Lessons learnt as a youth facilitator

Notes to self:
1. Know youths for who they are, accept youths for who they are, and enjoy who they are, even though they may not always fit into what I think is ideal.
2. See and know strengths in youths.
3. Give youths freedom to make decisions. Lead by walking along side them, not by pushing them.
4. Be friends with them and enjoy their company. Relationships must be genuine.
5. Pray pray and pray, because it's only God who can change me and them.
6. Teach the Word. Find and seize opportunities to show how the Word is relevant to life.
7. Remember that God holds our lives in His Hands and He loves them more than I do. There's no need to be overly anxious or fret when youths are not growing as expected.
8. Be conscious to stay in step with the Word and with God.

Some principles I've learnt over the past 2 years. Sometimes it's through mistakes, sometimes through experiences that occur.

Being in youth ministry has really been a process of learning to trust God and learning to be more secure in myself in Him. When I look back, it's always God's grace seeing us through. And no matter what happens, God will hold us through. I want to remember that.