The Right Kids

We were on the hook for 100 skaters at the Campus Life Christmas Skate. Remember RollerTown by the airport? We’re talking old school skates, black lights, frozen pizzas, and arcade games – epic. While we hoped to have 75-100 kids, we ended up with over 200! 

With the lobby packed out and a mob outside the entrance, we finally got the first wave of kids through to the final doors to the rink. Little did the kids know, though, that the last hurdle was a metal detector around the corner. 

I was helping at the registration table when a big group of teens backtracked from the checkpoint with a leader who announced to the whole lobby: “If you brought any vape pens or knives, those can’t come into the rink; you need to leave those in the parking lot.” Yep, we definitely have the right kids here, I thought to myself. I was unsurprised when one of the kids I brought asked me to pop my trunk, too. 

The “right kid” in the ministry is every kid that needs Christ. Lost kids come with lots of lost-kid behavior. They’re filling voids and serving lesser things. Vape pens and knives, sure, it makes sense, right? But these aren’t the only “right kids” in the mix. Gauge is a Christian student leader who that night brought his friend Gilberto. 

Gauge met Jesus through YFC in 8th grade and for two years has been going to church with his leader, Courtney. One Sunday, the pastor challenged everyone to act on their faith, and Gauge felt convicted to start a Bible Study at his school during lunch. His first invite was to Gilberto, who, unbeknownst to Gauge, had been praying the night before, asking God for help. They started reading Romans together, and through that Bible study, Gilberto got the skate night invite. 

It was almost the end of the night, and I saw Courtney praying for Gilberto at the rink. She was praying that God would set him free from all the heaviness that he’s carrying. She told me later that while they were praying, it felt as if the presence of God filled the space. It was a beautiful moment and super timely because about a week later, Gilberto moved to another country. God orchestrated an interference before Gilberto’s life totally changed, and YFC had the chance to encourage him in the Lord before he went.

Gilberto needs Christ to strengthen and encourage him. Gauge needed Christ to ignite and grow his faith. And yeah, the teens who feel they need a knife or vape pen to get through life still need Christ for the miracle of salvation. This is what Jesus came for:

15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason, I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.  – 1 Timothy 1:15-16

You, too, are the right kid. Boy, if it wasn’t for Jesus, where would you be? I love our mission because we get to join Jesus in seeking out sinners just like we were, so that they, too, would be shown mercy and receive eternal life. 

May there be a harvest of salvation this new year, for every lost kid,

Jameson

P.S. YFC offers a free tool for starting a will at freewill.com/yfc. There are zero obligations, and most people finish in 20 minutes or less. This thank-you resource is provided to strengthen the stewardship of our kingdom community.