When Christ Community of Naples Youth first began, it consisted of 3-5 students who met in different houses in the community. As the church has grown, the youth group has also grown. Currently, CCN Youth hosts over thirty-five students weekly, and there are new faces at every meeting. On Wednesday nights, students from high schools all over Naples and Marco Island come together for an evening full of fun and fellowship.
CCN Youth is an excellent opportunity to spend time with others. It is also a great way to keep your faith in check during the week, aside from church on Sundays. The youth group helps high schoolers learn more about God’s Word in an interactive and engaging way, whether they’ve been attending church their whole lives or are just beginning to learn about their faith. At the end of each lesson, the students break into small groups, where they discuss the message with their peers and youth leaders.
“Small groups allow us to open up and express our feelings about the message for the day. It provides us with a nonjudgmental environment in which we can ask for prayer requests and share life’s troubles with trusted adults and friends.” – Collette Combs, a senior at MIA
CCN Youth is centered around community. Students support each other, hold one another accountable, and push each other to grow in faith. Students engage in games and eat snacks before each lesson. The youth pastor and leaders arrange theme nights, such as the yearly “cereal night.” Students especially love the holiday activities, such as gingerbread house competitions, ugly sweater contests, snowball dodgeball, pumpkin carving fest, and the turkey bowl flag football tournament. They also enjoy the pickleball tournaments, youth group olympics, wearing the CCN Youth t-shirts, and going out for pizza or Chipotle after meetings. The girls at CCN Youth have also engaged in fun activities outside of the church, including charcuterie board nights, Valentine’s Day brunch, and coffee dates with small group leaders.
“When joining a church at my age, youth group was an amazing place for me to figure out where I belong and a prime opportunity for me to take the next steps in my faith. It has provided me with a community and a healthy Christian environment to grow. I am now serving in other CCN Youth ministries on Sundays and helping younger kids learn about God’s Word.”- Jenna Golec, a senior at MIA
Kyle Rahtjen, the youth pastor at CCN, describes CCN youth as a safe space to hear about God‘s Word and learn about faith. “My goal is to create an environment that encourages students, and gives them the ability to have fun. I want everyone to walk away from the meeting, feeling like they are better equipped with the tools to continue to grow and develop in their own faith.”
Kyle shares how he loves working with students, a passion he has pursued since graduating college in 2010. “One of my favorite things about CCN youth is when you can see a student start to make decisions for faith on their own. Faith is often passed down to children from their parents, but once they grow older, particularly as a high school student, it is important to find and discover faith in God on their own.” Kyle also works with students at FCA on Thursday mornings at MIA. He appreciates the opportunity to start the school day by encouraging students with God’s Word.”
CCN youth has participated in many service projects in response to the call for help in the communities of Marco Island and Naples. These projects include hurricane cleanups, packaging Christmas gifts for Operation Christmas Child, and preparing meals for struggling families. Students also choose to serve at Sunday services, whether it be through taking photos, controlling the slideshow, greeting people at the door, serving in children’s ministry, or maintaining social media.
Come join CCN youth at their next meeting! For more information, contact the youth pastor, Kyle, at 630-945-0145.
