Each Monday evening, for the last four years the Every Nation Café in Gostenhof has been filled with life, laughter and delicious food. All caused by the young people who come to GoTeens, an open meeting for teenagers, who stream in, full of excitement, from the local neighborhood.
GoTeens began when a few girls became too old for the children’s group GoKick. Take Despina for example, who has faithfully attended from the beginning, and now has completed her high school education. At 17 years old, she is one of the oldest, most-loved and respected of the teenagers. She enjoys leading the others, loves to help with cooking, or in mediating conflicts.
When GoTeens begins one of the first questions is, “What’s the theme for tonight?” Each time there will be some input relevant for teenagers and for their lives, such as “What talents and skills do I have?”, “How can I deal with anxiety or insecurity?” or “What is genuine love?” As they talk with each other, the young people learn to respect and be considerate of the others and to deal with differences of opinion. At the end, they cook a meal together and enjoy eating it around a beautifully set table. Sometimes there are special activities, such as craftwork, karaoke, photography or a film.
Through all these things, the teenagers enjoy the personal relationships, conversations, prayer and encouragement. At the moment, we have ten in the group. When we leave at the end of the evening, there is always a big hug and an encouraging word. Everyone looks forward to the next time!
