I found this today - it appears in The Dispatch out of Lexington, NC. (you can find the original story here). It really is encouraging to hear students (like the one below) who are finding support, life, hope, and joy in the midst of their youth ministry. Isn’t this what we all hope for - a positive environment that fosters relationships that help our students take steps in the direction of obedience to Christ. I wonder if kids in my youth ministry could write a column about anything in the local paper, what would they choose to highlight? [I also find it interesting the separation between “everyday life” and life in the youth group - this compartmentalizing is a symptom of a great problem in the western church].

Here is what this young man from NC wrote:

It’s always good to have a support system, no matter what you’re doing.

If you were trying out for the marching band’s drum line for the first time, you’d obviously want some people backing you up and cheering you on. Even if you are just taking a test in your Algebra II Honors class, it’s always nice to hear the little whispers of “good luck!” directed toward you. Nothing makes me feel better than people encouraging me and telling me I can do things.

So, why shouldn’t everyone have a back-up in the biggest event of all: life?

I’ve got one. Yes, go ahead, be jealous. As if it isn’t enough to have friends pushing me forward, I also have a group of other youths I see every Sunday who have got my back, no matter what. I know what you’re thinking, and no, I’m not here to preach about religion. I’m here to talk about the other teens in my youth group who don’t mind stepping up to the plate for me when I need them to.

There are teens of all ages in my youth group, and I don’t mind any of them - from “lowly” eighth-graders (like my brother) to people who have graduated already and are still as awesome as ever. In all, there are about nine families in the group and around 14 students, and I can honestly say, almost all of us hang out outside of church and those Sunday times.

But unlike some of my other friends, I know I can come to them with religious problems/serious stuff/etc. because we’ve got the same basic beliefs and moral backgrounds. I like having fun as much as anyone else, but sometimes, you just want to talk to someone, and my youth group definitely allows me to do that. I can ask questions without feeling totally stupid, and I can give input without anyone talking down to me. Plus (all right, maybe this is slightly religious), I have people praying for me when I have to do things that scare me or when I need help.

Participating in a youth group isn’t what you might think. It’s not a big religious center of conversion and chanting. At my church, we just hang out and talk and pick on each other, like - yeah, I’ll say it - a big family. It’s not so much that we’re all perfectly in tune and love everything that everyone else does, but we can just understand each other and relate when we need to.

Best friends are amazing, I won’t ever deny it, but some of your best friends might even fit into your “not-so-everyday-life” relationships, too.

And trust me, it’s not all bad having people who know most of your business. In fact, you’ll probably like it a lot better than keeping everything to yourself.

Whit Holbrook is a student at Ledford High School.