North Dakota Youth Ministries
“Show
me your friends and I’ll show you your future” is what my youth pastor
would say to remind us teenagers that who we chose to surround ourselves
with would play a huge role in who we became. Although it’s been years
since I was in youth group, I will never forget the wisdom, advice and
lessons I learned. As a teenager, I often thought the most important
things in life were my reputation, my friends, and who my current
boyfriend was. The positive influence from my pastors and mentors helped
me discover that there is more to life than that. They helped me
understand the value in living for a greater purpose.
I
first became a youth leader when I was in high school. After I
graduated, I continued my involvement by leading weekly studies, taking
students out for coffee and even starting a youth dance team. Nobody
told me to get involved, it was something I was passionate about and
came naturally to me. My husband and I now serve as the youth pastors of
our church. There’s something amazing about finding a partner who cares
about the next generation as much as you do. Since 2014, Jake and I
have been leading Relentless Student Ministries together, and it’s been
an incredible journey.
Through
our position as youth pastors, we got connected with North Dakota Youth
Ministries (NDYM), the student department of the North Dakota
Assemblies of God. This organization invests in the lives of junior high
and high school students around the state. Pastors, leaders and
volunteers of NDYM work to impact youth on a daily basis. They also
organize annual events to create a positive and healthy community for
students and position them to have an encounter with God. The mission
statement is “Turning Moments into Movements” because a single moment of
impact can become a movement that will effect generations to come.
NDYM
is my platform because I believe that young people need healthy,
positive mentorship in their lives. As Mrs. North Dakota International, I
want to educate people on the importance of investing in our youth and
utilize my influence to impact any students the crown leads me to.
Remember, youth are not just the generation of tomorrow, they matter today and are worth investing in.
A
recent study showed that teenagers spend an average of 9 hours a day
consuming media, which can be a scary thought, considering all the ways
media impacts our society. Whether it’s diving into the details of other
people’s lives on Instagram, accessing endless information on the
internet, or the constant distraction of applications, games, and shows
on their phones, teenagers have a lot vying for their attention. With
technology at the forefront of youth culture, there is a lot of texting
and not a lot of talking. There’s a lot of snap-chatting, but not a lot
of genuine relationships with friends. Now, more than ever, youth need
people to pull them away from the screen and encourage them to enjoy
life. Young women need confident women to remind them how beautiful they
are because they spend hours a day scrolling through highlight reels of
people’s lives and are feeling insecure. Young men need mature men to
remind them that although the media tries to label them as dumb guys who
only think about sex, they don’t have to fall for that trap. As adults,
we can sit back, blame social media, technology or Netflix for the
problems that youth are facing, or we can step up and be a voice of
positivity in a world of negative influence.
I
am a living testimony that mentorship yields positive results. I have
great parents, but when I was in high school, they were not the first
people I wanted to open up to. However, my peers didn’t always have the
right tools to guide me through my problems. I needed older and wiser
influences to reach out to me during my teenage years. I needed people
who cared enough to be part of my life, even if I didn’t always like
their involvement. I eventually realized that they understood life
differently and I learned to listen to and appreciate them. Ultimately,
their friendship shaped my future and I am forever grateful for that.
No
matter who you are or where you come from, everyone has something to
offer that can impact the next generation. Take your niece out for
coffee. Bake brownies for your church’s youth group and attach and
encouraging note. Or, volunteer a couple summer days at the local
community center to get to know the youth in your town. A simple act of
kindness can mean the world to a teenager. In the words of president
Jimmy Carter, “I have one life and one chance to make it count for
something . . . my faith demands that I do whatever I can, for as long
as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference.” So, let’s
make a difference together.
Click here >>> http://www.ndyouth.com to learn more about North Dakota Youth Ministries.
Mrs. North Dakota International 2017
Angelina Yarbrough
Angelina Yarbrough