Alive Youth Church Weekly,
When people ask me what I do for work, I sometimes hesitate.
Not because I'm ashamed, but because I know what their response may be.
At first glance, that sounds inspiring. But the more I think about it, the more I disagree.
What they need is someone who will sit with them, listen to them, walk with them, and point them toward the truth. Point them towards Jesus, as you yourself follow Him. They need discipleship. We all do.
Students need someone to show them Jesus. Not just in a message or in Sunday service, but in person and after church, and through the week.
This next truth shattered the way I understood Jesus' ministry during His time on Earth.
Jesus didn’t build His ministry on the already established and powerful people.
He called the young.
While the Bible doesn’t always state ages explicitly, many scholars believe several of the disciples were likely teenagers or young adults when Jesus called them.
Think about that, it definitely changes my view of John, Peter, Andrew, James, and the other eight disciples as I read scripture.
The people Jesus chose to carry His message, witness miracles, and establish the early Church were likely the same age group we underestimate today.
Paul writes to Timothy, a young leader in the church:
And started asking:
“What has God placed inside this generation?”
So here’s the challenge for all of us:
Let’s not get caught in the narrative of a “failing generation.” Let’s be people who speak life, invest intentionally, disciple faithfully, and believe in the good work.
Because students don’t just need someone to tell them they need help; they need someone who will help them follow Jesus. And when we do that, when we walk alongside them the way Jesus did, we won’t see a failing generation or just see potential anymore. We’ll see a real transformation. Because Jesus transforms us all.
The next time someone asks what I do, I won't dance around the question. I’ll just say this plainly:
“I get to walk with the next generation as they discover who Jesus is.”
And honestly, I can’t think of anything better than that.
When people ask me what I do for work, I sometimes hesitate.
Not because I'm ashamed, but because I know what their response may be.
Because the moment I say “youth pastor,” people tend to respond in very predictable ways.
If you’ve ever had that moment, you know exactly what I mean. And if you haven't, then just trust me.
The best is when I am shopping for a youth event and have the weirdest collection of things in my cart.
I get questions and weird looks while walking through the aisles. I get it, it's not every day you see a hundred bags of chips next to twenty bottles of shaving cream in the same cart as twelve cases of soda, water balloons, garden clippers, and a stuffed animal. True story.
I don't often shy away from talking about my job, but recently, I have taken note of the answers and the pattern developing. When I tell people I’m a youth pastor, the response is often something like:
“Wow, that must be really hard.”
“Teenagers these days are struggling.”
“They don’t stand a chance.”
“This generation lost.”
They don’t always say it that bluntly, but the message is pretty clear.
Somewhere along the way, people accepted a narrative:
The narrative that this generation is failing.
We’ve seen statistics.
We’ve heard stories.
We’ve watched culture shift quickly.
Without even sitting down with students, without listening to their hearts, we’ve come to conclusions about who they are and what they’re becoming. We’ve labeled them before we’ve known them.
I get to spend time with students regularly. Listening to them, learning from them, walking with them.
And I wish everyone could see what I see.
Because what I see is not a failing generation.
- I see a generation with depth far beyond their years.
- Compassion that stretches wide across people and causes in this world.
- Resilience that is shaped by challenges many of us have never faced.
- Passion that is unmatched by generations before it.
“Wow, that must be really hard.”
“Teenagers these days are struggling.”
“They don’t stand a chance.”
“This generation lost.”
They don’t always say it that bluntly, but the message is pretty clear.
Somewhere along the way, people accepted a narrative:
The narrative that this generation is failing.
We’ve seen statistics.
We’ve heard stories.
We’ve watched culture shift quickly.
Without even sitting down with students, without listening to their hearts, we’ve come to conclusions about who they are and what they’re becoming. We’ve labeled them before we’ve known them.
I get to spend time with students regularly. Listening to them, learning from them, walking with them.
And I wish everyone could see what I see.
Because what I see is not a failing generation.
- I see a generation with depth far beyond their years.
- Compassion that stretches wide across people and causes in this world.
- Resilience that is shaped by challenges many of us have never faced.
- Passion that is unmatched by generations before it.
- Joy in the midst of absolute chaos in their everyday life.
- The readiness to learn and the understanding that they don't know it all.
Yes, they are navigating a complicated world. Way more complicated than when you were in school.
Yes, they are facing real struggles. Actually, bigger ones.
But they are not weak and not failing.
If anything, they are awake and aware. Aware of brokenness, hungry for meaning, and searching for something real.
I read a quote this week:
“It’s up to us to live up to the legacy that was left for us.”
