A Christmas Wish For My Youth Group

Orginally published on Monday, December 25, 2006 at 6:24 AM
by Michael Kowalson

I was profoundly impacted when I was a young person. - Here is what I wish for the young people in my (and your) youth groups for the next year. It was 20 years ago (and a little bit) that I first discovered what youth ministry was. I learned there were adults that actually cared for teens. And my youth sponsors did it well. They weren’t perfect (in fact, one had a tendency to say the exact wrong thing all the time). Marv loved us though and we learned to know what he meant instead of looking only at the words he said.

It was 18 years ago that I was told youth ministry is where I should be - by my youth sponsor (we had no paid youth pastor).  Kirk would almost never be accepted into youth ministry as easily today (that sponsor).  He was an ex-con - jailed mostly for petty theft and fighting.  He found Jesus in prison - went to Bible school - met and married.  He became a youth sponsor and I looked up to him.  He came from worse than I did (in my mind).  Yet he was love and truth personified in a package.  HE was, to me “God with skin on.”

I wrestled with his suggestion for a long time and knew God called me - that this man had spoken wisdom beyond my understanding - yet I also knew I was rough, and arrogant.  It was many years before I was in formal youth ministry - yet Kirk spoke some amazing and prophetic words to my heart - he told me I would never be happy unless I was serving God full-time.  He was right - It’s been proven it over and over.

But Kirk forgot to mention, at the time, that it also meant serving Him fully at all times regardless of circumstances.  It was something he lived though - something I’ve learned in my life and looking back at his example.

So what does this have to do with the title “A Christmas Wish”?  - Well, - I guess my wish this year is that I honor Kirk’s vision and grace.  I pray for the same love to flow from myself and other Youth workers out there that flowed from him.  I pray that the reminder of the coming of Jesus will remind me of the salvation he came to bring.  That I will be as faithful with my opportunity to live for Jesus as Kirk was and is.

My Christmas wish is that through me and my imperfections, faults, history and future - that God will instill in this group the love we had for each other in that one.  I pray and wish God will take our young people in His grace and show us how to care for being a light of Him more than a beacon of self.
Many of you will may not know that I am passionate and a “talker”.  I like to speak and share.  I pray that like Kirk - this year I will listen and pray for young people more.

I seek from God, this Christmas - to be a beacon of His light - an example to our young people.  As it says in 2 Peter 1:3 (NIV) His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

I wish for this because God has already given us what we need to attain it - because GOD desires it.  I also wish for it because I have seen it and what it can do.  Please join with me this season of celebration.  Pray that the youth ministries we all have will faithfully demonstrate what Christ came to show and give.  Pray our youth leaders will be faithful - and think of others more highly than we think of self.

Join with me in this wish and I ask you to make it a prayer - because it will honour our Saviour and His coming to bring peace and goodwill to all men. 

This post has been viewed 1456 times so far.


  There are 3 Comments:

Hi... I'm Todd Rhoades. I'm a Christ-follower, husband, father and I love to connect leaders with other leaders. Hopefully you'll find something here at MMI you like and will return often. If you want, you can find out more about me or follow my every step on Twitter.

MondayMorningInsight.com | PO Box 446 | Bryan, OH 43506 |