Meet the leaders at Cornerstone Youth Group for 2025
Cornerstone Youth Group has kicked off for 2025. It’s seen some changes: a new structure, a new venue, and a mix of new and old faces in the leadership team. We interviewed three of the leaders to hear about who they are and the vision behind why they’re serving in this way.
Let’s get to know Caleb, Renee, and Hannah.
Who are you and what do you get up to with your days?
Caleb: I just graduated from UC with a mechanical engineering degree, and I also studied a short course at Ara for making barista coffee. I’m currently looking for full-time engineering work and navigating the unique time of being between study and work.
Renee: I’ve just graduated from UC in industrial product design. I’ve also just got back from a trip to India and am currently looking for work.
Hannah: I’m a recent graduate in product design and am currently working at UC teaching sketching to first year product design students. I do some freelance graphic design on the side and have also been getting into photography.
How did you end up serving in Youth Group and why do you care about youth ministry?
Caleb: Being a youth is a very formative time for how you see the world, how you relate to others and where your identity is. I want youth everywhere to grow up encouraged to see the world, relate to others and see their identity through a gospel lens. Encountering Jesus personally at this age was very formative and impacted my life. That’s why I wanted to serve in this way, and I've got the time to be involved.
Renee: I’ve been leading in Kids Space for the past few years, mainly helping to plant Kids’ Space out at Fields Church. I was stepping back from serving out at Fields this year and asked to step into youth ministry.
I care deeply about youth ministry as teenage years are such a pivotal time for youth to grow as individuals and Christians. Many people found this time to be when their faith grew to become their own. This was true for me too which is why I am so excited to be a part of this team!
Hannah: A couple of years ago, Nick called me one evening, asking me to serve in youth. Over time it has become clearer and clearer to me how much of a need there is for youth ministry at Cornerstone. For so many of my peers, their teens were such a make or break time for their faith, so I love the idea of being able to step alongside the youth at Cornerstone, to help them think through who Jesus really is.
What was your own experience of youth group like?
Caleb: Growing up in a Christian household, I was exposed to many approaches and environments under the umbrella of youth ministries. I grew up in a place where there were few ‘church kids’ but many curious youths captivated by the sense of community and support experienced at youth groups. As a result, there was quite a social focus of many of my gatherings; this is a beautiful thing which did introduce Jesus to many teens in my community. We do need to have this, but also it is so important that youth are personally encountering Jesus through being engaged with his Word on a regular basis. At Cornerstone, we have an incredible amount of families interested in our youth group who have teens that would deeply benefit from a community where they feel they belong and are engaged by God's Word.
Renee: Youth Group was a big part of my Christian journey. My church growing up had a pretty big Youth Group with many of us having grown up together. This was a space outside our school life where we could come together and have Christian community and fellowship. We regularly talked about Jesus and this was an important part in engaging and growing my faith.
Hannah: Unlike a lot of people at Cornerstone, I had no experience of Youth Group as I didn’t grow up Christian. However, as a teen I went through some massive things (losing friends, depression and anxiety, all the normal teen emotional stuff) and having someone step alongside me even just to talk to would have made an immense difference to my teen years. It excites me to be able to be that someone for the youth today, but not only that, to be able to point them to Jesus.
What role does a youth group play in God’s big picture of the church as it grows young Christians?
Caleb: A healthy Bible-teaching youth group helps our teens grow in wisdom and stature, equipping them for a life of being a healthy member or the church, serving our good God.
Renee: This age is such an important time as it’s a time for teenagers to learn and grow in their walk with God. This creates a strong foundation that sets them up for a life to serve as grounded gospel workers.
Hannah: MASSIVE! In a place where on Sunday we have such a strong kids ministry and a lot of theologian adults discussing big complex topics, it can be a tricky place for youth to feel as if they are a part of the church. They’re not kids, but they’re not adults yet. Youth Group provides a place where they can be themselves, ask questions and not only hear a talk, but discuss it afterwards with leaders who can guide them through it.
We want to nurture our teens the best we can so that they will be lifelong followers of Jesus — what a joy it is to be part of that!
What would you like to see at Youth Group this year?
Caleb: We would love to see youths’ lives transformed, where they are confident in life, have strong friendships, but most importantly faith, with their identity grounded in Jesus. A grounded identity is so critical for youth, and a healthy Bible-teaching community in youth group can really bring about these things.
Renee: I’d like to see it be a space where youth feel welcome to ask questions, can grow in their curiosity, learn more about God and apply what they learn to their lives, friendships and identity. We hope to see their lives transformed for the glory of God.
Hannah: This year brought a massive change to Youth at Cornerstone. We went from two separate youth groups (Junior and Senior), on different days in a small space to one massive youth group in a bigger space with so many unknowns. My hope this year is that in all of the chaos of the change, there will be a real sense of belonging at youth group.
How can Cornerstone pray for you guys as you lead youth this year?
Caleb:
That us leaders would invest in the youth’s walks with God by investing in our own walks with God.
That as we plan for the future of youth group and enact changes this would help the youth personally encounter Jesus through engaging with the Word.
That we would prepare well each week.
Renee:
Pray for us leaders and our personal relationships with God: that we would stay centred on Him and live godly lives, so we can be godly examples to the youth.
Pray for unity for the team and eagerness to teach, and that we would faithfully and truthfully teach God's word.
Hannah:
Pray that we would lead with deep conviction of the hope we are professing to the youth as at the centre of all things should be Jesus, in our lives and especially in our service of them.
Please pray that the Lord would continue to guide us by his Spirit as we embark on developing relationships with the youth, discussing big topics and mentoring them through the chaos of the teen years.