Chicago, Illinois High School Youth Ministries

The Chicago High School Ministry hosts a monthly HighEST (High Schoolers Experience the Spirit Together) event, and in September they rented a gymnasium for a special “HighEST Race” event— a day of games set up in stations.

They grouped the youth into teams, which made it easier for them to interact with each other. A member of the staff led each team, which allowed them to get to know the youth more personally while helping them accomplish the tasks needed to win the games. This event was a successful opportunity to break the ice for the rest of the semester.

The Youth Ministry team in Chicago made a special effort to invite high school youth who do not participate regularly in events, and fortunately, they were able to see many new faces at this event. The team spirit set a solid foundation of relationships for the year to come.

“I think this monthly activity was very valuable,” said a staff member. “Many of us as staff are brand new to this ministry and to organize an event like this was very much needed to get a feel of things. We are hoping to add more aspects into this high school ministry.”