Preteen and Youth
When Jesus called his followers to make disciples of all nations, he made no distinctions based on gender, race, culture or age. The church is called to make disciples of everyone, including children and teenagers.
RLA Preteen and RLA Youth seek to connect students with God, with one another, with the broader church body, and with their friends outside the church.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
RLA Preteen
RLA Preteen helps children transition from RLA Kids to RLA Youth and into the church at large in a healthy and fruitful way.
Sundays
Every Sunday, RLA Preteen joins the congregation for the first set of musical worship in our main gatherings. Dismissed from the pulpit, preteens then meet our volunteers in the foyer and go to the cafeteria for times of hearing the word of God preached from the Bible, discussing or doing activities that reinforce the teaching, and hanging out and building deeper friendships. Kids then return to the main church gathering for a time of responsive worship with the adults. There is a row reserved for them so they don’t need to find their parents in the dark auditorium.
Quarterly
Once a quarter, RLA Preteen holds an event or gathering like a pizza party or beach day, after which they join RLA Youth for their “First and Third” Saturday night Bible study.
Sign Up to Serve
If you’re interested in volunteering with RLA Preteen, please fill out the RLA volunteer form and mark “RLA Preteen” as your area of interest.
RLA Youth
Sunday Youth Connects
Every Sunday, RLA Youth invites students into a safe place where they can connect with one another and be challenged by the gospel. Sunday Youth Connects don’t replace involvement in Reality LA Sunday gatherings; rather, these meetings serve as a unique opportunity to discuss the bible, ask tough questions, and build friendships.
Note on parking: Generally, we encourage all Sunday attendees to park in the St. Andrews lot. However, if your family needs to park in the Helen Bernstein parking structure, please be aware that 9AM attendees must move their cars by 11:30AM, and 12PM attendees cannot enter the structure before 11:30AM. Click here for important details on Sunday parking and transportation.
First and Third
Every first and third Saturday of the month, we host a bible study for 7th through 12th grade students. We spend the first 30 minutes hanging out and eating dinner together (dinner is always provided). The next 30 minutes is given to studying the bible together. We then spend an hour in discussion, separating younger from older students or male from female students (depending on subject matter). After discussion, we go get frozen yogurt and hang out together for another hour (for drop-off and pick-up information, please contact youth@realityla.com).
Once a quarter, RLA Preteen with join RLA Youth for First and Third
First and Third is a great place for students to invite their non-Christian friends. There are opportunities for questions, open and honest dialogue, and a laid back time hanging out and building friendships with one other.
Weekly Discipleship
One of RLA Youth’s values is connecting students with the rest of the church body as a whole. We don’t believe teenagers are simply the future of the church, but are currently vital members of it.
RLA Youth’s committed and mature adult leaders spend a lot of time building relationships with the students. As the leaders and students grow in their friendships, leaders are encouraged to hang out with students throughout the week, seeking opportunities to disciple and mentor them as disciples of Jesus.
Sign Up to Serve
Discipling students is an important part of Reality LA’s mission, and central to that mission are committed, mature leaders. Because we want students to know Jesus and follow Him, leaders must faithfully represent Christ in their words and behavior. In effect, we as leaders want to show students what it looks like to live lives transformed by the gospel.
If you’re interested in volunteering as an RLA Youth leader, please fill out the RLA volunteer form and mark “RLA Youth” as your area of interest.
Have any questions?
For more information or any questions not answered here, email us.
Parents: You can stay connected with these ministries by joining the RLA Preteen (5th-6th grades) or RLA Youth (7th-12th grades) groups on RLA Connect.
