Religion Still Influences Many
Today I had the privilege of being able to speak with a very socially involved young man. This 20 year old from Princeton Minnesota has the power to influence many youth today, and he does so by helping out at church.
Isaac Jenson helps out with the youth group at United Methodist Church along side the youth group leader who is 23. You can find him at the church on Sunday nights when the youth group gathers for its meetings. Jenson’s' main work is to just sit and talk with the kids, and lead them in their discussions as he says, "I play the games with them and just be there." For most this could mean more than just a few hours a week Isaac spends just chatting and playing games with them, for many it is a safe place where they can just relax and get advice from a trusted adult. It wasn’t always easy though, he had to teach the junior and senior youth when to realize they need to be serious and listen and when its okay to just relax and have fun.
His favorite memory was when he was actually asked to help out in this youth group. Isaac was on a summer service trip in South Dakota helping fix up their homes, and playing with the kids, just helping out any way they could. Then one day he got a call from the youth director asking if he wanted to help out at the youth group gatherings. "It was weird because I was trying to think of a way to get involved in the church," Jenson told us during the interview.
In many ways he has helped a younger generation, but for him it was much more. He was able to find something he loved doing that also benefited others. "This has greatly helped my life in a positive way. I have grown a lot spiritually."- Isaac Jenson
Written by: Melissa Holthaus
Great job on your story. I thought that everything flowed together very nicely. I liked the last quote that you included at the end too!
ReplyDeleteI liked your story, however especially in the second paragraph you had a few wordy sentences that could have been rewritten to make it easier to read. I know I do that sometimes too when I'm trying to say something in a creative way. It's definitely a challenge.
ReplyDeleteI liked the story though, especially because for two years I was heavily involved in my church's youth group as well. It really is such a rewarding experience.