For the last six months, Jen and I have been leading the youth ministry at our church. It has been twenty years since I have done youth work. It happened out of necessity when our youth leader had to step down. I wasn’t too excited, but I knew it was the right thing to do.
What’s funny is not much has changed in twenty years. The students show up, hang out, sing a couple of songs, listen to a message, and then devour all the snacks. They want to be a part of something bigger than themselves and not feel like their time is being wasted. For years, I have counseled youth pastors to run a scheduled program with rules and boundaries. They ignored me, running programs that ran late and giving the students too many choices. We’ve started on time, made them participate, and took their phones during the teaching, and no one has complained.
What I have noticed is that the youth that God has brought us are hungry for Jesus. They are soaking in the Word of God, and these are public school students with unbelieving parents. We have seen several of them give their lives to Jesus over the last few weeks. Word is getting out, and students are showing up to check it out.
I’m hearing reports all over the country of high school and college students searching and wanting more for their life than education and wealth. They want something meaningful and they’re finding that in Jesus. It has been an unexpected blessing to be a part of what God is doing. While my old and aching body is exhausted afterward, my heart is rejoicing
Chuck Musselwhite 
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