Student ministry is a funny beast.  It’s a group of people that range in age from children to adults.  So, as you would expect there is a wide range of drama that goes with working within thit ministry.  It is inevitable that someone broke up with someone else or he has a crush on her, each weekend becomes an interesting roller coast of talks that really amount to mini counseling sessions.  Students love us, then they can’t stand us.  They run in the door to give us a hug and they roll their eyes when we correct them.  Needless to say student ministry can be a challenge, and I wouldn’t change it for the world!

You may not know this, but we have some of the most amazing students in Bay county attending Eastgate.  The range of awesomeness is staggering.  We have swimmers, track stars, wrestlers, brilliant chess players, surfers, readers, guitar players, mixed martial artists, and straight A students.  We have students who wholeheartedly love Jesus and we have students who are trying to figure this whole “faith thing” out.  We have all kinds, and that is an exciting thing for me.  The fact that youth are inviting friends, reaching out to bring truth to their buddies, is a brave and wonderful thing.

Last week we had a record 46 students at Crash.  I snapped the photo above during the worship set.  As you can see we had so many people in the youth room they had to sit on top of one another!

I write this not to brag on how cool our kids are or to tout the number of students who come but to ask you, the faithful of Eastgate, to pray.  In this day and age the Devil runs on full tilt, trying to grab a hold of the youth of this world.  He is cunning, and seemingly beautiful, but in reality he is a murderer of innocence and I don’t want him to get a hold of our kids.

So, if you have a prayer list I ask, no I beg, you to write down the youth of Eastgate.  Writed them down by name if you know any of them, and if you don’t by all means, get to know them because they truly are awesome.