Hey Pops, Thank you for always being steady, even when I am not. Even when the world is not. Even when my circumstances are not. You have always been over all, in all, and walking with me through everything. There was never a day where you weren’t there, holding me together. There was never a moment when you didn’t know the outcome. There was never a second where you were taken by surprise.

I’ve been a part of youth ministry for 10 years now. It’s pretty safe to say that I’ve seen most things, from giving a standing ovation at school plays to sitting and playing cards in a psych ward. It’s true that youth ministry requires a youth leader to put on many hats, so to speak: advisor, friend, leader, teacher, support system, cheerleader, etc. But I think one of the most important parts of youth ministry is helping a younger person through the early stages of figuring out how to make their faith their own. For a lot of youth that I’ve worked with, they’re at the point in their life where their idea of Jesus is mostly made up of what their parents and relatives say He is. Until this point, they haven’t really thought deeply about what the Bible says, just what other people have taught them it says. So as a youth leader, you have the really cool opportunity to course correct some misunderstandings they have about what the Bible says about certain things.

Hey Pops, It’s been weighing on my heart that I’m not necessarily the best “evangelist” of your gospel. Sure, I post devotions, I serve at church, and I try to live my life to glorify you, but I think I mostly fall short. Am I quick to share your Word with my friends? With my family? And not just the synopsis that the world already knows: That you were born, died on the cross for our sins, and rose from the grave to save us. I’m talking about something deeper, more mature. Do I encourage my friends and family to seek out the true Gospel?