Because youth matter, and we have the opportunity to reach teens at a pivotal time in their lives. Our goal is to reach youth before they are faced with an unplanned pregnancy, and to encourage them to rethink what they have heard about abortion, Planned Parenthood, sex, and what it means to be pro-life.
Are we making a difference?
A 15-year-old student, Jenny*, has been attending the youth class regularly since September 2023. Initially, she was quiet, insecure, and kept to herself, but loved baking and cooking. Eventually, she began to trust the leaders and open up.
In the summer, we had a self-defense class. During this class, we began to see Jenny’s confidence grow. She even invited her sister to attend the class.
In our next youth cooking class, we had Jenny be our unofficial assistant as we worked with the new students. There was another female student who was a few years younger, and I noticed that Jenny tried to connect with her by showing her how to follow the recipes, asking about her home life, and her interests. It was encouraging to see Jenny approach someone to connect with them.
It’s been a blessing to watch Jenny grow in confidence. When asked what they would like in the future, Jenny asked for a Bible study. For our first youth class in 2025, we had a Bible study/baking class. Pray for Jenny and the other students who faithfully come to the class. Pray that more young people will attend the classes, and that we continue to boldly share the Gospel as we have this opportunity to minister to the youth of Reading.
