Trying Something New

          One thing Hubby and I have been struggling with since we started working with this youth group is what Mike Pilavachi also mentioned having to overcome when he first began in youth ministry-namely how to get the kids to switch from a consumer mindset to a servant one. It is very disheartening when we do something special, like bringing the kids McDonalds one night for dinner, and instead of them thanking us for doing something special they complain that we should have brought Burger King instead (that one just floored me, I almost had to leave the room to compose myself). To solve that specific problem we are no longer supplying food, but having potluck meals instead, where each kid has to bring something to contribute (this week we're having a barbecue). Another thing we are trying is to get the kids doing more volunteer work. We serve at a feeding kitchen quite often, with the kids being the main servers, which they always seem to really enjoy and they are so gracious to the people they are serving. It's like they're totally different kids when they have a ladle and a casserole in front of them. Last night we tried out something new that might become a monthly event. We got a small group of kids together at about 5:30 and put together bag lunches (sandwich, water, and apple). Then we took them to one of the nearby downtown areas to pass out those bagged meals to the homeless. The kids really rose to the occasion, not only handing out the food but praying for people they met (with a little encouragement, admittedly) and taking time to talk and get to know some of them. We were very proud of them =0) The only problem we ran into was that, in our area, it is a lot harder to find homeless people than one might expect. We know they are there, but the sad thing about where we live is that they are trying really hard to just get rid of them instead of helping them, which makes them hard to locate and help unless you really know where to look. The kids that came with us last night were really excited that they got to help out and I think it will go a long way in helping them to see outside of themselves and into the eyes of a hurting world that needs them. If you have any other ideas that might help us we would love to hear them. We could use all the help we can get!