What are you doing to empower teens to SERVE NOW?

A few weeks ago 2 students set up a meeting with me and told me about an idea they had to raise money for the Red Cross and the Haiti relief effort. They needed help with sound for a concert event they wanted to do. Guess who has sound equipment...our ministry does. I helped them think though the logistics of putting on the event, gave some advice, committed our ministry to help with the sound and turned them loose to figure out a plan. They left my office and pulled the entire thing off. Two high school students wanted to do something to help, made a plan, and the event will happen on Saturday night. If you want to know more about the event just click on the logo to go to their website for basic info. I wanted to post this and simply ask those of you leading student ministries across the country...What are you doing to empower teens to SERVE NOW? This generation wants to be a part of the solution to many of the problems facing our world. Our ministries can either empower and encourage that passion or we can easily get in the way and discourage what God is doing by trying to control it. Here are some basic things we are doing to empower teens to serve now...

• Inspire >> we try to get info to students to let them know what is going on in our world and then trust God to inspire what action they take. we try to let our students know about Soles4Souls, Compassion International, World Vision, Africa for Jesus, and THEN let God direct where they take action. Many students just need to be pointed in the right direction.
• Support >> when students have an idea we try to provide them support to carry it out. Sometimes we can help students make a huge impact by just helping a little. Teens are pretty smart, if we give a little help they can make a huge impact.
• Provide Opportunity >> we facilitate a few experiences a year where teens (sometimes with their families) can serve their community. A teens life can be changed through seeing the pain in our world first hand through a mission trip or project.
• Equip and Mentor >> we train students what it means to serve by equipping and mentoring them to serve each week in many of our environments at GCC. We have teens that serve in all area's of our church and are making a difference right now. It is amazing to watch them serve in our church every week.
  

I would love to hear some ways you empower teens to serve now either here on the blog or on facebook. This generation wants to make a difference and we might be the support they need to make a huge impact.