With regard to Student Ministry, there has been a rather large swing in the way that youth groups have operated over the past decade.  It seemed that youth groups needed to be flashy, edgy and on the leading edge for students to attend.  It was almost as if the culture demanded that the ‘youth group’ be the source of change in a students life. When you look at the Gospels and specifically read in acts the power of the Holy Spirit and His influence on people you quickly realize that it has very little to do with with an organization and very much to do with Him.  In short I believe this statement applies….

We need to seek to be ministered to by the minister and NOT the ministry.

Now don’t get upset at my choice of words…let me explain this statement.  I think that believers far to often look to give life changing credit to a ministry and not to the Holy Spirit (who is the minister). I don’t believe that this is intentional…but I do believe it’s an oversite that we occasionally step into.  I know leaders of several large ministries and they would be the first to say that it’s only through our relationship with God through Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit that we are able to experience amazing life change.  They are 100% correct.  Again this really comes down to semantics on the part of you and I.  Let’s look at Acts 17:1.

Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

Prior to this Paul with with Silas and Timotheus (them) in Thessalonica.  As Paul looked over Athens, his spirit was provoked/stirred when we saw that the city was given over to idol worship.  The thing I want to notice here is that Paul was waiting.  In waiting for them, the Holy Spirit stirred him into action.  Paul ended up sharing the Gospel with the Athenians and according to Acts 17:34 some were saved.

Now there is no doubt that God did some incredible things through Paul…but Paul would probably be the first to say that technically all things done through Him were done by Him (the Holy Spirit).  That his ministry was nothing more than the visible working of the Holy Spirit.  As you study Paul’s life you see that as he grew closer to God he thought less of himself.  If you have never done a study on Paul I highly recommend it.

I don’t want you to think for one second that it’s improper to say that a ministry has ministered to you.  I just wanted to pause and think about the foundation behind all ministries.  The foundation of the Holy Spirit leading and guiding Godly men and women is amazing to me and should be amazing to us.  Our God is mighty, strong, caring, loving, just…the list could go on and on.   You and I (as believers) have an incredible opportunity to experience real ministry in and through our lives through the power of the Holly Spirit every day.

Let your day count for something, let Him minister to you and perhaps through that minister to others.