Grown Ups Need Love Too

Send to friend

Group Leaders and Chaperones:

When I tell people that I have spent my entire adult life working with teenagers in either counseling or ministry settings, they check my temperature. They look at me like I am completely insane and I often get asked when I’m going to get a “real job.” Sometimes people tell me that there is a special place for me in heaven. I happen to agree with that statement - not because of anything great that I have done, but because teens give me great hope in my journey with God. To see them surrender to the love of Jesus, as they often do at these conferences, challenges me to be as courageous as they are.

If you are reading this, you know what an awesome and humbling privilege it is to serve God by serving teens. On this weekend, we have the incredible task of emptying ourselves completely so that we can be there for teens. Whether that means to provide an ear for listening, a shoulder to cry on, or an inside joke for an abundance of laughter, your task is to serve the teenagers in your group. Here are a few things that have helped me during conferences in years past:

• Pray for them individually, by name. The power of intercessory prayer is stronger than we know.
• Pray as a group of chaperones/leaders. The importance of being united as group of servants is crucial.
• If you don’t know them already, get to know them. Jesus was and is relational. He wants to know each of us personally. If we are called to be Christ for teens, then building a relationship with them is the most important thing we can do.
• Listen. Listen. Listen. When they need to talk, do your best to simply listen. Offering ‘advice’ is often not what they need. They just need a loving ear.

For all Your sons and daughters, who are walking in the darkness
You are calling us to lead them back to You
As we see Your Spirit rising and the lost come out of hiding
Every heart will see this hope we have in You
~ Hillsong

- Mary