February/March 2007 Issue

But “Generation Now,” teenagers who number more than 30 million in America, is the primary audience for so many of the dreadful things our culture has to offer. Plugged in and WiFied, with cell phones in their pockets, laptops in their backpacks, iPods pumping in their ears, they’re bombarded with words and images that pull them from the narrow path.

Although the Student Ministry is doing a great job reaching teens, Pastor Jack Graham says it’s time to do more.

“I’m sounding the alarm that we need to wake up to the war, to the fight for our kids and to become more aggressive in student opposing the efforts of Satan and all the host of wickedness trying to destroy our kids and their families,” he said.

Pastor Graham has declared 2007 “The Year of the Student” at Prestonwood.

“I can’t think of anything more essential right now than reaching the student generation and teaching them the Word of God and preparing them for life,” he said.

This doesn’t mean Pastor Graham wants the Student Ministry to provide more programs or events. There are already so many incredible ones, he said, including the recent Freedom Weekend. What he wants is for the entire church body to become “fully engaged in the battle for students.”

“I don’t believe we see the urgency as we should,” he said. “I want to bring all the parts together and let the whole body of Christ be mobilized—from Student Ministry to Prestonwood Christian Academy, to parents, deacons, Sunday School teachers and the guy sitting on the third row from the top in the balcony.”

Freedom Weekend was the launch of this plan to keep students at the forefront of ministry at Prestonwood—with the hope that people will sign up to volunteer, to mentor, to disciple and to have a prayerful and abiding interest in students.

Minister to Students Chris Lovell agrees that reaching and preparing teens has to be a partnership among parents, the church family and the ministry. There are many students at Prestonwood who have Christ in their lives but who need the “undergirding” from more mature believers, he said.

“We need to get away from the thinking of ‘Oh, the Student Ministry has to do it,’” he said. “We will come to the congregation and say, ‘These are ways you can get involved in changing the next generation.’”

One critical way is for parents to become more involved spiritually with students. Last year the Student Ministry staff began writing and distributing daily devotionals for junior high and high school students. Along with those come family devotionals that encourage parents to sit down with teens once a week to support and supplement what they’re learning that week.

“Some people will say, ‘Well, I’m old and I don’t have anything to offer them,’ ” he said. “But, yes, you do. You have a whole lifetime of experiences to offer them. And kids would rather have someone who’s 50 and will spend five years with them than someone who’s 20 and will only spend five months.”

Adults can also help financially by helping to sponsor students who can’t afford to go to camp and other events. And, lastly, everyone can help by committing to encourage and pray for students, perhaps praying for one year for a particular student and all the challenges facing that teen.

In his book, The Bridger Generation, Thom Rainer says that only 4 percent of “Bridgers” or “Millennials” (born in 1984 or later) are Bible-based believers. Of those Bridgers, about 33 million are teens. Even if they are Bible-based believers as teens, studies have shown that once students leave home for college, many of them also leave their faith.

“Today is our moment of greatest opportunity,” writes Ron Luce, president and founder of Texas-based Teen Mania Ministries, in his book Battle Cry for a Generation: The Fight to Save America’s Youth.

“We must capture their hearts while they are young,” he continues. “We have a short window of 5 to 7 years before most of them will be into their 20s and set the pace for American culture.”

This is why Chris believes the key for the student ministry is simply to help students love God and impact lives.

“If we can help them fall in love with God and form a relationship with Christ that is lasting and nourishing, out of the overflow of that love they will naturally impact the lives of those around them,” he said.

The one habit Chris would like to see instilled in students is daily quiet time with the Lord. The devotionals require students to go to the Bible, and they prepare teens for lessons in upcoming services.

“When they leave our student ministry in seven years, all the lights and smoke and fun—all the creative stuff we do—won’t be there on their college campus,” Chris said. “But the one thing they will have is their personal daily time with the Lord. That’s when we’ll start to see a turn in the statistics about kids going off to college.”

The students will always love the fun and the amazing worship provided during services.

“It’s the place to go on Sunday and Wednesday,” said 14- year-old Caleb Feemster. “If you are feeling down for any reason, Prestonwood has a way of lifting those blues and making you feel good about yourself.”

“Everything in the Student Ministry is built on passion for Jesus,” said Sawyer Buccy, 13. “Every word that is spoken, every heart that is touched, every hand that is raised, every sermon that is spoken, is all praise to Jesus.

“They’ve taught so many of us what sacrifice and real faith is about. They help strengthen us and prepare us for everything that we will face, and they aren’t afraid to say what needs to be said.”

Elise Hewitt, 16, said the staff keeps students accountable, making sure they’re studying their devotionals and checking on them when they miss service.

“Every time I enter the building, I know that it’s going to be OK,” Elise said. “I go to a public high school where I don’t get a lot of Jesus in my day. Just recently, I told my mom that I realize where I’m the happiest … in God’s house.”