Hutchinson Area Youth Ministries, or HAY, is hosting an event titled “You Are Not Alone” from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, May 1, at the Hutchinson Event Center, 1005 State Highway 15 S. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. 

The program focuses on mental health and how Jesus meets people in their mental health struggles.

“This is a really big issue in our society right now,” said Gladys Nissen, director of youth and family ministry at Faith Lutheran Church in Hutchinson. “We need to learn how to deal with it and see what Jesus says about it – to shine a light in a dark world. Parents need to come to know how to help their kids, and youth need to know how to handle it and know Jesus meets them where they are.”

The featured speaker is Micah MacDonald, a pastor in the Twin Cities and founder of Mac Ministries.

The schedule begins at 7 p.m. with reflective stations, welcome and worship. MacDonald’s presentation is at 7:45 p.m. with testimonials before and after. The evening includes a question-and-answer panel, plus music and prayer. 

This event is for students in grade six through 12 and their parents. Admission is free and the public is welcome. 

“We’re hoping for 150 to 200, that would be a really great number,” Nissen said. 

Planning for the event began last fall when the committee, which includes Nissen, Kagen Larson, Riverside; Cory Vance, CrossPoint; and Maegan Huikko, First Baptist, Cokato, chose the theme. In January, planning began in earnest for Wednesday’s event.

In addition to the program, attendees can register for two summer programs: 

Middle School Madness is for fifth- through eighth-graders. It has a new time and location – 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. beginning Tuesday, June 11, at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Hutchinson.
Youth Softball League, which plays Wednesdays during June and July.

In case you’re not familiar with HAY Ministries, it was started in 1999 as a loose-knit group of area youth pastors. For years it was known as HEY, which stood for Hutchinson Ecumenical Youth Ministries. The name was changed in 2016 to HAY to reflect growth in the organization.

In addition to Wednesday’s spring event, HAY hosts several other events for youth including: See You at the Pole in September, Trick-or-Treat Food Drive in October, free lunch on Thursdays during the school year at CrossPoint Church and a tubing event in January at Powder Ridge. 

“We mix it up,” Nissen said. “We create opportunities for students. With more churches involved, we can create bigger events with more energy. We create memories.”

For more information, contact your church youth pastor or Nissen, director of youth and family ministries at Faith Lutheran, at 320-587-2093.