How to Talk with a Teenager:  Just Talk


Apparently not much happens in the lives of teenagers.  They rarely offer up a description of their day at school or what happened at youth group – to adults, that is.  Getting information out of teens is like … yeah, it’s like pulling teeth.    That’s what effective youth volunteers do best: they pull teeth.

“Passivity is the worst enemy when working with kids,” says Youth Pastor Tony Hunt.  “Frankly, any personality can be a good youth worker, but one essential characteristic is initiative.  Those who succeed say, ‘I’m going to make contact with teens, be present, and start conversations.’”
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There’s This Unusual Guidance Counselor in the Church You Gotta Know

Professional baseball umpire Dave Lesko might thumb you out for sliding into second base on an attempted steal, but then he would offer you a hand up. 

Guidance Counselor Dave Lesko might prod you as a student to start getting your head focused on post-high school plans, and then listen patiently to whatever personal stuff is eating away at you. 

And Christian Dave Lesko?  He just loves you.

You can pick Dave easily out of the crowd at a West Shore Sunday morning service: tall, thin, athletic -- and, uh, hair-deficient.  He’s much like Uncle George, Dave’s Sunday School teacher when he was in Junior High.  Uncle George was a simple man, an appliance salesman, with a vise-grip handshake from lifting refrigerators all day.  Even at 80 years old, he would put his hand firmly on your shoulder, which would get your attention, and warmly ask, “How are you doing today?”  And he really wanted to know.  “Tell me what you did this past week?” he would ask.  “Did you do the right thing?“  You knew he cared. 
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