Student ministry is about God shaping young lives. In 11 years of student ministry I have never changed a young person's heart. But I have been privileged to see what happens when adolescents begin to love God with all their heart and soul and mind and strength. He changes everything. I want to do everything I can to reveal God to students and watch Him work.
Student ministry is missions work. Some kids grow up in church, some kids don't. Some kids know how to play the religious game, some kids don't care to keep up the appearance. But whether they're religious or not, they're dead without Jesus. Student ministry is about bringing dead students to life. I don't want to teach kids to go through the motions and "act like Christians" - I want to see Jesus resuscitating young people who have previously just been "breathing to death."
Student ministry is discipleship. It's about walking with young people through the early steps in their spiritual development. Sometimes these steps are faltering. Kids stumble and stagger and get hurt. Student ministry needs to connect young people with adults who will notice the hurt hidden beneath the surface and care enough to offer Jesus' healing touch for those hurts. I want us to be taking life to those students - cups of cold water for the thirsty. As they grasp the power of Jesus, I want to see students living their own lives on a mission to share that love with other hurting people wherever they are.
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