Listening for Answers to the Questions Every Teenager Is AskingSample

Day Six

You Belong Here

Scripture: Deuteronomy 10:19; Matthew 25:35; John 13:35

Hospitality is a term we often reduce to mean “having someone over for dinner” or maybe to refer to the hotel or restaurant industry. But in our rich Christian tradition of discipleship, hospitality means so much more. It means making room for others. Welcoming the stranger. Saying “you belong here” to someone who doesn’t expect it. 

As our colleague Scott Cormode likes to say, hospitality means giving the privileges of insiders to outsiders.

Deuteronomy 10:19 instructs God’s people: “You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (NRSV).

Jesus both practiced hospitality and received it. One of the primary reasons the gospel spread was because Christians practiced a new kind of hospitality—welcoming not just important people but even the most marginalized. This was how the early church developed a reputation of love. 

Sharing food is certainly part of hospitality, but in our relationships, homes, and churches, we’re invited to lean into a vision of hospitality that is much greater. Here are some ways we can foster hospitality-focused connections with teenagers as part of our everyday “Yes” to God. 

Notice them: From a warm welcome at the door to a mention of the teenage experience in a sermon, let young people know they are noticed. It matters to teenagers to be welcomed by other teenagers, so work with committed youth to intentionally reach out to those who are new or on the margins. 

Involve them: Nothing cements a young person’s connection to church like being given a job to do. Involve teenagers in any role you would involve adults—from up-front leadership and ministry with children to behind-the-scenes work and serving senior adults. 

Give them significance: Communicate to teenagers, “We are not all of who we are without you.” Repeat the message over and over that they are necessary and indispensable in the body of Christ. 

Connect virtually: Meeting virtually often requires more effort to reinforce we are WITH one another, but it can be done. Thoughtful opening sharing questions, attentive empathy to group members throughout, breaking into smaller groups periodically, and involving teenagers in planning and executing your gathering can help young people feel known whether they are sitting shoulder to shoulder or device to device. 

When have you felt welcomed in a situation or relationship even though you were a “stranger”? What helped you feel like you belonged?