I have had a wild afternoon. Three different times today I thought I knew what I was supposed to post about...each a different story about youth ministry. I still plan to come back one day soon and write my response to Katy Perry's new song and the ridiculous 'dream' it sells our young ladies, lament about my young friend H. at the group home who is straddling the line between God and the world in the wrestling match of her life and share the story of my 13 year old friend C. and the hard stand-in parenting I had to do with him tonight as he returned something valuable he had stolen from a stranger.
The icing on the cake was tonight when my P & R prayed for C. (our 13 year old friend mentioned above) that 'he can have Jesus in his heart so we can be together with him in heaven forever.' (Those were R's exact words---my heart could barely take it.)
After they were tucked in my husband and I were discussing the passion for youth ministry we share. This is what God has called me to do. Then, I opened my e-mail and found this link.
I wept as I watched this depiction of Young Life, produced by the staff and volunteers in Chattanooga, TN.
It is long, but it is the truest, most beautiful depiction of the ministry of Young Life I have ever seen.
"I want to be found right in the middle of those kids, where God has positioned me to shine forth His grace, His Hope, His Love and His truth."
"As long as there is such darkness, I will man my post, right in the middle of that chaos, until He calls the last play and the lights fade out."
"Lord, give us the teenagers..."
6 comments:
Thanks for sharing this! I share your passion for youth ministry. My husband and I (along with our three children) are houseparents for teenage girls at a group home here in Ohio. I often worry about what these teenagers might be teaching my children as we strive to raise them in this environment, but God is always so quick to show me what my children are teaching the big girls! Loved your sons prayer!
BEAUTIFUL!!!!
Dear LORD give us the teenagers.....
I loved that so much.
I have never heard of Young Life before (until your blog). What a wonderful ministry and so needed.
Kelly
Wow!
My heart aches for our teens. Around here, it seems as though the divorce rate skyrockets once the kids hit high school so not only are the kids dealing with the craziness that is their bodies and hormones, but also instability with the adults in their lives.
We live in a very privileged part of SoCal so you would thing all would be wonderful, but it's not. These kids hurt.
Young Life seems to be filling a giant void in these kids' lives.
Thanks for sharing!
I have stalked your blog for sometime, but this is the first time I have ever left a comment.
My husband is from Chattanooga ... so the names of the high schools are very real to me. Those kids are very real.
But I almost fell out of my seat when it showed the young man with the North Face visor - I had the pleasure of going to college with him. His wife is a sorority sister of mine.
Love seeing God use people I know to change the world of others.
Thank you for sharing.
What a powerful ministry :) I wrote some thoughts about Katy Perry's new song on my blog this morning- subtle lies by the enemy!
May God bless you as he gives you the teenagers.
My husband and I both came from non-Believing (and abusive) home situations.
We both came to the Lord through the ministry of Young Life.
We met each other while working at YL's Malibu Camp while we were still in high school.
We ministered together as leaders ... as camp counselors ... as adult support committee.
Young Life is an AMAZING ministry! Thanks for sharing!
Laurel :)
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