A youth movement

Throughout the 18 years that I have lived in the Sandpoint area, I have marveled at the willingness of most churches to work together to see the Gospel spread, and the culture of God’s Kingdom to be revealed through the love and unity of the Body of Christ. 

For a season, I was a volunteer leader of our youth ministry and had the privilege of meeting with other youth leaders in the area where we would look for ways for our youth groups to gather, connect, and grow together. We would host youth nights at each other’s churches and have guest speakers come, culminating in a large New Year’s Eve event. The best part was that we all understood that the next generation needed to be saved and discipled. We also knew it takes more than one church to see a generation catch fire for Jesus. 

In this season, we are seeing God do something similar where a group of youth ministries are connecting to create a space for worship, equipping, and challenging of students to activate their faith and their voice for the Gospel. This monthly gathering is called RIOT: Revival In Our Time. 

RIOT is a collaborative effort of currently 10 ministries, and it is hoping to expand. There is a joint ministry worship team and equipping from different speakers and hosts each month that will challenge this generation to reach their peers for Christ. The launch event is Friday, Jan. 26, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Parkside Church. For more information on this exciting event, you can visit them on Instagram @r.i.o.t.for_jesus2024.

Chris Bassett is the senior pastor at Harvest Valley Worship Center. You can find out more at hvwc.com.