Time for the Teens

If you are a parent of teenagers or youth, you’ll know all too well the challenge of getting young ones away from the screen and out making friends.

This is a challenge that Miriam Andrews, ministry leader and youth director at Trinity Church, Victor Harbor – herself a mum to three teenage children – had in mind when in 2018, she established two Sunday youth programs at the church.

The free programs run every Sunday during the school term at Investigator College, with one option for children in grades five to eight and another for grades nine to twelve.

Crucially, Miriam explained, the youth groups are open to anyone to join – parents of teenagers don’t have to be attending church to bring their kids along.

Miriam said a growing number of young people are disconnecting from community and from one another.

“It seems almost normal that young people face mental health challenges, drug dependence, accommodation insecurity, bullying, anxiety and stress within families,” Miriam said.

“One really heartwarming thing I see in our church community, is that we have open doors to include people in the community going through a hard time.”