Youth programs in Jackson County congregations are gradually returning to pre-pandemic attendance levels
By Melody Cook
Since the January approval of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for teenagers, some youth programs around Jackson County have been starting up again, and are gradually returning to pre-pandemic attendance levels.
13-year-old Eden Hibdon of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Blue Springs said she avoided youth activities for longer than most of her peers because she felt the congregants weren’t taking COVID-19 precautions seriously. Hibdon said she was sad to miss youth nights, but her main concern was to avoid the spread of the virus.
"It was hard at first, not doing in-person activities, to keep good relationships," she said.
Now that she is vaccinated, however, the young Latter-day Saint said she feels comfortable enough to return, though she still opts to wear a mask. The other youth in her congregation, she said, have all returned to activities.
Jackie LaRue, a mother of two tween boys and a congregant of Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church, said youth attendance numbers have almost returned to what they were pre-pandemic. She believes the youth and leaders feel comfortable returning, in part due to the parents’ shared values regarding COVID-19 precautions. Masks are required at all activities, and the youth socially distance as much as possible, she said.
“Their political and spiritual views of what’s going on — they seem to be very similar,” LaRue said. “There’s a real sense of community.”
The time away has given the leaders a new perspective on what is most important and how they can best prioritize their time with the youth, she said. The youth meet less often, but the time they spend together is of higher quality, and the activities are of greater variety than before the long pandemic break, she said.
"I hope that continues — the quality and the different things they get to do together," she said.