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| Britt Nicole |
By Scott Osterbind
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By: Britt Nicole
I have been working with my youth group now for five years; some of my greatest times here in Nashville have been spent with them. I moved to Nashville when I was 19, still a youth myself, with no family and no friends in the area. I looked for a church right away and the very first church I visited is now the place I call home. These people, and especially the youth, have become my family.
I love family. Why? Because you can be yourself, you can be weak if you feel weak, you can be silly if you just want to have some fun, you can share your secrets, and you don't have to be afraid of not being accepted. Family loves you no matter what. You don't have to wear a mask or try to be someone you’re not, you can just be you. Wow, that's what I call freedom.
When I started working with my youth group, they were very reserved in their worship and in sharing what they were really going through. We had to warm up to each other and develop a trust and a love that was deeper than words. They needed to see that I and the other leaders loved them for real.
Over time that trust has developed and I have watched them grow. They are now very open about what they are going through and free in their worship. There are nights when we have a lot fun, and nights when we deal with deeper issues. When one of our students is not doing well, the leaders will pray with them and believe that by the power of Jesus Christ in us, they will find whatever they need. Whether that thing is acceptance, love, hope - they will find it. Our faith says that they will not leave the way they came.
And it doesn’t stop there. It goes both ways between leadership and students. Now, they’ll notice when I walk through the door with my head down, and they notice if I’m not myself and they come after me. They all start praying for me and believing for change for me. Wow! I am so thankful for that.
Though I think some youth pastors or leaders might see this as a sign of weakness and would possibly be too afraid to let their youth see them this way, I believe when we get real with them, they get real with us. That said, I also believe that we can't stay in that place, but have to show them how to get out and be able to provide real answers to the things we are all facing.
How do we get our youth groups to that place? The approach at our church is one I feel strongly about. We believe first we need God’s presence, more than an Xbox, a pizza party, or another ski trip, we need God’s presence. We need to be willing to lay down our lives and as the Word says, "humble ourselves and pray and seek God’s face, and turn from our wicked ways," so that we can not only meet God face to face for ourselves as leaders, but also raise up a group of powerful young people who are changing the world for the kingdom of God. We must raise them up so that they not only have the knowledge of Christ, but the demonstration of God’s power. How else will we reach the drug addicts, the cutters, and the lost, only through the power of Jesus Christ who rose from the dead. This is not extreme; this is the Word of God.
Thank you for your love for our youth. Do not grow weary in doing well. God is using you in a big way. As we serve God in working with the youth God's given us, let’s strive to love them in a real way, let them know they are not alone and that they need a real encounter with God. May God bless you and give you favor in these efforts for His kingdom.
Check out the Video for the story behind Britt's song "Walking On Water" |
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