Thoughts on Student Ministry

For the past 15+ years I've been blessed with the opportunity to speak at some pretty amazing youth conferences. These opportunities energize and encourage me. I love young people. I love being with them, I love talking with them, and I love seeing how God is working in and through them.

I don't know what your opinion is of this generation of students (but I do know that unless you're engaged in the lives of students it's probably wrong :) ), but I want you to know that God is doing some incredible things in the lives of students all around the world. I am so encouraged about what I see in the lives of the young people I'm privileged to work with at conferences like Christ in Youth and Summer in the Son at Kentucky Christian University.

I was at Christ in Youth last week and I'm at Summer in the Son this week and I want you to know that our students have a heart for worship. I wish you could see it for yourself. They worship through singing for almost an hour at a time and they want more! I see--and hear--their passion for God and it fills my heart with so much hope.

When I'm speaking to them I see respect for God, hunger for His word, and . . . I see hope.

Please don't write this generation off.

Please don't label them, ignore them, patronize them, insult them, or treat them as if they don't, or can't, love God as much as you do simply because they haven't been around as long as you have.

When I'm with our young people I see a generation with the potential to do amazing things for God.

They need our guidance. They need our encouragement. They need us to believe in them. They need safe places where they can worship God. They need opportunities to serve God by serving others. They long to feel connected to each other. They long to make an impact on their world . . . and they will.

Please pray for our students and for those involved in ministry to them. I believe that youth workers are on the front-line of a battle we must win.

Last week, at Christ in Youth at Milligan College in Tennessee, I had the privilege of working with one of the most amazing youth ministers I've ever been associated with and a man who has been on the front-lines--fighting for our youth--for over 25 years. Robin Sigars, Associate Director of Conferences for Christ in Youth, is not just one of the most amazing youth ministers I've ever been around, he's also a friend and mentor to me. He's a godly man who expects his speakers to preach the Bible, his conference leadership team to lead spiritually, God to show up in a big way, and his students to be blessed during conference. This summer Robin is wrapping up his almost 20-year ministry with Christ in Youth, so it was especially meaningful to be with Robin at CIY one last time.

Being associated with youth workers like Robin and students like the ones I meet at Christ in Youth and Summer in the Son, fills my heart with joy for the present and hope for the future.