Rev. Sara McManus preaching at DakYouth 2023.

"Every single generation matters in the Church, and without youth to remind us of that, I think we lose out on the fullness of life," said Rev. Sara McManus, the 2024 Darrel Leach Youth Worker of the Year. "The church is just not complete if you don't have every part of the story there." 

Each year, the Conference Council on Youth Ministry (CCYM) presents one youth leader with the "Darrel Leach Youth Worker of the Year Award" at Annual Conference. This year, in Bismarck, North Dakota, Rev. Sara McManus received the award. 

Rev. McManus is currently serving Watertown First UMC but has worked with youth since her college days in Nashville, Tennessee. 

"When I was in my first year of college, I got invited to be a youth leader at a local Baptist Church, and I did that through the rest of college," she recalled. "Interestingly enough, when I went to seminary, I was like, 'you know, I don't really want to do youth work anymore. I'm just kind of done.'" 

When Pastor Sara was appointed to West Fargo Flame of Faith UMC in West Fargo, North Dakota, her passion for youth ministry was reignited.  

"When I got to Flame of Faith, the youth group was a part of my job, and it became one of the most fun parts of my job," Rev. McManus said. 

During her time at Flame of Faith, Rev. McManus experienced many touching moments in the faith lives of students. One of her favorite times as a youth leader was during a time when many people struggled. In 2020, COVID-19 hit, and Pastor Sara decided to continue her youth ministry via Zoom. 

"That was my favorite time of the week! We just had the most ridiculous, fun conversations on Zoom. Whether it was the kids playing ping pong with each other by throwing ping pong balls at their cameras or doing scavenger hunts where suddenly they were running around their houses." 

Although that was a significant challenge, Rev. McManus pointed out how sometimes the biggest challenge for youth leaders is understanding the students' needs.  

"You know, I'm not a teenager, so I'm not experiencing the stresses of school and what that can be and what social media and our culture can do to the teenage brain and so much of what kids experience," she described. "Learning to listen to what they need rather than what I think they need was probably one of the biggest learning curves for me." 

Rev. McManus with fellow Dakotas youth leaders at DakYouth 2023.

One way the Dakotas Conference seeks to support youth and youth leaders in their journeys of faith is through events like DAKYouth.  

Organized by CCYM, DAKYouth is an annual gathering for middle school and high school students all across the Dakotas to come together, learn, worship, and have fun. 

When asked about the importance of DAKYouth, Rev. McManus said, "It was an event like DakYouth where I first encountered Christ. Knowing that there were other Christians and other people like me in the world helped me feel connected to something bigger. Having that experience to both question and find as many answers as you can as a teenager without being shamed for asking questions is such a refreshing place to be." 

This year, DAKYouth will be held in Aberdeen, South Dakota, on October 11-13. Youth will learn from Matt Rawle, worship with Winona Avenue, and laugh with the Skit Guys. Join the fun!