Programming challenges/successes through COVID-19

Working in youth ministry this summer, despite the challenges due to COVID-19, has been ultimately very rewarding. I have been able to help develop programming and create ways for ministry to continue despite the challenges of this summer. One of the projects I helped develop was a “class” on social justice issues, particularly racial justice and white privilege. As we were thinking through this programming, it seemed best to me to use movies as the medium to launch these conversations. I was able to choose the movies to watch, and I alongside other leaders each watched them earlier and wrote questions. We have watched Just Mercy, The Hate U Give, Selma, Avatar, and Hidden Figures. I contributed to this project both logistically, by researching which movies would be available to watch and their respective ratings to allow for a middle and high school audience, and creatively, by suggesting we watch movies instead of read books or articles. I thought that watching movies, both fiction and based on true stories, would be a good way to involve the most students. These conversations have been small, as engagement is down due likely to Zoom fatigue for students, but have also been very successful and productive in terms of asking the tough questions to students about racial justice.

Another project that I introduced this summer was creating a “subscription box” for families with youth. These boxes were free of charge, as the summer budget for youth activities and trips had not been used due to the COVID-19 crisis. They are themed for each month of the summer and are created to try to promote involvement in church life despite the lack of in person church gatherings. June’s theme was prayer, and July’s theme is justice/loving your neighbor. The boxes are small, but they still offer a form of community for youth. In preparation for this internship, I reached out to some of my most faithful friends to see what their churches were doing, and a church in Richmond is doing these subscription boxes. I brought the idea to my boss, and have planned the boxes, organized each one, gathered the materials, and delivered each box to the homes of students who have opted in. I think that these are a good reminder for students that the church still cares for them even though this summer does not have normal programming.