Every Wednesday, we drive around the northside picking up youth and bringing them to church. It’s one of my favorite parts of the week. Seeing their faces as they pile into the van, knowing they’re coming to a place where they’re loved and cared for. We always start with a meal together. Before we eat, we say, “Food can fill our bodies, only Christ can make us full.”That reminder is simple, but it’s true. Many of our kids come hungry, and serving a healthy meal helps them settle in and focus on what’s ahead instead of their empty stomachs. After dinner, we clean up together and head into the auditorium for worship. Our youth lead the music, which I love. Music sticks with you; it teaches, comforts, and strengthens faith in ways that last a lifetime. These kids aren’t just learning songs; they’re hiding truth in their hearts. We usually burn off some energy with a game in the gym before heading upstairs for Bible study. Honestly, one of the biggest challenges we face is how little Bible knowledge most teens have today. Nearly half of our group has never heard basic Bible stories, and a few had never even heard the gospel until they stepped into our youth group. That makes every Wednesday night so important. We’re not just filling time, we’re sowing seeds of truth that can change lives forever.

Every other Sunday afternoon from 2–3:30pm, we host something called Hangtime. A little over a year ago, I opened up our own teen “Live Full Coffee Shop.” The vision behind Hangtime is simple: to give our youth a safe and welcoming place to be together, sip on a hot chocolate or coffee, and just relax. It also gives me and the other leaders a creative, natural way to spend time with them, without the pressure of a program, and it’s even helped us save money along the way. Alongside the coffee shop, we have a game room where teens can play, laugh, and build friendships, not just with each other, but also with the leaders who are pouring into them. I’ve learned that programs alone aren’t enough. Without genuine relationships outside of structured times, ministry doesn’t carry the same weight. After an hour of hanging out, we always end the afternoon with a dodgeball tournament (a favorite!) and a short devotional. It may look simple from the outside, but Hangtime has been one of the most meaningful things we do. It has created a real sense of closeness in our group and given the teens a natural space to connect, grow, and  belong.

At Family Baptist Church, we believe making disciples is the highest calling of every Christian. Conversion isn’t the finish line; it’s the starting point of a lifelong journey with Christ. Here on the Northside of Minneapolis, the cycle of hopelessness has been passed down generation after generation. Many of our youth are spiritually curious. They’re searching for meaning, purpose, and what it truly means to live a full life. Evangelism matters deeply. We’ve been blessed to see many teens come to know the Lord over the past four years, but that’s only the beginning. If all we do is lead them to Christ without showing them how to walk with Him, we’ve fallen short. That’s why discipleship is at the heart of what we do. Teens need to learn how to study the Word of God, how to live out their faith, and what it really means to call Jesus Lord. Becoming a Christian isn’t just “fire insurance,” it’s an everyday surrender, a lifelong race of growing in Him. And the goal isn’t just to raise up strong individual believers, but to equip them to disciple others. Some weeks, I meet with more than seven teens in pairs or one-on-one. Those times of simply “doing life” together are some of the most important parts of ministry. Once a month, we also host a leadership and discipleship class for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. It gives us space to help them take their walk with God seriously and prepare them to invest in others as they graduate and step into adulthood. Discipleship takes time, patience, and intentionality, but it’s worth it. We’re not just raising up casual Christians; we’re raising disciple-makers