So You’re Rebuilding Your Youth Group…
by Tony Gnecco, SSP Board member & group liaison for Asbury United Methodist Church in Livermore, CA
“… but our Youth Group is too small for SSP now.”
The challenge is real. Our teenagers lead very busy and stressful lives, and they fill their summer with weeks of sports, camps, and vacations. Additionally, the overall size of the youth group is shrinking at our church and most other local churches. Those things make it much harder than it used to be to put together a youth-focused trip to SSP in the summer.
Faced with these challenges, our church decided in 2023 to open up the invitation to serve for a week at SSP to the entire congregation and go as an intergenerational group instead of just a youth-focused group.
“The challenge is real. Our teenagers lead very busy and stressful lives, [making] it much harder to put together a youth-focused trip.”
Our group in 2023 was small, but diverse (one youth, two young adults, and two adults). We all fit in one minivan, so we got to spend a lot of time together on the road – which was good. We learned a lot about each other’s music, childhoods, and experiences with church. It was definitely good to hear different perspectives on those things, and our group came home much closer than when we started.
In 2024, our team grew to six youth, three young adults, and seven adults (all young at heart!). Eight out of the sixteen were first-time SSP participants.
Working together on construction projects, just hanging out during free time or shower time, and the 9-hour car ride to and from Del Norte County gave us all more than enough time to make connections across generations and come back to Livermore with a new appreciation for the people that we see in church each Sunday.
“I encourage you to look within your whole church congregation and offer everyone the opportunity for an impactful week of service.”
Our 2025 group was even bigger (19), with five first-timers to SSP. Besides our youth, who are always very excited to go to SSP, the people that we find most interested in going on an intergenerational SSP trip are:
- Retired folks who like serving and building
- Young adults wanting another SSP memory
- Youth volunteer adults who want the SSP experience
- Empty-nesters who are curious about all the SSP stories their kids told after coming back from a week of service
Intergenerational weeks at SSP will be offered again in the summer of 2026. If you think your youth group is getting too small to support an SSP trip this summer, I encourage you to look within your whole church congregation and offer everyone the opportunity for an impactful week of service.
You might be surprised how many are interested and would be willing to go on an SSP adventure for a week. It’s not just for teens anymore!
Editor’s Note: Many groups like Tony’s have found opportunities to grow intergenerational connection over the years at SSP. Service-learning experiences, while helpful for youth development, isn’t just for teenagers – everyone can benefit! Join SSP in summer 2026 for an intergenerational week to see for yourself.