Reasons I Love Youth (FCA) Ministry

Here are some thoughts from Austin Duncan who serves as the High School Pastor at Grace Church. While he wrote these about high school ministry, I think they also apply to FCA ministry as well. I pray that you will be encouraged by them -- Gordon Thiessen

I love student ministry because:

1. I love evangelism (Matt 28:19). The wise youth minister is an evangelist at heart and desires to see young men and women give their lives to Christ. If we neglect to minister to students we lose an opportunity to preach the gospel.

2. Leadership is influence. It is a matter of fact that young people are easy to influence. Marketers use this for profit, schools further their agendas, and too often their influence over teenagers leads them away from the things of God and into worldliness.

3. I love the hope of their maturity. Colossians 1:28-29 encourages me to minister to students in such a way that spiritual progress will take place in their lives. I love seeing Christ’s maturing, sanctifying work in teenagers whose lives are devoted to Christ.

4. I love the thought of their potential. I look out at the young faces in our high school service on Sundays and see that ahead of them are life’s greatest blessings and challenges. Trials, temptations, battles, and joys await them. This is the outset of their walks with Christ. It is in these initial years they have the opportunity to learn spiritual disciplines they will benefit from for the rest of their lives.