From youthministry360 on Monday, November 9, 2026 @ 5:42 AM PST
in the "Resources" Category.
"What do you do?" "I'm the new principal at Travelers Rest High School." I just stood there with my jaw dropped and tears beginning to well up. Months earlier, I had reached out to the principal of Travelers Rest High School. He welcomed me with open arms, gave me a tour of the school, introduced me to teachers, and even invited me to eat lunch with students. I didn't have that kind of relationship with schools in my hometown, and I had been doing ministry there for seven and a half years. Then, just a few weeks later, I found out he was leaving, and I remember praying, "Lord, I am so discouraged because things were looking so good." The day after my wife and I moved to Travelers Rest, we met one of our new neighbors. As we talked, she asked why we had moved. I shared our vision of planting a church and how we would invest in students. Then I asked what she did. Her response: "I'm the new principal at Travelers Rest High School." Only God could have orchestrated that! She loves the Lord and has been one of our biggest encouragers. Just today we were texting about serving breakfast to the staff and how we can welcome students back on their first day of school. On January 1, 2026, I stepped into a new assignment as the Associate Pastor at Legacy Hills Church, a brand-new church plant. My wife and I prayed for months before saying yes, but one thing made the decision clear: I wasn't just helping plant a church. I was helping build a church that would intentionally invest in the next generation from day one. Student ministry has always been one of my greatest passions. Here's why that mattered to me. Student Ministry is where I gave my life to Jesus. It's where mentors walked alongside me and took my faith in Jesus to new depths. It's where I fell in love with the church! Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12, "Let no one despise your youth..." reminding us that God consistently uses young people to accomplish His mission. Wiersbe says, "The fact that Timothy was a young man should not deter him from practicing the Word. In fact, he was to 'command' these things..." Students play such a vital role in what God is doing in His Church today. Long before I joined Legacy Hills, my lead pastor was praying through the vision for our church. In conversations with other church planters, he kept hearing the same story of families visiting a new church but would never come back because there was nothing for their middle or high school students. There are countless church planting strategies out there, along with amazing support networks and collaboratives. Some churches plant near college campuses. Others focus on downtown areas or young professionals. However, because we are both passionate about Student Ministry, we believed one of the best ways to build a healthy church was to start with the next generation, not wait until after we have launched. Students shouldn't have to wait. Back in January, I began commuting a few times a week from Asheville, N.C. to Travelers Rest, S.C. I was able to connect with the schools, teams, and other local Student Pastors. Our goal was to kick off our Student Ministry in the Spring on Sunday Nights. We kicked off with 15 students and 4 adult leaders! Here's the crazy thing: our church still hasn't officially launched. Because we chose to invest in students first, several families have since joined our Launch Team, Growth Groups, and serving teams before our church had even launched. We didn't want to wait to invest in the next generation because they aren't just the future of the Church; they are a vital part of the Church today. When you reach a student, you often reach an entire family. We've watched God do exactly that. If you're a church planter reading this, you may have thought, "This sounds great, but we don't have enough students to start a Student Ministry yet." Throw that idea out of the window. Kill the myth of "we don't have enough students yet." We all know that ministry doesn't begin with programs, invite buzz cards, or RSVP Facebook events; it begins with people. When I joined the Legacy Hills staff, I didn't know a single student in the area where we were planting our church. I didn't know the schools, coaches, or families. My team and I started showing up, engaging people where they are, and truly trusting God. Slowly but surely, the Lord adds to the number day by day. As of now, we have reached over 35 different students who have attended our programmed events, and we're still in the inconsistent summer months. But the fruit isn't defined by attendance. One thing that surprised me was how quickly these new students became some of the strongest volunteers in our church, and they are bringing their families with them! Teenagers often become some of the first passionate volunteers, and they bring adults with them! Two of our high school boys immediately come to mind when I think about Legacy Hills Students that are serving. Shooting guns is one of my hobbies, and at the gun range I met a student and his dad training for a nationals match, and I invited them to come check out our first Preview Gathering. Liam, 16 years old, showed up, but he didn't show up alone. He brought his mom and dad, and his sister. One family showed up in three separate vehicles because a student felt at home and invited his family to be a part. Since then, he has been a vital member of our church, helping with set up/teardown and being a core student in our ministry. His sister has joined our launch team and leads in our college ministry. Their family has hosted several of our ministry events at their house. All because a student found belonging and stepped up. I've also got to brag on my boy Drew! He is going into his sophomore year of high school and is always looking for ways to serve our church, his baseball team, and his family, all while navigating a call to ministry in his life! Since meeting Drew, his entire family has joined the Launch Team, his sister has been baptized, and they have been to everything on our calendar, giving their lives to grow His Kingdom. Start Now! If you're planting a church, don't wait to invest in students. Start now, even if it's 5 students in your living room or just one family around a dinner table. Ministry has never started with big crowds; it has always started with a few faithful people who gave the Lord their "yes" to whatever He has for them. Reach the next generation, and don't be surprised when God uses them to build His Church. If you're planting a church and want to talk student ministry, I'd love to start a conversation, share what's worked for us, and help you think through building culture, recruiting volunteers, and reaching your community before Launch Sunday! Share your thoughts with others in our YM360 community: 1. If your church launched tomorrow, would a middle or high school student feel like there was a place for them to belong? 2. Who is one student or one family you could begin intentionally investing in this week?
