Senior
Seth Ambrose leads a song with his guitar during an early morning
Youth Alive session.
After a long, stressful
week of school a small group of students get up an hour early on Friday
mornings to attend a worship service in the FHS auditorium.
"The students share their Christian beliefs there,
for they have in common their choice to support each other," said
Youth Alive adviser Bruce Riley. "It's a good support group."
Youth Alive "gives students a chance to express
their beliefs together as a group," said senior Raquel DeBlauw.
Members say those who feel they might enjoy encouragement
and support for their spiritual growth are encouraged to attend.
"It's awesome," said sophomore Jyndia Schaible.
"It gets me ready for school spiritually."
At the Youth Alive meetings, students "sing songs,
usually have a prayer, and sometimes a speaker," said senior Jessica
Foy.
"Students volunteer to get speakers for the services,"
said Riley. Youth Alive youth services are run primarily by the students
while the adults and advisers are primarily chaperones. "I'm proud
of the leadership for keeping it going," said Riley.
"I like it when they have people come in and share
something upifting about it," said junior Ryan Goeden.
Youth Alive members participate in activities such as
the True Love Waits Rally in February and the National Day of Prayer in
May, as well as various other youth rallies and See You at the Pole.
"It's fun," said sophomore Bryce Jahner. "It's
good that we can all get together and pray to God about school."
"I like the opportunity to get together with other
Christians and worship God," said DeBlauw.
"A lot of students are very, very faithful; between
30 and 50 students at a time attend the fellowships most Friday mornings,
" said Riley.
Youth Alive is "just a really open setting for
people to come and see what it's like," said Deblauw.
Club members say anyone should feel free to wander in
some Friday morning between 7 and 8 a.m. and check out what's happening
with regulars like Seth Ambrose, Rory Blake, Mitch Block, Jyndia Schaible,
Jessica Foy, Kenny Lard, and Jon Valentino.
"I like Youth Alive, except that it's early in
the morning," said senior Seth Ambrose. For students to get support
in their beliefs, as well as understanding, Youth Alive goes a long way
toward helping them become their own person in the future.
"When the whole band gets up and they play music"
is one of the things Goeden likes best about Youth Alive meetings.
To "see more kids, people who believe in God, come
and join," would be a great improvement in the service, says Ambrose.
This is also the most common improvement mentioned by members of Youth
Alive.
Said sophomore Sara Wendling: "Peer support is
the best support."
