There is something special about seeing young people come together in the middle of a busy week to connect, worship, and encourage one another. Recently, we had the privilege of partnering with Christ Church Kenilworth (CCK) to host a midweek concert for the young people of the church that were serving at the holiday club and surrounding youth groups.
The event took place at Christ Church Kenilworth in Kenilworth, where the building was filled with around 80 young people gathered. One of my favourite parts of the evening was seeing our Creative Collective artists take the stage and share their music. There is always a bit of anticipation before young people perform and it wasn’t just about the music itself, it was about seeing our team use their gifts to encourage other young people.
Throughout the night, there was a real sense of connection in the room. We laughed together during the games, sang along to the performances, and spent time simply enjoying being together. In between the music, one of our Message Trust team members shared a word of encouragement based on the prodigal son, reminding us of who God is and how He is at work in our lives.
What really stood out to me was how engaged everyone was. Sometimes at youth events people can hang back and be reluctant to join in, but that wasn’t the case. The young people responded so positively to the music and supported every artist.
One of the most meaningful moments came right at the end of the evening. Naomi closed the gathering in a word on the prodigal son and ended in prayer; she led everyone through the salvation prayer. Even though the young people present were largely already believers, hearing an entire room full of young people confidently praying together was powerful. It was a simple but beautiful reminder that we are part of something bigger than ourselves, a community of young people committed to following Jesus together.
We are so grateful for our partnership with Christ Church Kenilworth and for opportunities like this to invest in young people. Nights like these may seem simple on the surface, but they create space for friendships to grow, faith to deepen, and young people to be reminded that they belong.
We’d love your prayers as we continue building relationships with the young people we met and as our partnership with Christ Church Kenilworth continues to grow. We trust that God is already at work in their lives, and we’re excited to see what He does next.
Written by Gilead Engelbrecht
