor. It was a full circle, coming back to serve alongside the same men and women who had been so instrumental in my own faith journey. I now attend Cross Bridge service and serve as a Friday night counselor, while also advocating for the Youth Ministry as the Youth Deacon on the Church Council. As you can see, I have been at CBCGB for many years and have seen firsthand how our Youth Ministry is a powerful and essential part of the growth of our church.

Yet I have also seen firsthand how the Youth Ministry is not prioritized and our youth staff’s concerns are often not taken seriously, all the while as they quietly burn out. We are relegated to the basement and have met in leftover spaces scattered across the campus, such as the coat room and the stairwell. We struggle to recruit new coworkers who can connect relationally with the youth because the pool of college/young adults from which we draw volunteers from has dwindled significantly. There have been several leadership transitions over the last few years and we currently do not have a youth pastor. There are a variety of reasons for this turnover, such as lack of competitive pay for a Boston cost of living and a culture where our younger staff’s opinions and voices are not as valued. Despite these challenges, Youth Ministry coworkers continue to show up for our students. We continue to advocate for their needs, whether that is providing mental health support, seeking education on cross-cultural parenting, or tackling the unhealthy culture of prioritizing academic excellence above all else. These coworkers are the backbone of our Youth Ministry and as such, pillars of our church community.

Our youth are the future. We must invest our time, energy, and resources into this next generation if we desire a strong future for our church. Young people are leaving the church at an alarming rate. This trend is true nationwide, as well as within the Chinese heritage church. While there are a variety of reasons why, the biggest one in my opinion is that young people feel that the church is not responding to changing needs or listening to younger voices. This has led to a lack of trust in leadership and a sense that the church is “out of touch”. The youth want to see the church living out the gospel in justice work. They want to see their parents’ lives transformed by the gospel not just on Sunday mornings, but in the home as well. They want to discuss controversial topics and ask hard questions instead of avoiding the discomfort. They seek vulnerability and authenticity, and are turned off by the facade of righteousness. The work being done in the Youth Ministry each week is to create a safe space for the difficult yet necessary exploration of faith. We hope to walk with our youth in the messy but beautiful process of recognizing their need for Jesus. We desire for them to have a faith that develops in high school, flourishes through college, and sustains them far beyond.

I urge our church leaders, our congregation members, and our families to recognize the need to prioritize our Youth Ministry. If we do not take action to respond to their needs, then one day there will be no more next generation. I believe our church loves and cares for our young people. I believe we want to see a revival in this new generation. We want their voices to be heard. We want to empower them. So let us come together to lift up this next generation by prioritizing the very space where this important work happens – our Youth Ministry.

LilianWang has been at CBCGB for nearly 20 years, growing up in AWANA and the ALIVE youth group. She is now a member of Cross Bridge and serves as a Friday night counselor and the current Youth Deacon.

Edited by Hongxing Zhang