Baton-Passing

As previously mentioned, it's Vacation Bible School week at our church. And I as I thought about how to pray for Youth and Children's Pastors, something in my mind flashed to the realization of just how many kids from our youth group are participating in helping out in the program.

For years upon years, the church has talked about "the next generation" of leaders. Have you wondered how much the church...how much your church, is engaging and teaching "the next generation" how to involve themselves in ministering and being apart of the group of young people that come behind them?

Part of leaving an inheritance...a legacy...a foundation, is that there is a long-term plan in place. Attainable, actionable goals to pursue. A vision for the future.. that goes not just beyond themselves, but decades of generations to follow.

Sometimes we talk about youth and children's ministries as one, but obviously they deal with different issues and aspects of life, particularly in how things can be explained and discussed. That said...what an incredible opportunity to find moments to teach and to train both generations at the same time. How awesome to witness the skills acquired by the youth group as they learn and experience ministry first hand and the joy experienced by the children of having someone who is neither an adult, nor a sibling, haven taken a genuine and active interest in their life.

Pray for youth and children's pastors, to seek and continue to seek, to create opportunities for their respective ministries to work together. Pray for new-found creativity and collaboration in teaching leadership skills to the youth, while finding relevant and exciting ways to ministry and reach kids effectively. Pray for wisdom and discernment for their ministries, as our youth and children continue to experience life situations at levels we wish didn't exist, being bombarded with social, cultural & political issues that seemingly defy logic and common sense. Perhaps most importantly, pray that youth and children, as they come to know the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, would find their identity in Christ. While agendas would draw them  in every direction away from God, pray that they would be drawn unto Him and Him alone. God has a plan and purpose for their lives and it can't be followed if it can't be heard.

-PNC

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