Kids still do need the Lord

Some of the churches in Eastern North Carolina came together for a pretty bold adventure recently. It started it in the heart of Jacob Meetze, Youth Minister at Piney Grove Church. It grew into the Freedom experience. It attracted over 3,000 kids and saw right at 300 make a surrender of their life to follow Jesus.
The awesomeness of those numbers pales though when you begin to hear some of the individual stories and know what real life transformation took place in some lives.
I had the privilege of guiding one 11 year old who had watched his own father commit suicide just a couple of years ago. Other counselors told stories of kids praying for parents addicted to drugs, asked for help to get out of serious abusive situations and just generally were overcome that some folks actually cared enough about them to sit and talk for a while.
I know the music and the bikes and the skateboarders and the illusions attracted the kids, but what made the real difference was one on one acts of love and compassion.
My genuine prayer is that our churches will get the message that it is not about changing music styles, it is not about more and more youth activity stuff. It boils down to a generation that is intensely in pain and longing for someone to flesh out Jesus.