Never Forget the Fringe Kids

Several years ago a youth minister friend of mine planned a great outing for his youth group. One of the members in his church owned a couple hundred acres of land, which he was able to use anytime he needed. So the plans were made. It was going to be awesome. They were going to enjoy hotdogs, fireworks, games, hayrides, and a bonfire. Well, the day finally came and the vans were loaded. Kids were screaming and excited about what was about to happen.

It was about a twenty-mile ride to the farm and in the winter it gets dark earlier so it was decided to build a fire first. The fire could provide both light and heat. The group began to scramble through the woods gathering firewood. When it was stacked and the fire was ready to be lit, the search began for the matches. It only took a couple of minutes to realize that the youth minister forgot to pack them. Not only that, he forgot to bring the hotdogs and the paper plates. Can you imagine what the group thought of him when they realized what he’d done. He was known for being forgetful.

If you have been in youth ministry for over a month you probably have forgotten something. One thing we never want to forget are the kids who live “on the fringe.” These are the teens who are not quite part of the group spiritually. They are just sort of straddling the fence and could fall either way. Often, we spend so much time with our strong teens that we forget these kids even exist.

Let’s look at a few ways that might help us remember these “fringe kids”:
1. Write their names down and place the list in a place where you can see it daily.
2. Ask someone to hold you accountable for reaching out to these kids.
3. Make a prayer list.
4. Make yourself a “Most Wanted” list and set a goal to work on it.
5. Encourage a few of your youth group leaders to reach out to them.

There are many ways to reach these teens. Just let your creative juices flow until you find a way.

No matter what you do in youth ministry, remember to watch for the “fringe kids.”

Article Source: http://youth-ministry-resources.com

Al Millergren, co-founder of Teen Life Ministries: www.teenlifeministries.com

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