In the wake of July’s Unite conferences, The Companion checked in with members of a youth group who had a significant positive experience. Missional storyteller Jelani Greenidge had a virtual sit-down with several members of On Ramps Covenant Church in Fresno, California—youth leaders Brandon and Jessica Jackson, student leader Malachi Fletcher, and high school junior Kaylin Skei—to discuss their experience at Unite West. Brandon and Jessica have attended On Ramps for nearly eight years, Kaylin has been involved with the church since its inception, and Malachi recently took on his leadership role after attending Unite West as a student in 2022.
These four were part of a robust delegation of 19, including six adults, nine students, three small children, and a cat named Madam Jean Parmesan.
So tell me about some of your experiences at Unite this year?
Malachi: For me, Unite was a great experience because it brought together all the people in my life with whom I can really talk about God, for a week. Being close together, I was able to gain more understanding of God and how I see matters of faith.
Kaylin: The first night, there was so much adrenaline from everybody in our youth group. We’d never really been around other youth groups like that, so it was a totally different experience, and it was a lot of fun.
Brandon: Watching them interact with all the other students was really interesting too. As a leader, you’re not sure how they’re going to do, but they did a fantastic job. They grew as a group and were also able to expand some friendships beyond the group as well.
What were your expectations going into the week?
Kaylin: Honestly, we didn’t know anything. We thought we would just come, sing a few worship songs, and go back to our dorm.
Malachi: I had some information about what to expect because I went in 2022, but this year the event was on a much bigger scale. Seeing myself as a leader was a bit weird, but it was nice to be in a position to help understand and lead students.
Did being at Unite change your perception of who you are or who God is?
Kaylin: It changed my perception, for sure. The atmosphere was totally different from living your everyday life back home, and it felt like something to strive for. Like after I got back home, I felt like, Dang, my life feels boring in comparison. But I feel like I have a better grasp on how important God is in my life.
Brandon: The students we took to Unite didn’t really have a strong relationship with each other before we went, but seeing our group chat still active after Unite has been crazy! A lot of times, you think kids will just connect, and it doesn’t always happen that way. But when it does happen, it broadens what the group can be, how much they can do, and how they can trust God on their own. It’s not just me and Jess teaching them every step of the way, but it’s allowing them to experience the difficulties and hardships of life together as a group. That’s been a huge joy for me, and it’s allowed me to let go somewhat, and let them figure things out. I don’t have to be the “dad” of the youth ministry, I can allow them to figure things out.
Jess: I’ve seen a lot of growth in myself and in others. For one of our participants, this was the most time he’d spent with our youth group, with our church in general. He came to visit us from Oregon a few times, and right before this trip he felt like God was calling him to move to Fresno, and he just decided he wanted to walk alongside Brandon and me so we could teach him about youth ministry. He came just in time for the trip, and he was phenomenal. I saw how our boys connected with him, and I saw growth in our other leaders as well. And then afterward, we heard major areas of growth from the students as well. They shared things about their experiences with God that they’d never confided in us before. They’ve been learning and seeing that God is shaping their minds even to know what to pray for and that they can trust God with that. That’s been great for us to see.
The theme of Unite was “the rest of your life.” Did it feel like you were able to do that? Do you look at rest differently than you did before?
Malachi: I mean, I see rest as spending time in prayer, spending time with God. So that part didn’t change.
Kaylin: I liked the double meaning, rest as in sleep, but also rest as in remainder. I was realizing the importance of spending time with God, because the decisions we make today are just a fragment of what life could be if we make the right decisions.
Do you think being at Unite will help your youth group connect more with the church overall?
Malachi: The bonds between everyone have continued, and there are no signs of stopping so I think that will make an obvious impact on the church!
Kaylin: Prior to the trip, I didn’t really talk to anybody…but now, our group chat is active, and I want to go to church more. Our relationships in general have really grown, and I want to continue to be a part of that.
Brandon: If this phase continues, I can only see it growing. So even when new people come into the youth group, we’ll be able to remind our students, “Hey, remember when our youth group wasn’t that close? Let’s help them get closer into the circle as well.”
Brandon, Jess, and the youth group have already begun gathering ideas around how to make the next Unite even better, including more ideas around more culturally inclusive worship music, allowing more time for transition and rest, and exposing more students to diverse experiences so that students have a better idea what to expect.
