Not much is worse than loosing sight of the vision for ministry. Ministry easily becomes wrapped up in the repetitive administrative tasks and slowly warps from a God-given dream to a struggle to maintain mediocrity. I want to ensure that I never lose sight of the vision God’s placed in the hearts of myself and my youth group volunteers, so I took the flip-chart pages that contain our vision brainstorming from two weeks ago and posted them on the wall above my desk. Now our vision is literally right in front of my face. Whenever I’m sitting at my desk, the vision is right there in front of me. It’ll serve as a constant reminder of what we’re here for and where we’re going.

I know you can’t read the list from my cell phone’s picture, so here’s what it says:

IMAGINE IF…

• The kids can’t wait to get to school and invite their friends.
• Kids stood out at school, not conforming.
• Students were a vital/visible part of the church.
• Every youth parent was involved in youth ministry.
• Every student in Alexandria attended youth group either here or elsewhere.
• All cliques and barriers were broken down and everyone felt welcomed.
• Some child was touched strongly enough by the Lord that they made a world-wide difference.
• Every at-risk student in the community was influenced by our program.
• Every kid at the H.S. knew that they are a precious child of God.
• Every student was following Christ instead of rules.
• Every student knew the absolute truths.
• Every person in our community was going to heaven.
• Our youth program could impact the college.
• Every kid in Alexandria understood the roll of sex in their lives.
• We could equip parents with knowledge of God.
• There was a mentor for every kid in town.
• The youth group was considered the best thing in town.
• Our youth program impacted other churches in Alexandria.
• Denominational differences didn’t matter.
• If church was the students’ #1 priority.
• We could remember every kid’s name every time.
• The youth and adults were kind to one another.
• Every student had one good friend to help them make the right choices.
• Every student would take ownership of their faith.
• Every student was using the Internet and technology for good Godly purposes.
• Communication wasn’t an issue.
• Students would take responsibility for their own actions.
• Everyone could just be real.
• We as a team totally sought God’s will and had none of our own agendas and motives.
• We all had the same heart as God.
• If ego and pride was removed from the equation.
• We didn’t let the world water-down our values.
• We did a service project that made news and left a huge positive impact.
• Everyone was ready for the second coming.
• Every student in our community that has a crisis has someone to call.
• We knew what every student was thinking.
• We didn’t care as much about ourselves.
• In every crisis, the students’ first instinct would be to turn to God in prayer.
• We all would pray without ceasing.
• Every student had a burden for lost souls.
• Every student viewed their school as a mission field.
• The kids knew how to repent for their own screw-ups.
• If Christianity would spread through our kids.
• Students would stand up for their faith and would share/explain it to their friends.
• All of us knew the real consequences for our actions.
• Students were passionate to worship God both publicly and privately.
• Teachers could use their knowledge of what they know of God in their school teachings.
• Our actions were congruent with what our hearts are.
• All the students in our youth group were unified together.
• If youth group could be “family.”
• The Sr. High students were all intentional positive roll-models for the Jr. High.
• Every graduating senior was equipped to be a spiritual leader on their college campus.
• The church took an inter-generational approach to ministry.
• Bible teaching was relevant and appealing.
• Church services were lead by students.
• Students took ownership over their church and had the freedom to fail and adults ensured that they were successful.
• Everything was spirit-led.
• Students knew their gifts and were confident to use them for God.
• Students’ spiritual maturity would set an example for adults.
• Our students would change culture.
• The youth group was serious about developing a relationship with God.
• Everyone could speak with boldness and had opportunities to practice it.
• Every student was trained to share their faith.
• Every student was a great storyteller of the gospel.
• All the adults would be willing to be authentic and transparent.
• The church became a community that loved on teenagers.
• Church was a place that felt safe for everyone.
• The church was known for what we stand for rather than what we stand against.
• We always did ministry out of imagination instead of doing it by memory.
• We weren’t afraid to fail.
• We weren’t afraid of other people’s opinions of us.
• Every student in Alexandria had repeated opportunities to hear and respond to the gospel.
• Fund-raising was unnecessary.
• Service projects were for the purpose of service instead of fund-raising.
• Our involvement with youth was contagious to other adults around us.
• There was a ministry that met every student’s needs.
• We were recruiting kids for various ministries.
• Kids and adults would just do things out of the goodness of their hearts instead of for something in return.
• Our youth group was known for what it is rather than what it does.
• Every student felt comfortable showing appropriate physical affection with each other.
• Student knew their Bibles.
• Every student could discuss theology.
• Students brought their Bibles and used them in church.
• Students could recite passages of scripture by memory.
• A forum was created where students have a place to debate issues and problems.
• Students knew how to appropriately resolve conflict.
• God was real and living in every student’s life and it was evidenced through their actions.
• Prayer was as natural as breathing and became a priority in students’ life.
• Adults first practiced everything on our own lives before we taught it to kids.
• Youth group became obsolete because they’d be so on fire and out in the community that they wouldn’t need us.
• We worked ourselves into obsolesces.

Posted on May 7, 2007