All Your Children will Stretch out Their Hands

Woooo whoooooo!

I know what you're thinking: "Is this a new blog? Is James still alive?" And the answer is a resounding "yes". Actually, its more of a hesitant "yes," but a yes nonetheless.

Since my last report I finished up my last quarter of school. I'm a little nervous about my grades, since the last quarter was pretty sad on my part (maybe I should go look at my grades). I quit my job at dear ol' Freddies, moved into a new house... a new NICE house and then moved 2 hours away to the Tri-Cities so I could be closer to the sun- feels like that anyway. While in the Tri-Cities for the past four or five weeks I've been working with four different churches' youth groups on a three-person team. Altogether, there are three such teams working in the area and the results have been an encouragement. Its been a blessing to see how God can take nine willing people and use them to influence groups and individuals in such different ways. I've become a leader, a facilitator and a friend to teammates and teens alike and throughout it all I've witnessed God's hand moving.

At the same time, in the back of my mind there has been a persistant nagging: what will happen afterwards? After these teams leave, who will continue to work with these youth groups? All of the youth groups we work with are small, with ten youth or less in attendance and half with three or less. Moreover, only two have or will have youth pastors by the time we leave. The smallest of the four youth groups have no youth pastors. Part of me wants to tell them to simply go wherever they feel they are being fed spiritually, but that would seem to undermine the reason for why I'm here. At any rate I feel like we're just slapping a fast band-aid on a bigger problem. Addresing the root of this problem presents risks and potential problems for most of these churches, but every mountain has it's rocks. There is no quick three step solution and obedience will always require risk.

Anyway, that's a real quick overview of what's been happening recently. Next weekend I'll try and write on what a youth intern such as myself does with their free time. Let's just say, I DO feel a little sorry for my teammates... a little... maybe not. As for me and myself, we will be going to a youth camp this week. So, until then I bid you all adieu.

.:fIn:.