Okay, I guess I'm not completely starting from scratch, but it kinda feels that way sometimes.
One of the hardest aspects of youth ministry is that you spend large amounts of time with young people who just keep growing up, up, up, and up until they move on, on, and on! After a while, it gets hard to say goodbye! In some ways, it's like going through my own personal empty nest syndrome every graduation. All the lock-ins, retreats, and mission trips together are now only memories...and I can only pray that God developed their hearts as our adult leaders poured their hearts into them.
The starting from scratch feeling comes when a whole new group of young energetic faces come into the group. (in the form of middle school students) They haven't experienced anything yet. The immaturity, craziness, lack of self-control, and not really taking the whole "relationship with God" thing serious yet, etc, etc, etc...It's all there! It creates that continual process of starting over for the leaders, but you know what, that has a tendency to keep things exciting! And the fact that they come to our youth center makes it all such a blessing.
Here's a secret: Sometimes starting from scratch leads to awesome new creations. I think that is exactly what is going to happen with our new youth group, and I can't wait to see the results!
Josh
