We're Gonna Do What They Say Can't Be Done

"Too many risks," they said.
"They're not mature enough," they said.
"Sounds like a cop-out for not recruiting enough adults," they said.
"Not worth the hassle," they said.
"They don't 'get-it' themselves. They can't help others 'get' what they don't have," they said.

We did it out of necessity, to be sure, but we still believed high schoolers doing direct ministry to teenagers by leading small groups could be done...and done well.

We believed that high school teenagers are part of the body of Christ right now and not part of the church of the future. We know they have spiritual gifts designed to help the body of Christ mature. We know that they can use those gifts and talents to combine with their own personalities to be effective ministers for the Gospel.

So, we let high schoolers disciple our middle schoolers.

Here's an e-mail I got this morning (names changed, spelling/grammar/punctuation left the same):

brent,

PRAISE GOD!!! one of my girls informed me tonight that she got saved last tuesday. in small groups we asked them to share their testimony and what their walk was like now......one of my girls, "jill smith", asked to go first. she said that she got saved last tuesday!!! i asked her if she had talked to anyone about it....she said only "jane smith", another girl in my group. then, in further discussion of their spiritual lives, jane says, "God brought jill and I together as friends so I could bring her here to bible study. She got saved here, and now she has helped to bring me back into a closer relationship with Him. I guess it was all a part of His plan for us." how awesome is THAT?!?!?! i almost got up and danced. i just thought i would let you know, since i know you sometimes hear things secondhand 2 months after the fact. praise the Lord!!!! i'm so excited. no but seriously.

in Him,
jane doe


So, an open note to all of those who made up "they":

The rewards outweigh the risks.
They are mature enough.
Most adults are worth "copping out" over when it comes to youth ministry.
It's most worth the hassle.
They do 'get it' and are fully capable of 'giving' it to others.

The Kingdom of God is deeper and more rewarded because of the high schoolers leading our small group ministry.

And, in this instance, I do enjoy saying, "I told you so."