Refugia (Grades 7 - 12): April Recap

The month of April has brought a significant new development for Refugia. The kids suggested that we make a TikTok account for the group. Now, the stereotype is that Millenials are good with technology and especially social media, but I'll be the first to admit - I didn't know the first thing about TikTok. This was a case where as a leader I had to take some direction from the kids to figure out the app. They've taught me a lot, and we've managed to make several short videos advertising the group. This process has really engaged the kids, and brought them out in ways that I haven't seen before. I'm learning how important it is as a youth worker to focus on empowering the kids' strengths to draw them deeper into the life of the community.

Our theme of theological reflection this month was a focus on cults. I understand that you may be wondering why we would engage the topic of cults as a youth group, which is a fair question. My goal as a youth worker is to always pursue liberation, resilience, and life for the kids. Within studying cults, we learned a good amount about the dangerous side social psychology. For example, cults use isolation from friends and family as a tactic to decrease critical thinking and increase a person's vulnerability. While the kids may never interact with an actual cult in their lifetime, they will certainly have relationships: and harmful relationships often start with the same general tactics that cults do. Studying an extreme example helps to highlight where these philosophies and psychological tactics will arise in our personal lives.

The youth that we have are a great group of kids, and I trust that no matter where they find themselves, they will be resilient, thoughtful individuals who positively impact the people they encounter.

To learn more about activities available for youth, please visit the Youth Ministry webpage.