Teens Involved

It's called Teens Involved. It is part of the Word of Life youth ministry in which teenagers are encouraged to develop and use their gifts to glorify the Lord. There are three steps in this annual competition leading to the international finals during the summer at Word of Life in New York state. This year our teens entered the first level that was held in March at a church near Lebanon. Twenty-nine of them, competing in 21 different categories, qualified for the regional level that was held this weekend in Altoona. On Saturday all 29 of them qualified in 20 categories to go to the international level. This is the third year that we were able to attend the Altoona TI and it is a real thrill to see hundreds of teens gather to play, sing, preach, write, and act, using their talents for the Lord. If you ever get discouraged observing teens hanging around and looking like bums in your community, you would be greatly encouraged to see such a group of well-dressed, mannerly, and talented teens serving the Lord. Of course we had a personal interest in the day since two of our grandchildren were involved. Both were involved in puppet teams. Zachary also played guitar in the praise band. Taylor sang in the praise team and read both a poem and a story she had written for this year's contest. We also had teens qualify from our church in vocal and instrumental solos and in vocal and instrumental groups. Now I guess there are some who don't care for the competition angle, and I understand that. It would be better if these teens had opportunities to use their gifts to actually minister to others rather than to compete. But such opportunities are limited, even in the church. Over the years I have watched many of these teens grow spiritually through these experiences. I have seen them develop and refine their gifts through this process of practice and preparation. I have seen them come together as a group and care for each other. And these observations alone make me excited about this program. For if our teens wouldn't have this opportunity, their alternative would be the secular opportunities, such as county and district music events, where a Christian testimony would be limited. So Saturday was a special day for us, despite the long trip, and I was encouraged and proud to see such a fine group of Christian kids praising the Lord in such a variety of ways. My prayer is that they will continue to develop and use these gifts and talents for the Lord throughout their lives.