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A monthly newsletter to highlight ministries, news, and events at First Pres
APRIL 2019
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Dear Friends,
A few years back while reading Hurt 2.0 by Chap Clark, I was struck by an observation he made. He noted that currently, most of our activities or spaces for youth are created by adults and are geared towards expectations that adults have set for youth. In all these spaces, youth are primarily recipients of whatever it is that adults want to offer them. In reading this, I realized two things.
- This described our youth ministry perfectly. Much of our youth ministry had been created by adults for youth. I had tried to be intentional about listening to the youth and receiving their feedback, but at the end of the day, I held the reins.
- This was not the way of Christ. In fact, the paradigm is flipped. In Luke 18:17, Jesus says, “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” Rather than adults setting the example for youth, our youth set the example for adults of what receiving the Kingdom looks like. In God’s economy, youth are not solely recipients, but divine image-bearers who have gifts and wisdom to offer. Now. Not later, but now.
We’re trying to change how we think about and do ministry. As I've been planning to step away from my role later this summer, I've been grateful for how we are learning the joys of journeying with youth towards Jesus’ abundant life. In addition to Youth Ministry's upcoming mission trip to Mexico and other activities, there are great new things happening. Read a few highlights below. We are learning from youth and with them. And when we learn to listen to them and even let them lead us, we are experiencing the Kingdom joy we all long for!
Grace and Peace,
Calvin Sodestrom
Director, Youth & Family Ministries
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Youth Ministry Commitment to No Empty Rooms
By Students and Staff
The Youth Ministry is launching the No Empty Rooms campaign to invite our church to walk alongside unaccompanied minors, whether by accompanying them to court hearings or housing them in a guest room. Here are the facts:
- There are currently 137 unaccompanied minors enrolled at Oakland International High School.
- There are around 700 unaccompanied minors in the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD).
- Since 2014, there have been over 2,000 unaccompanied minors enrolled in OUSD.
- The average cost for a Low Bono lawyer who can advocate for these youth in their court hearings and help them navigate the immigration system is $7,000-$10,000.
When an unaccompanied minor comes across the border, they may be placed with family, whether that is their own parent or a distant relative. When youth are placed with distant relatives, there is a higher likelihood that the relationship can break down, leading to housing insecurity. This housing insecurity can lead to encounters with the criminal justice system, which can lead to deportation.
There are families within our church who have the space, resources, and willingness to accompany or house these vulnerable youth.
We recognize that this is a big ask, so we’ll begin with an information session to explain the current issues. From there, people can sign up to explore more!
The meeting will be on Sunday, May 5 at 1 pm in the Calvin Room. We look forward to you joining us and learning more about how we can come alongside our migrant neighbors.
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Join us Sunday, May 5 at 1 pm in the Calvin Room to learn about No Empty Rooms. This meeting is for all —those who want to learn more as well as those who want to take next steps. For questions, email Calvin Sodestrom at calvins@fpcberkeley.org.
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Youth Worship Band
Encouraging Leadership through Service
By Allie Schibsted, Youth Coordinator
As you probably know, there are a lot of talented individuals in our congregation. The youth constantly blow me away with their maturity, talent, dedication, and passion. Many of our students are talented in music and have honed their skills to share their talent with others. Whether it’s classical violin, acoustic guitar, or producing electronic beats, we have a wide population of youth who are passionate about music.
When our student worship leader graduated last year, I had an idea. Instead of having Calvin and me be the main worship leaders, I suggested that we have the students do it. So, we developed a student worship team, comprised of both middle and high schoolers. We typically consist of vocals, a guitar, a cello, a piano, and a cajon.
 Music in a worship setting is meant to be a shared experience, and this is exactly what we do. It has been a blast seeing the students grow in their musical abilities, as well as in their leadership skills. The layers of the cello, piano, and guitar create beautiful instrumentation that enhances our worship experience as a youth group.
Although the musical experience has been phenomenal, I would say the best part is giving youth the platform to share their gifts. There was one Thursday night I couldn’t make, and our middle schoolers stepped up and led the whole youth group in worship. That was a proud moment for me—seeing our students take the lead in something they wouldn’t have felt comfortable doing a year prior.
We hope to continue building our worship team as the year goes on. Be in prayer that the students will continue to grow in confidence in their ability to lead this youth group, and eventually, the church!
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