"This cannot be our future plans. This must be our present action. We are a generation away from shutting down these doors. If we don't give it to them, they WILL go somewhere else to find it."


I saw a movie the other day that lead me to think for a moment. The movie was a man by the name of Reggie Joiner speaking at The Orange Conference. He talked about Children and Student Ministry and how to do "pull them off" in a way that not only honors God, but causes true spiritual growth that will last.

I was sitting there thinking for a little bit. These ideas cannot wait for another time and another place. Too often we sit down and think of ideas and plans and place them on the back burner of our "To-Do List" and never see it really heated up and served to it's greatest potential. These ideas that Reggie Joiner brought to the table is allowing Students (Middle School, High School, and even College aged) to experience ministry through serving in the local church. Joiner challenges ministry leaders to allow students to get involved in minitry and service in order to allow them to experience a Great God and a LOVE for the world.

I know this all sounds great. Allowing students to help with Children's Ministry and allow College Students to help with Student Ministry. Not only does it train leaders and allow them to serve, it builds relationships that are possibly the best ones to have. A student in High School would much rather have a 21 year old college student investing in them than a 40 year old parent of their best friend.

So what do we do? We allow students to serve. We give them experience. We don't allow them to serve for just one week in a far off land (Mission Trips) and then place them back into a classroom setting for the next year until we feel like taking them away again. We must allow them to funnel the engery, desire, and passion that they have after a mission trip and let them use it in the local church and in our local communities.

It is time to start allow our young people to lead and serve in a way that we can be proud of. If they don't serve now, then when will they serve? After watching the video, I wrote down the quote that is at the top of this blog.

It's either now or never. Allow students to serve is not something that we can put off for another year or two. If they want to serve, they will go somewhere else to find it.

This generation wants:
direct action with direct results and direct involvment.

It's time to give it to them.