This week gave me a glimpse into the future of our Children’s and Youth Ministries at Servants. We are growing, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, in amazing ways. We had an average of forty children, ages 2-10 years old, attend VBS this year. We also had amazing youth volunteers. When I reflect on this, I see forty plus lives that we have the privilege to help disciple for Christ.
The exciting news is that this school year our Club 456, that is our 4th-6th grade discipleship group, could double in size. Wednesday nights during the school year our 4th through 12th graders meet for food, fellowship, and discipleship. They learn from each other. They support one another through their words and actions. The older students mentor the younger ones. The younger students breathe new life into the ministry. Some of you have helped with meals, transportation, or volunteered on Wednesday nights. We are so grateful for all of those ministries. If you are feeling lead or hear the Holy Spirit tugging at you, we’d love your continued support.
This Sunday we need your prayers. We are going to ask our students and their parents to stand up. We’ll pray over the students for the upcoming school year. I don’t know if you know this, but being a kid is hard. There is so much pressure put on our children these days, it’s exhausting just listening to them. They can’t just run outside and play after school anymore. They can’t come back in when the street lights go on. They are startled by almost every noise and wary of everyone. They don’t know what it’s like to not have a phone to look at. Trust me, separating them from their phone is akin to separating them from their hand. I covet your prayers for them. If we make the commitment to remember our young people and their families in your prayers each day, we can start to show them what the active love of Christ looks like. We all need a little extra lift each day.
Please take the time to get to know our students. They are quite amazing. They have been blessed with so many different skills and talents. They love serving in different roles, but they are young. Did you know that several of our youth were not raised in church and have no spiritual guidance at home. These youth don’t have parents who are connected to Servants or any other church body. They desperately need spiritual mentors. All of our young people need mature Christians who will speak God’s truth into their lives. I know that loving them can sometimes require a large amount of grace, but we’ve been entrusted with a remarkable opportunity to grow the kingdom. How can you get to know them? Just come up and start a conversation.
Last but certainly not least, you can join us. Join us on Sunday mornings in Children’s Church. Come to our family events and hang out with our young families. Come fellowship on Wednesday nights with the youth. The last Wednesday of every month is game night. This is where you see them in their element. Join the transportation team, and help give the students who want to be there a ride. There are so many ways you can serve.
As verse 4 says in Psalm 78, “We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.” That generation is among us. The time is now. Let them know all the wondrous things God has done in your life.