- Christine Gregoire
Yes, they are navigating a complicated world. Way more complicated than when you were in school.
Yes, they are facing real struggles. Actually, bigger ones.
But they are not weak and not failing.
If anything, they are awake and aware. Aware of brokenness, hungry for meaning, and searching for something real.
I read a quote this week:
“It’s up to us to live up to the legacy that was left for us.”
- Christine Gregoire
At first glance, that sounds inspiring. But the more I think about it, the more I disagree.
Sorry Christine ):
Because if the goal is only to live up to what’s already been done…
Then where is the growth?
Where is God doing something new?
Isaiah 43:19 says:
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”
God is not limited to repeating the past.
He builds on it, and He moves beyond it.
So maybe it’s not on this generation to live up to us.
Maybe it’s on us to refuse to believe a narrative of failure and to recognize the potential in front of us and speak life instead of doubt into them.
Here’s something I’ve learned:
Students don’t need another voice telling them they’re struggling. They don’t need someone pointing out the problems.
They already know.
They already see the problems, probably more clearly than we did at their age. Knowing the problem isn't the issue; students don't need to be told again where they are struggling.
Because if the goal is only to live up to what’s already been done…
Then where is the growth?
Where is God doing something new?
Isaiah 43:19 says:
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”
God is not limited to repeating the past.
He builds on it, and He moves beyond it.
So maybe it’s not on this generation to live up to us.
Maybe it’s on us to refuse to believe a narrative of failure and to recognize the potential in front of us and speak life instead of doubt into them.
Here’s something I’ve learned:
Students don’t need another voice telling them they’re struggling. They don’t need someone pointing out the problems.
They already know.
They already see the problems, probably more clearly than we did at their age. Knowing the problem isn't the issue; students don't need to be told again where they are struggling.
What they need is someone who will sit with them, listen to them, walk with them, and point them toward the truth. Point them towards Jesus, as you yourself follow Him. They need discipleship. We all do.
One of many absolute fire things Pauls writes... "Follow me as I follow Christ."
Students need someone to show them Jesus. Not just in a message or in Sunday service, but in person and after church, and through the week.
This next truth shattered the way I understood Jesus' ministry during His time on Earth.
Jesus didn’t build His ministry on the already established and powerful people.
He called the young.
While the Bible doesn’t always state ages explicitly, many scholars believe several of the disciples were likely teenagers or young adults when Jesus called them.
Think about that, it definitely changes my view of John, Peter, Andrew, James, and the other eight disciples as I read scripture.
The people Jesus chose to carry His message, witness miracles, and establish the early Church were likely the same age group we underestimate today.
Paul writes to Timothy, a young leader in the church:
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”
—1 Timothy 4:12
Jesus didn’t wait for people to reach a certain age before using them. He discipled them where they were, empowered them through the Spirit, and sent them out with purpose.
That is our model.
What if we stopped asking:
“What’s wrong with this generation?”
Jesus didn’t wait for people to reach a certain age before using them. He discipled them where they were, empowered them through the Spirit, and sent them out with purpose.
That is our model.
What if we stopped asking:
“What’s wrong with this generation?”
And started asking:
“What has God placed inside this generation?”
So here’s the challenge for all of us:
Let’s not get caught in the narrative of a “failing generation.” Let’s be people who speak life, invest intentionally, disciple faithfully, and believe in the good work.
Because students don’t just need someone to tell them they need help; they need someone who will help them follow Jesus. And when we do that, when we walk alongside them the way Jesus did, we won’t see a failing generation or just see potential anymore. We’ll see a real transformation. Because Jesus transforms us all.
And students reading this...
You are not a failing generation! Do not believe something that is not truth.
This is the truth:
You are made in the image of God and fully loved by Him. You have the Spirit of the Living God living in you. Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but instead know that when you go after Jesus, anything is possible with Him. With Jesus, you have the power to lead, to change, to impact, and to take down the problems you face. You are a powerful generation. You are a generation rooted in Christ. You are a generation that will do amazing things in Jesus' name.
We are here for you.
We believe in you.
The next time someone asks what I do, I won't dance around the question. I’ll just say this plainly:
“I get to walk with the next generation as they discover who Jesus is.”
And honestly, I can’t think of anything better than that.
Then I'll tell them about the crazy stuff in my shopping cart.
Have a great week AYC!
Keep praying for Alive Youth Church, and let us know how we can be praying for YOU. It's great to be together when we can, and so valuable to be there for each other when we are apart. You have a church that loves you and a God that loves you even more!
-Isaac Fehlen
Youth Pastor
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