When North Hills church pastors Angel Smith and Tim Cress realized the opportunity before them when it came to youth ministry, they jumped at the challenge. Smith had directed a canvassing program and Cress had hosted three teen challenge weeks when he was a next gen pastor in Colorado, so they were well equipped to create something great.
“Teen challenge week is a chance for teens to spend a week growing in their faith by having worship together, studying the Bible, and also participating in different challenging activities,” shared Smith, associate pastor at North Hills church. “The idea is that the teenagers who attend will bond, connect, make friends, and grow in their faith.”
While local Vacation Bible School programs often aren’t hard to find, this event is meeting a need in the community for summer activities for middle school and high school students.
Last summer was the first teen challenge week at North Hills. Every day has a theme, a devotional time, and an accompanying challenge. This summer, 16 teens participated, more than half of whom were not members of the church.
“I love seeing the kids connect, and by the end of the week, they’re not in silos anymore—they’re not a ‘me,’ they’re an ‘us,’” Cress, senior pastor at North Hills church, noticed. “There’s just so much camaraderie, teamwork, and willingness to be yourself amongst peers, which isn’t always easy if you’re a high school or middle school student.”
One teen was visiting from Paris when her host family found teen challenge week while searching for teen day camps. She was set to fly in the night before teen challenge week started, and her host family signed her up right away.
“For her, it was huge,” Smith recalled. “How does she connect, practice her English, and make friends in the short period of two weeks that she is here? She came to our church that weekend after the program and all the teens went to her after the program. It was nice to see that she was able to connect. I’m grateful that we were able to provide for her in that way.”
“I think every church should do a teen challenge week,” Cress said. “It’s going to cost some money. It’s going to take some time. But it’s all worth the work.”
