Serious Ministry for a Fun Age

Statistically speaking, the 3 most important decisions in one's life are made in the teenage years or shortly thereafter.

1. Who am I going to marry?
2. What am I going to do with my life?
3. What am I going to do with Christ?

There are statistics all over the map for the 3rd question. One estimate that I read said that as many as 90% of the people who come to faith in Christ do so before age 22.

I was curious, so I surveyed some of our volunteer staff in our JH ministry. Of the 29 who answered this survey, 25 believe they were saved prior to age 22, with many professing Christ prior to 14.

What does all this mean? I'm not one to put too much stock into statistics. I believe my God to be soveriegn, able to save anyone at any age. That's not the point. The point is, somewhere in the 11-13 window, the lights begin to come on for students. They begin to understand sin, accountability to God, they begin to respect preaching, or they begin to hate it. The reality is that God uses the events of the teenage years to influence the course of a person's life.

We, as youth pastors, must take seriously the opportunity that is put before us to minister to this vital age.

I have often been asked since graduating from seminary, when are you going to go be a real pastor. While I understand the question and I'm not in the least bit offended, with all due respect, ministering to teenagers is real ministry. If fact, it has historically been the most fertile soil for ministry. This is just one of the many reasons why I love Jr. High Ministry. I can't think of a better way to spend my life than ministering to teenagers.