WHO WILL LEAD THEM? ........ OR ... LET'S RISE UP AND BUILD

I was given the opportunity tonight at church during the service to outline goals and a vision for the youth department at Cornerstone Baptist Church.

While I was preparing my short little part of the sermon, I was drawn to Nehemiah. Specifically Chapter 2 verses 11-18 where Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem and gets prepared to start building.

I noticed some notes in my Bible from December 2006, when my Pastor preached "Let's Rise up and Build!"

How exciting to watch as God used his word and the message of his man from four years ago to help me with my message tonight.

Let me begin here, like I did in the service, and thank several people that are directly related to the success of the youth department.

Thanks to Pastor and Susan Herrell, Pastor and Ashley Gowens, Rick and Minerva Vogeler, Michael and Jennifer Costigan, Eric and Amanda Ginther, Andy Baker, Percy Comafay, Jack Cleveland, Jeremy McNair and Erica Fairbanks and Tammy Smith.

Nehemiah went to Jerusalem and got ready to work and in verses 11-18 of Chapter 2 did the following things:

• He embraced his purpose
• God has a purpose for each of us
• He explored the conditions
• Out
• On
• Up
• Check out the conditions of your community and your family
• He enlisted help
• Come, let us
• That we be no more a reproach
• He encouraged their faith
• God's hand was "good" upon us
• Let us rise up and build

God saved us so we could serve, the more we are dedicated the work of God, the more doors he will open for us.

We have several goals for the youth at Cornerstone Baptist Church and these goals include:

• Growth
• Spiritual
• Numerical
• Establish and Build Community
• Love
• Harmony
• Humility
• Helpfulness
• Adventure -- (see blog entry about the book "Do Hard Things")
• Spiritual
• Service
• Physical

 The steps to accomplish our goals are easily understood in the following four steps:

1. R - Recruit
1. Recruit teens for the youth group
2. Recruit and involve youth parents
3. Recruit and involve youth volunteers and workers
2. E - Equip
1. Equip all of the aforementioned groups with God's word
2. Equip with relevant teaching
3. Equip with family involvement
4. Equip leaders (youth and youth workers) with camps, seminars, and service projects
3. E - Encourage
1. Build a community of encouragement
1. Teens encouraging each other
2. Teens encouraging the church
2. Offer encouragement to leaders
1. I must offer encouragement 
2. Leaders must recognize each other
3. Leaders must recognize teens
3. Publicly recognize
1. Teens and leaders in the church
2. Individually 
4. L - Lead
1. Lead in all areas of life
1. Home
2. Church
3. School
4. Work
2. Lead in different geographic areas
1. Home
2. City
3. Country
4. Worldwide
3. Lead in the vision of our youth group from the top down

In conclusion, teens you have an abundance of God given talent, strength, and potential. I want to encourage you to use it all now for God. Do not wait to give your all fully to God. Parents, let's set the bar high for the kids and challenge all of the kids to do more than their best. Let's raise them up and hold them to a Christ like standard. Cornerstone, we will resolve to be unified with you as a church and for you as a body of believers.

Please pray for us,

Love Bro. Allen