Cost of doing youth ministry

Today I was at the second day of our pastors conference and we were asked to talk about what we see for the future in our respective ministries. We were divided into small groups for this time. One very sweet lady was in our group, and she shared that her desire was to have youth in their church as she recognized that they are the future church and are also the present day church.

She asked the question, "How can I start a youth ministry in my church?" This is a difficult question to answer based on the fact that the church she attends only has six or seven families attending and they are all older people. I could sense her desire for this type of ministry as she shared that her own granddaughter who is 13 is already into some pretty destructive behaviors.

One of the other gentleman in our group was very helpful. He was a senior, probably in his mid sixties and he asked the question "is your church ready to pay the cost of having a youth ministry"? He explained what he meant when he said, "are your church members prepared to change your music in your church, are you ready to have some holes in your walls, are you prepared to understand the culture of teens"? Such good questions to consider.

The ladies response was also a blessing. She said "we have to decide if the cost of reaching our grandchildren is worth it, and the answer is yes!" I love her heart, but will she be able to convince her church that this is an important area to move in? Will she get the support of others? Will the church adjust their sales in order to reach out to teens in need and their families?

I want to be able to help her see the desire in her heart come into reality. I want to see her granddaughter, Kaitlyn, be set free from those who seek to tear her life apart. I want to be an instrument of encouragement to those who have a desire to reach this young generation of amazing people. I want to see these teens come into a vibrant and powerful relationship with Christ.