Diana Chiu

I joined LGCC in 2015 after I married Mark and I visited/informally helped with Kairos in 2016. Pastor Brian was our marriage counselor/officiant and encouraged me to take a year to figure out which ministry to serve in after getting settled in. He also thought I'd be better suited with high school students. I prayed about committing to Kairos and officially joined as a high school counselor in 2017. I also love that I get to serve in the same ministry with Mark!

Students

• Students at Kairos are fun and diverse. There's a good mix of those who are new to faith and those who are spiritually mature for their young age. Students deal with different life challenges; family dynamics; social/peer pressure/being on the fringes; competitive academic expectations; uncertainty about not fitting in for being Christian in a public school. They need Christian friends and we hope they can find each other as friends in Kairos.
• Students need adults to show up and invest in their lives on a consistent basis. Consistency is important because so much of life today is inconsistent.
  • Both parents and students need allies and echoes
    • These points may be true but youth group is so much more than these
      • “It’s the place where my kids go to have fun and do crazy things like drink a soda through a sock.”
      • “It’s the place where my kids go to make memories that will last forever.”
      • “It’s the place where my kids go to meet up with their friends.”
      • “It’s the place where my kids go so that big church doesn’t bore them.”
    • Students need Christian friends
    • Students need to see church as a priority
    • For more, read https://comediscovervcc.org/3-reasons-your-family-needs-youth-group/
• "Young people should be extended full adult rights and responsibilities in each of a number of different areas as soon as they can demonstrate appropriate competence in each area. The church, if it wants spiritual depth, must reach out to teenagers and help them mature in their faith."
• They need 1) models/mentors; 2) community; 3) mission; 4) theology; 5) a safe place to confess and confide; http://gregstier.dare2share.org/a-letter-to-parents-about-keeping-your-teenagers-going-to-youth-group-in-spite-of-their-busyness

Counselors

I've really enjoyed working with the Kairos counselors this year; each of them are different in personality, gifts, and backgrounds. The counselors are diverse yet dedicated to this ministry and it's been fun and a real joy to work alongside all of them. I haven't worked with a large group of youth counselors until joining Kairos. I taught Sunday school at Home of Christ in SF for grade school kids. I don't really have qualifications or exact experience to counsel or teach but generally, all that is needed is humility; a willing heart to serve; and to make yourself available.

Prayer Requests

• For Kairos students who don't fully understand to the Gospel to completely know the Gospel and be assured of their salvation; for their foundation to see God as a priority in their few and short youth years before moving on to college/adulthood
• For future Kairos vanguards/high school students to be fearless, step up, and serve
• For parents of Kairos because parents have the important and the largest responsibility to teach and train their kids in righteousness
• For counselors to not just try and reach students, but that they also try to shape them to look more like Jesus. This happens if we lead them to engage in worship, study the Word through relevant teaching, and process faith through small groups.
• For new counselors from all congregations to not be hesitant or worried about joining Kairos because God will give time and make a way, there is a big and ongoing need for more counselors because a third of our counselors are leaving as God has called them to new and exciting chapters in each of their lives
• For new Sunday school teachers if committing to Friday nights at Kairos is difficult
• For discipleship to be established, strengthened and consistent not just in Kairos but in the whole church
• For the church body and church leaders to support and pray for the youth ministry
• For God to lead and move in Kairos and in all ministries

I'm so glad I joined Kairos and I'm praying that you would consider and pray about joining too!