Intentional Effort

Two Tips for Youth Adjusting to Adult Worship Service

February 2, 2025 / Youth Sunday School / Aaron Lee

This article has been adapted from a Sunday School message aimed primarily towards youth students at FCBC Walnut. The following is an edited version of the transcription. There may be spelling or grammatical errors.


Youth can better adjust to the adult worship service with intentional effort in preparation and participation.

Introduction
So, I think in the discussion we had earlier, it was mentioned that sometimes people don’t like the transition, or they don’t feel comfortable making it. Let me give you some tips that might help.

I do think that youth worship is unique, and it’s something special. I’m happy to be a part of it, but the reality is that youth service isn’t something you’ll be in forever. If you decide to stay in youth service long-term, hopefully it’s in a serving capacity, and you’re not just sitting there. You’re there to get involved. So, here are some tips for transitioning to adult service.

One thing that’s unique about our church is that you get to experience an adult service. Some of you will go to college and attend a church where most of the congregation is college-aged. But one thing our church offers is an intergenerational experience. We have both older and younger people worshiping together. However, that does mean you’ll need to put in a little extra effort.

Let me explain. When you first attend adult service, especially as a freshman, and you’re no longer part of youth group, it’s important to anticipate that you’re not going to be serving. You’ll just be sitting there, and it can feel a little strange at first. If you’ve been serving for a long time, it might feel like, "What’s the point?" Because we’re so used to being active, it can feel different to just sit and be present. But remember, church isn’t just about service; it’s about coming together to worship God. So now, instead of serving, you’re participating as a member of the congregation—not in a leadership role like worship leader or preacher.


1. Prepare

Shifting your mindset is key. Once you do that, it’ll feel less jarring. You’ll know what to expect. And that means you need to prepare. Make sure you get enough sleep before church, because you’re no longer waking up early for practice or anything like that. But you do still need to get to church on time—maybe even a little early. This gives you time to talk to people or get a good seat. There’s a lot of preparation that will make it easier. You can’t just show up to church anymore. You need to plan ahead. Think about your Saturday night—are you going to eat before church, or are you going to arrive on an empty stomach?


2. Participate

Now, because you’re not serving in any leadership capacity and you might not have your usual youth group friends around you, you need to actively participate in the adult service. Church is really what you make it. Our church isn’t one of those huge mega-churches where everything is huge and high-energy every week. But that also means we need you to be involved. As a worship leader, it’s not going to be like Phil Wickham leading worship here, right? The quality of worship is shaped by the congregation as much as the worship leaders. If you sing, we’ll be able to play better, and in turn, the congregation will sing better. It’s a feedback loop. It’s not solely on the worship team; we need everyone involved.

Participation also means taking notes during the sermon. I try to encourage youth to take notes so they can retain what they learn and carry it with them throughout the week. Don’t just come and sit there—engage with the message.

Another important part of participation is spending time talking to people before and after service. A lot of times, people rush out after church, but if you want to build community, you have to stick around and talk to people. Once you’re older, you’ll probably be driving yourself to church, so there’s a bit more flexibility. But make the most of your Sunday mornings to be with the people in the church community.

Finally, once you’ve gotten used to this, I’d suggest looking for areas where you can serve. I don’t recommend jumping into serving immediately, even in music. It’s better to first attend and get used to being just a member of the congregation. Then, after a while, you can think about where you might want to serve in the worship service. Of course, serving in the worship service isn’t the only option. There are plenty of other ways to get involved in the church.

Conclusion

Hopefully, these tips will help make Sunday mornings a little bit easier, especially for those of you going off to college.

Alright, guys, thanks for the time. It’ll feel a little weird because once you graduate from this class, you’re not really our students anymore—you’re more like our peers. We’re still older than you, of course, but it’s not the same dynamic as when we were your teachers. We’re excited to see you, and even if you don’t end up staying at this church, you’re always welcome to visit and say hi to us!