Make this summer unforgettable for your family

No matter what recent violence or display of anti-Blackness was all around us, we knew that we would make our way to this festival for the weekend with other Black and Brown people to sing, dance, eat good food, and spread love through fellowship together. It always felt like a big Black family barbecue or reunion.

We all have teenagers in our youth programs who receive supports and services for disabilities. Figuring out the best ways to include these amazing young people in our programs, to help them connect with peers and friends, and to share their gifts and strengths with the church is part of the joy and challenge of youth ministry.

Graduation season is when youth ministry leaders instinctively know (or quickly learn!) some important universal truths: Graduation is about the graduates. We celebrate their past, acknowledge their journeys, mark their rite of passage, and speak of their hopeful futures.