Sandy Kirby Quandt
Of ten times children and teens are treated as if they are unimportant to the work of God’s Kingdom. In 1 Timothy 4:12, the Apostle Paul told Timothy not to let anyone treat him as if he were unimportant because he was young. Instead, Timothy was to be an example with his words, his actions, his love, faith, and pure life.
Something I’ve noticed is young people have an energy and passion for the Lord’s work many adult believers lose somewhere in the process of raising a family, work responsibilities, and health concerns of both themselves and their families.
The church I grew up in held Youth Sundays. Perhaps your church did, too. On these appointed Sundays, the junior and senior high students were in charge of every aspect of the service. I remember standing before the congregation, scared to death, as I sang my first solo. As you can tell, I didn’t die on the spot as I feared.
Our youth group assisted in nursing home visits. We wheeled residents to and from the common area for the service and passed out Bibles and hymnals. As an adult, I took my elementary-aged son with me on these visits where he continued the tradition of helping the residents.
During our annual congregational sit-down dinner, our youth group served and cleaned up afterwards.
At this time, the 1960s, our church was involved in door-to-door evangelism. Our youth
group showed up early on Saturdays and passed out invitations to special events along with Bible tracts, throughout the neighborhood.
Whenever the nursery was short-handed the senior high girls were asked to help hold crying babies.
These days, I see the teens in my church involved in foreign mission trips counseling Zulu teens in South Africa about the dangers of AIDS. I see young people wielding hammers on trips to build churches and homes for Navajo in New Mexico. I see them feeding the homeless and participating in Super Bowl parties provided for those same men and women in downtown Houston.
Middle school students collect new shoes and socks for children who do not have those basics.
Elementary-aged students share their love of music through choir and hand bell concerts.
Today children in pre-school add the finishing touches to handmade fleece blankets and pray for the children of incarcerated parents who will receive those blankets.
In the story of the feeding of the five thousand recorded in all four Gospels, it wasn’t the adults who provided the loaves and the fish…it was a child. Jesus turned what the young boy offered into something beyond human imagination. All it took was the boy’s willingness to give what he had to Jesus.
The list is endless as to what God can accomplish through his people. Young, old, or anywhere in between. Age is not a factor. Every Child of God is important. Our willingness to say, “Yes” to the opportunities Jesus presents to us is what matters.
Sandy Kirby Quandt is a follower of Jesus with a passion for history, travel, and photography. Sandy has written numerous articles and stories for adult and children
publications. Looking for words of encouragement or gluten-free recipes? Then check out Woven and Spun. www.sandykirbyquandt.com. Sandy lives with her husband in Texas.
