In a rural corner of North Carolina, a small United Methodist Church is witnessing something powerful: a movement of youth engagement, not driven by budget or spectacle, but by love, presence, and relational discipleship radically focused on Jesus.
This quiet revolution began with a problem. Their youth pastor stepped down and, despite the congregation’s best efforts, the role remained vacant. Volunteers helped lead service projects, but there was no consistent leadership.
That’s when two women—Catherine and Britney*—volunteered. One was a mom of teenagers. The other just said “yes”. Neither had training or all the answers, but they had willingness.
“I didn’t grow up in church,” Catherine admitted. “I had my doubts. But my kids were in the youth group and they wanted to know God. No one else was stepping up. So I did. I had no idea what I was doing, but I could show up. I could listen. I could love them.”
Showing Up Is the Strategy
Catherine didn’t feel equipped. She wasn’t a theologian or expert on young people. But she kept showing up. And that made all the difference.
Solo pastor Lena, who’s shepherded the church since 2020, noticed their efforts—and knew they needed support. She introduced Catherine and Britney to TENx10’s Simple Mentoring resources after she herself had participated in the Relational Discipleship Kickstart.
“It was immediately empowering,” Lena said. “It gave us a common language, a way forward. It wasn’t a new program. It was a new posture.”
Catherine agrees. “The Simple Mentoring Handbook told me I didn’t have to have all the answers,” she said. “I just needed to be consistent. Be real. That’s what Jesus did.”
She printed the handbook, highlighted it, and carried it with her. “It taught me how to ask good questions. How to show up without judgment. How to help youth feel seen, safe, and loved.”
The Ripple Effect of Relational Discipleship
Soon, showing up became a movement.
Older adults in the congregation began attending youth fundraisers, helping clean playgrounds, and even attending young people’s baseball and softball games. Church members sat with teens during meals, shared their own stories, and offered guidance.
“It was organic,” Catherine said. “People saw the youth engaged and they wanted to engage too.”
The youth began participating more visibly in church life. They served as greeters, helped with slides and readings, and pitched in at church dinners and fundraisers. One youth asked not only to be an acolyte—but to teach a class about it. Another volunteered to narrate the Christmas cantata.
“They saw they had something to offer,” Catherine said. “And the congregation responded.”
Faith Growing in Every Direction
As a pastor, Lena saw how this transformed both generations. “The youth are now contributors,” she said. “They’re looked up to by the children and respected by the adults. It’s building trust across the church and renewed faith in the next generation.”
Even more, “it’s changing how the adults view their role. They’re seeing discipleship not as a job description, but as a calling—something they can live out in simple, relational ways.”
The youth helped with Vacation Bible School this summer, serving with joy. The children even chose them for the Ice Bucket Challenge at week’s end. “They were great sports,” Lena laughed. “It was a fun moment, but also a profound one. The kids see our youth as leaders and friends.”
And the reason the youth are empowered to do relational discipleship with others is because they’re being discipled themselves.
Tools That Ground and Guide
TENx10’s Simple Mentoring resources gave both the youth team and Lena practical traction. Catherine pointed to the conversation starters, mentoring keys, and examples for how to connect faith with real life.
“I still look at the handbook regularly,” she said. “It’s not about doing things perfectly—it’s about doing them with love and just showing up. And the guidance makes it feel doable.”
Lena agreed. “Simple Mentoring and the Kickstart tools gave us a theological foundation and practical framework. It empowered me to speak about discipleship more clearly—in sermons, in meetings, and even with other pastors in our community.”
And the tools didn’t just support Catherine and Britney. They cast a vision for the entire church.
The Youth are the Church
It’s tempting to think of youth as “the future” of the church. But in this congregation, they’re the present.
“They’re helping build the church now,” Lena said. “Their presence, their gifts, their energy—it’s helping shape who we are.”
The integration isn’t just visible on Sunday mornings. It shows up in hallway conversations, in small acts of kindness, in the intergenerational friendships forming over hours spent fishing together.
When one student told Catherine she wanted to teach her own class someday, Catherine felt overwhelmed with gratitude. “She believes she belongs,” she said. “She believes she has something to give. That’s discipleship.”
And it’s not just impacting the youth. “This has revived our church’s spirit,” Lena said. “We’re more joyful, more hopeful. We’re remembering what it means to invest in one another.”
No One Left Out
The transformation has also been deeply inclusive. Britney, who doesn’t have kids in the youth group, still shows up faithfully. Older adults with fishing hobbies now invite students to join them. Church members who never considered mentoring are finding themselves in natural conversations with teens and showing up to sporting events.
“They’re not doing it because we asked,” Catherine said. “They’re doing it because they care, because they see the value.”
A Culture, Not a Program
What makes this story remarkable is what’s missing. There’s no paid youth pastor. No weekly attractional events. No special budget. Just consistent presence, practical resources, and a shared commitment to following Jesus through relationships.
“It’s not a program,” Lena said. “It’s a culture. And anyone can start it.”
A Challenge to the Church
Catherine still doesn’t claim to have all the answers. But she knows one thing: showing up matters. And when the church surrounds young people with care, encouragement, and intentional discipleship, it changes everything.
“If you have people who are willing to love and listen,” Lena said, “you have what you need.” TENx10’s Simple Mentoring and Relational Discipleship Kickstart didn’t just equip leaders—they helped awaken a church to its calling.
The invitation is open. Will your next yes change a young person’s life—and maybe your whole church, too?
*Names have been changed to protect privacy.