By Erick Flores Ramirez, Youth Ministry Manager
On Wednesday nights, Mission Adelante hosts a youth program called Youth Club, offering youth mentoring, fellowship, and encouragement as teens grow in their walk with Jesus.
When I was younger, my sister Carla and her husband, Daniel, always tried to convince me to attend Teens Adelante, which is what Youth Club was called back then. I was always hardheaded and never wanted to join. Then, back in middle school, I got in trouble, and my mom forced me to attend Teens Adelante. Little did she know that it was going to be one of the greatest gifts of my life.
I walked through the doors of Mission Adelante and immediately felt welcomed by the volunteers and other participants. It was a small but very close group of teens. The teen volunteers didn't waste any time getting to know me. I genuinely felt loved by my mentors.
Growing up, I was always a believer, but I was never truly close to God. Teens Adelante helped me get to know God more and draw closer to Him. I learned how to pray and worship God at just 13 years old. Welcoming God into my life was the greatest gift I could have ever received from getting in trouble at school.
The way the leaders and volunteers poured into me gave me a passion to do the same for the younger generation. Now, I am the Youth Ministry Manager and have the opportunity to do God's work by investing in the lives of young people.
Even to this day, the same volunteers who invested in me are still investing in the youth we serve. That means a lot to me and shows just how powerful long-term investment can be.
I encourage you to join our volunteer crew and be a part of what God is doing through Youth Club. You never know how your time, encouragement, and investment in a young person's life could impact them for years to come. Let's continue doing what God is calling us to do and invest in the next generation.