“Youth Takeover Sunday”

Teens Lead Worship at Immanuel Lutheran 

As members and guests arrived for services at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Memphis on February 26, they immediately noticed something a little different from most Sundays. From the moment they entered the church building, they were greeted by members of Immanuel’s Senior Youth. Once seated in the sanctuary, a choir of young voices sang praise songs, setting the tone for worship. Prayers, readings and the Children’s Message were all shared by enthusiastic teens; youth were even at the helm of the soundboard and worship slides. It was as if the teens of the church had taken over—because they had. In fact, the Senior Youth of Immanuel, under the leadership of its Director of Christian Education, A.J. Vega, had worked for several months to coordinate every detail of what it called “Youth Takeover Sunday.” By the end of the day, nearly 20 teens had led three separate worship services for around 300 attendees, with Vega sharing the message at each service. It was a moving day for both the youth and those in the congregation. “Youth Takeover Sunday” was definitely a success—possibly even a new tradition for Immanuel!