I have been very open on this blog with our wins and our loses as a church. I make no bones about what I feel we do right and I make no bones about what I feel we do wrong. I have shared over and over how the youth thing has kicked our butt. EVERYTHING we tried has bombed. A lot of that falls on my shoulders. One of the biggest mistakes I made was hiring the biggest stinking bum in the world who I actually went to college with and considered my friend. He had about as much character as dog crap and needless to say that didn't work out too well.
Since that dumb move, we have struggled in the area of youth worse then before he came because we had lost the trust of our kids big time. BUT, during that time God sent four people, Julie, Joe, Taylor, and Chris who began to sow seeds in the lives of our middle school and high school kids. I'll be honest, it has still been a struggle and I have lost it a couple of times over the youth area. However these four volunteers took my criticisms, frustrations, and problems with the youth and KEPT plugging away.
They have worked HARDER then anyone I have ever seen building relationships with the kids. Then the last two weeks they have LITERALLY worked around the clock getting our warehouse turned into a youth space and getting ready for our first youth worship service tonight. They have been AMAZING. This week things got tense and yet they stayed focused.
Tonight when I walked in the youth area, I almost lost it. It literally was as close as I have ever come to having that salty discharge stuff come out of you eyes. :) I couldn't believe what they had pulled off. They had volunteers coming out their ears, they room looked AWESOME, and the kids had a blast.
They had 53 kids there and if you knew our past in that area, that is a miracle. I never been so proud of anyone or any ministry as I was of that team tonight.
Guys, you have put up with a ton but you guys pulled it out tonight and I wanted to publicly thank you guys for loving the kids in this city so much that you pour your life into them!
YOU GUYS ROCK!