Hello everyone! I need some good Christian guidance here, but let me explain some stuff first. I have been going to this one youth group at my church for about 4 years now and today my mom asked me if I felt that I was getting spiritually taken care of at my youth group or not. I seriously thought about it and realized that I really wasn't getting taken care of as much in that way at my youth group as I should be. See, my youth group is made up of groups of people (like cliques but without the hate and bullying and stuff) and lately I have somewhat felt that the only basic reason I look forward to going there is to see my friends. Basically I don't feel like my youth group is helping me to make a big difference in my walk with Christ, which is totally opposite of some other youth groups that I've heard of about in Washington (I am from WA). My friend's youth group (I've been there before for an outreach event thingy they had once) made me more spiritually drawn to the place if you know what I mean and they actuaclly made an effort for people to accept Christ (they asked at the outreach thingy who wanted to accept Christ after they presented the Gospel) and my youth group has never done that. My youth group has also never really shown me how to have a good quality bible study and the messages from the meetings never really stick with me for more than a couple of days or so. I am considering going to my friend's youth group instead (the one that I went to the outreach event thingy for) of mine, since I would feel more spiritually taken care of there. What do you all think I should do? Should I stay and try to change my current Youth Group, or should I do something like move to my friend's youth group? Any advice that you can give me would be greatly appreciated! Thanks! By the way, let me know if you need more info. about my youth group or my friend's youth group to make your final decision about what I should do.

Well, you should always be where you are being fed spiritually. But before you switch youth groups, pray hard about it. Seek God's will. Read the Bible, 'cause a lot of times you'll be reading the Bible and God will start talking to you through His words in front of you. However, if your youth group is spiritually stagnant, then it does sound as if you may need to move. Again, pray hard about it first.

Thanks a lot for your advice! I really appreciated your help and it makes my decision a lot easier for me and my mom and dad (they have to have a say in this too somewhat I guess) to make. Don't worry 'cause I haven't made a decision yet, but I will be sure to pray and read the Bible like you were suggesting, MisterNathan! My mom was saying that I should move youth groups if I wasn't spiritually taken care of, but I wanted to get advice from others too. Thanks for your help!

Unfortunately that sounds like a lot of youth groups. I would suggest fasting for 1 day...you choose which one (from sundown til the following sundown). Every time you think about being hungry, pray for your youth group and spend time in God's Word. He will reveal his will. I would also suggest letting your youth leader know how you feel. It could very well be that God wants to use your hunger for spritual growth as a catalyst for the whole group. Sounds like your youth leader could be encouraged by your enthusiasm to grow. I wouldn't suggest changing youth groups unless you feel you have reached a dead end with no hopes of your group changing. Will put you on my prayer list and expect good things to happen!!!!!!! God is Good All the Time

I think my mom wants me to wait to tell my youth leader about how I feel, but I will eventually do that. I would love to help out my current youth group, but if I am at a dead end there, I will definately switch! I will keep praying Heart_sings).....! Thanks for all of your advice everyone 'cause I appreciate all of it! Thanks for praying for me! God Bless you all!

I would suggest you pray about it some, read scriptures that have to do with the issue, and if you still feel that it is best to go to this other youth group, tell your youth pastor/leader and the head pastor the reason you are leaving, and pray with them before you go. Your present leader might be at a lower level than you are. Amazingly, ppl get put into positions over ppl that have a higher commitment to God than the leader. I actually feel the same feelings you are feeling right now in this sittuation. I am not being fed at my church properly (spiritually), but at this other church I get a wonderful message every time I go there. Things will get better for the both of us soon! I know it! :side:

You know, you may be able to help change the way your youth group is, but you may first need to get fed and refreshed. I think it would be a good idea to attend a youth group that feeds and teaches for a while before trying to change the group you're currently in. Also, it is the responsibility of your youth pastor to bring relevant, spiritually challenging lessons to the group. He/she may need a wake up call that they are falling short. Just my two cents worth.

Thank you both for your advice, CaraS and Christsbabe1! Both of your advice makes a lot of sense and I will be sure to listen to it and follow it! Thanks!!!

ok wow i just went through the same thing and well things are going better now but i think you should pray ask God if he wants you to stay and really think tell your youth pastor the problem and help set things up if that will help maybe if your youth group has a leadership team join it and if they dont talk to your routh pastor about starting one then if you still feel like thats not where God wants you then ask him were to go and go there no questions it might not be your friends youth group but one thats in alot of help the one thing i could tell you is trust God no questions everytime i ever questioned him i ended up worse then i started hope thats what you where looking for Much Love Godsfisher

Can I give you another perspective? If you were in my student ministry, this is how I would hope that you would approach this... (hopefully I've done a good job in teaching you this!) 1. Pray hard, pray long, and ask others to pray for you regarding this! Ask yourself this question, did God bring you to this youth group? If so, you owe it to Him to see if you can improve it! 2. If you still lack peace, come and talk to the youth pastor and be bluntly honest, don't candycote the issue do to a fear of hurting his feelings. Remember, your probably not the only one in the group that struggles with this! 3. Develop a plan of attack for your current youth. Establish goals that you would like to see and that you would be willing to assist the youth pastor in accomplishing. 4. If the youth pastor does not see it your way and refuses to change (which he might, they are stubborn people) then I would always encourage you to find a Bible-preaching youth group that will assist you in growth. 5. Best case scenerio, you get to stay in the current group, and you'll grow because you were involved in the process of improving the ministry. Don't be a church hopper, stay faithful. People quit way to soon and too easy!