by Pastor Gene McIntyre

Youth Ministry in Sarasota Needs More Than Events — It Needs Real Formation

Behind the beach sunsets and the drum circles in our city, there are young people battling anxiety, young professionals searching for meaning, and families stretched thin by the cost of living and constant change.

A youth development church in Sarasota must do more than host events; it must cultivate resilient disciples who can weather storms, love sacrificially, and bring peace to every space they enter.

If you’re Gen Z or Millennial in Sarasota, you’ve probably seen a version of church that looks polished on Sunday and hollow on Monday. A lot of young adults are burned out on performative spirituality—big stages, curated moments, no room for questions. We hear you. We agree. And we’re building something different.

We’re a Sarasota youth ministry and a church for young adults that puts presence over performance, people over programs, and the Spirit’s leading over hype. We believe teenagers and twenty-somethings don’t need to be entertained—they need to be known, empowered, and invited into a faith that works in real life.

Why Gen Z and Millennials Are Tired of “Fake Christianity”

Performance over presence: How good is a flashy service that leaves little space to encounter God, wrestle with doubt, or receive prayer?

Hype without honesty: Why should we smile and pretend all is good while ignoring mental health, anxiety, loneliness, and trauma?

Activity without formation: What good are busy, impressive activity calendars that do not develop disciples? That don’t offer room to pray, to worship, to confess sin, and to actually get into the Word?

Platform over people: There are plenty of secular shows and events we can attend. Why go to church to be treated as an audience instead of as image-bearers with gifts, purpose, and calling?

Rules without love: Aren’t you tired of morality without grace, opinions without listening, and politics overshadowing the way of Jesus?

What You Can Expect at Our Church for Young Adults

Here is what you can expect from our amazing family of faith:

We make room for God: We pray, we listen, we wait. We create unhurried spaces for worship, Scripture, and personal ministry.

We tell the truth in love: Doubt and questions are welcome. We don’t flinch at hard topics—identity, sexuality, mental health, deconstruction, injustice—because Jesus speaks to real life.

We form, not perform: Less show, more substance. We teach you how to follow Jesus in a way that carries into your week.

We prioritize you: We know your name. We embrace you. We walk in friendship.

You’re not a spectator. You’re a participant in God’s mission—at church, in the mall, at the beach, at work, in your neighborhood. We find ways to develop and use your leadership skills.

What Makes Our Sarasota Youth Ministry Different

At The Altar Fellowship, we recognize that youth and young adults need real, dynamic faith—not rigid programs. We gather in church for services, but we also go to the ocean, skating rinks, mini-golf courses, escape rooms, homes, and a variety of other venues to enjoy God’s presence and each other. We have fun together.

We normalize counseling, grief support, recovery, and mental health care. We believe in God’s power to heal, and we also believe science and medicine are gifts from Him.

We believe the church should be a taboo-free place. We openly discuss love and relationships in an atmosphere of honesty and respect.

We have weekly, monthly, and annual gatherings through Youth Days and Summer Camps where we combine practical youth development, Bible doctrine, and loads of fun. We are encouraged, built up, and mentored. And there is plenty of room for young people to lead—because we believe they aren’t the church of tomorrow but the church of today.

Here, young people lead worship, set up, run tech, serve kids, organize outreach, teach, and shape our culture.

A Youth Development Church Where Young People Are Seen and Known

In our interdenominational fellowship, we see you. You’re not a number.
We learn your story, ask questions, make room for your gifts.
You’re not a problem to fix—you’re a person to love.

Together, we create a place where you can find God, feel at home, and bring your friends.

We respect the miracle that you are.
We protect you.
We celebrate you.
We walk the path of becoming like Jesus with you.