When I am asked, “How many students are in our program?” I am always grateful for the interest. It shows we are a church that values the next generation. At the same time, I often find myself wishing I could share something deeper than a statistic.
It is easy to celebrate the idea of a vibrant youth ministry while missing the chance to truly know the individuals who make it up. One of my deepest prayers for our ministry is that our students would know they are seen, known, and loved by God, by the way they are seen, known, and loved by us.
The Gift of a Name
Growing up, my mother served with Moms in Prayer. She would occasionally tell me, “Someone in a country you’ve never visited is praying for you by name today.”
As an adult, I realize what an incredible gift that was. I wasn’t just a "kid somewhere" to those people. I was a specific person with a specific life, worth bringing before God. That is the culture I long for us to build here. I want us to move beyond praying for “the youth” as a category and start interceding for the real stories, joys, and milestones of individual students.
From Distance to Connection
I believe a healthy student ministry shouldn't exist on the fringes of the church; it should be woven into the very heart of it. When we take the time to see a student as an individual, our perspective changes:
Distance becomes connection.
General interest becomes a shared calling.
A face in the courtyard becomes a brother or sister in Christ whom we carry in our hearts.
A Personal Invitation
I would love to invite you to join me in this mission. But rather than just sending out a list of names, I would love to sit down with you one-on-one. If you have a heart for our students, let’s grab coffee or find a time to chat at the church. I want to share the story of a specific student with you—their passions, their questions, and how you can specifically lift them up.
My goal isn’t simply to run a "successful" program. My hope is to see a church family that walks alongside its students—one name, one prayer, and one relationship at a time.
Please reach out to me to schedule a time to talk. I look forward to sharing these stories with you.
Peace,
Richard richard@rbcommunity.org