youth highlights

Youth ministry is in full swing bloggers. We're up to our eyeballs in release forms and trip deposits. Some days it feels like we're treading water as the waves of people pleasing and teen corralling lap against our faces in one never-ending current.

Then God, in His goodness and sovereignty pulls back the veil and gives us a tiny peek at what He's been up to. In the past month I've witnessed two accounts of His faithfulness in the lives of our students. If four years of ministry have taught me anything, it's to breath deeply the fragrance of His handiwork as if it's an exquisite bouquet shipped just to me. We walk by faith not by sight, but every now and then, God gives a little show and tell.

Evidence He's still moving:

Exhibit 1- Youth Leading Worship.

Our kids led the worship service in Big Church.

I took these pictures during the final rehearsal.


I'm so glad I did because I could fully participate during the real deal. It was incredible to worship under their leadership.

Exhibit 2- Girls' Leadership Trip to Nashville.

Mid-February we took a group of high school girls to Nashville for Lifeway's Girls Ministry Conference. The purpose of the conference was to equip (adult and student) leaders to better minister to girls. Before we opened registration for the trip, I forewarned our girls this trip would be learning-intensive. In the day and a half we spent at the conference, there were four worship sessions, four breakout sessions, plus a working lunch. It wasn't for the faint of heart.

Our girls were troopers. They were engaged and excited. Other churches couldn't believe how many of our girls wanted to come. This was the first year Lifeway hosted this event so I'll admit it was a wild card. Worse case scenario, if it had been truly awful, we would have played hooky the rest of the weekend with our favorite Nashville tour guide.

Thankfully, the conference was great and the girls got so much out of being there. (Including autographed materials from real, live authors!)

They had raffles throughout the weekend. Because we had so many girls, we won a majority of the prizes. Each time one of our names was called, our tables went nuts. We might have scared some of the fellow attendees, but we couldn't help it. Want to hear a bunch of high school girls scream like wild banshees? Give them free stuff.

Or run into Taylor Swift at the mall later on that night.

Both work very well.

I have the hearing loss to prove it.