All churches grow old.
Strategic churches are growing young.

Hopefully that statement gets your attention. This concept caught the attention of our church leadership as we realized that like most churches, we are both shrinking and aging as more and more young people walk away from the church and don’t look back. In last month’s Growing Young email, we gave you the overview of what it means to be a church that is Growing Young. You can go back and read that here, but essentially it involves the whole church (including you!) in reaching and engaging younger generations in a way that reenergizes the whole church.

This month we want to introduce the six things that we are committed to as a church so that we can Grow Young.

• Unlock keychain leadership: Instead of holding tightly to how we’ve always done things and limiting leadership to those who have always had it, we have to empower others, especially young people, so that we can raise up new leaders.
• Empathize with today’s young people: Instead of judging or criticizing generations that look different from our own, we have to step into the shoes of those who are younger and seek to understand where they are coming from.
• Take Jesus’ message seriously: Instead of clinging tightly to our preferences and other things that aren’t essential to the gospel, we need to simply welcome young people into a Jesus-centered way of life.
• Fuel a warm community: Instead of focusing on cool worship or programs, we need to help our congregation develop authentic peer and intergenerational friendships.
• Prioritize young people (and families) everywhere: Instead of giving lip service to how much young people matter, we have to look for creative ways to support, resource, and involve them in every aspect of church life.
• Be the best neighbors: Instead of condemning or criticizing the world outside our walls, we must empower young people to become the best neighbors possible, both locally and globally.

Like many churches, we have a long way to go. We have amazing staff that focus on our young people, but that’s not enough. If Rainier View is going to be around for the young people in our ministries to come back with their kids and grandkids, Growing Young is something that must involve every one of us.

The world is changing fast and it’s so easy to dismiss the things we don’t understand. This week, we challenge you to ask a younger person what matters to them. The answer is likely to be something you’ve never heard of and that’s okay. The key here is not to share your own experiences, but to listen and learn.

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
From Student to Leader of Leaders

Austin Hahn, a young man in his mid-20’s, has been a part of Rainier View for more than twelve years and he’s been serving in Kids Ministry for more than eight! Austin started out as a middle schooler helping in the kindergarten class, and he now leads the kindergarten through 5^th grade small group leaders and kids during the 9:00am service at RVCC Graham. Austin is passionate about helping kids understand the Bible and what it means to love Jesus. As somebody who grew up in the church and has become a leader of leaders, Austin is a great example of what it means to be Growing Young. 

Thank you, Austin,
 for investing
in RVCC Kids!

ALMOST AS MANY VOLUNTEERS AS KIDS!

Did you know that we had had not one, but TWO weeks of VBS this summer?! Our Graham VBS in June had more than 80 kids in attendance with about 30 more kids at Parkland in August. Each and every one of those kids had an opportunity meet Jesus, make new friends, play fun games, get creative with crafts, and learn so many great things! Making a big impact takes lots of people, and creating that summer experience for all of those kids involved 60 volunteers willing to give their time and energy. We are beyond grateful to have been able to host both events so RVCC kids and their friends could meet and learn about Jesus. Thank you for your generosity in helping make these two weeks happen!

Thank you for your continual support of RVCC KIDS
as we invest in the next generation of leaders.