As this year comes to an end, the rise in religion is certainly not. Recent polls indicate religion has a rising influence in the lives of Americans, especially among young people.
Syler Thomas is the influetial pastor of community and life at Christ Church in Lake Forest . He oversees all the small groups and activities that happen at the church. For this year, there has been a slight increase in general attendance. He says the church wants everyone to feel welcome and that it’s a positive thing, especially to see people coming and having fun.
“It’s great to see people get connected and to see that people are interested in serving,” Syler said.
A popular group that Christ Church provides is SHYG (Senior High Youth Group). This is a Sunday bible study for high schoolers who want to come together to worship. The head of this program is youth pastor Luke Babbe.
Since the new cycle of SHYG has started, Babbe has seen an increase in attendance, with over 30 new kids joining. Every week, they have at least two new members who join and end up staying. A good way to bring kids closer is the retreats that they host, as well as get-togethers at Feed My Starving Children.
“We love when new people come in, especially if they already have friends who are a part of SHYG. It shows us that students like to talk about the program and have the ability to invite new members,” Luke Babbe said.
For Lake Forest High School, Fellowship of Christian Athletes or FCA is a way for students to come together and talk about the gospel. This is a program that is known across the country for meetings that incorporate spreading the gospel with books like “The Core.”
Leader Ethan Farrell is one of eight who run this club every other Thursday before school. He has been going since his sophomore year, and people from all different churches, like Saint Mary’s, Christ Church, and First Presbyterian, are in attendance. They have had a steady presence so far this year, with over 25 members and continued growth.
“There are a lot more leaders this year, which is surprising because we lost some of our main leaders because of graduation,” Farrell said.
Leaders are mainly upperclassmen, but that shouldn’t stop freshmen and sophomores from making an appearance and helping out. As the year progresses, they hope to have more people coming in, which is a very positive thing.
