Will You Pray for Me? Youth on the Grow


by Jeremy Wissink


One of Christian parents’ greatest desires is that their children grow up to be godly men and women who follow Christ once they leave home. Tis is the same desire your church youth min- istry pursues. Te point of all the games, trips, conversations, and Bible studies we do is to help students grow in and develop their own faith in Jesus Christ.


Unfortunately, though, over the past 10–15 years, several re-


search studies have found that an increasing number of students who grow up going to church and attending a youth group do not continue to live out their faith aſter high school. One reliable study done by the Fuller Youth Institute found that “40–50 per- cent of kids who graduate from a church or youth group will fail to stick with their faith in college.” Authors Kara E. Powell and Chap Clark put their findings in the book Sticky Faith and gave many good ideas and suggestions to help students’ faith “stick” once they leave home.


While they offer no silver bullet, one of the biggest factors


they did find that has helped students have “sticky faith” is rela- tionships with older adults in the church. Tis should of course occur within the youth ministry, but when it occurs outside youth activities — like when students attend the large worship gathering or serve alongside adults — it has an even greater im- pact. Because of this, they recommend students have meaningful relationships with at least five caring adults who are investing in their lives.


As our Student Ministries at Community Bible Church


thought and prayed about this, we heard about a ministry called Pray for Me Campaign (prayformecampaign.com). Its goal is for churches to connect students and adults who develop intergener- ational relationships that help students’ faith flourish. Specifical- ly, each student invites three adults from three different genera- tions to pray for them for one school year.


So as the school year started last fall, CBC hosted a Pray


for Me Campaign Launch event. Fiſty-two youth in middle and high school went up to 119 adults and personally asked them one simple question: “Will you pray for me?” And of course, they each answered “Yes!”


So began a year-long relationship between the student and


their adult Prayer Champions. Using a Prayer Guide book, the adults committed to pray for their student through the school year. Te Prayer Guide helped and equipped the adults to pray for seven essential scriptural principles and character traits for their student.


It didn’t take long for connections to be made and lives to


be changed. On the night of the Launch event, adults were able to ask for specific prayer requests and pray for their students in person. It was incredible to look around the room that night and


see people from the ages of 12 all the way up to 84 sharing and praying together!


As the year progressed and students faced the various chal-


lenges and stresses of school and life, they were able to reach out to their Prayer Champions for support and encouragement. One senior student said, “My prayer champion was a great encourage- ment and mentor to me as I went through my senior year. I don’t know what I would have done without her.” Another student was encouraged through the thoughtful and timely giſts he received. God was definitely working through the many prayers that were offered up for the students.


While the focus of the Pray for Me Campaign is on the


students and praying for them, another great benefit realized by many adult Prayer Champions was that they grew in their prayer life and in their own faith. Te prayers in the Prayer Guide come directly from Scripture, so they taught and encouraged the adults to use God’s Word to pray. One Prayer Champion said, “I found this experience to be a real blessing and an act of worship for me as I prayed for my student. Te prayers helped me see the wonder of God.”


Another adult shared how the experience changed his prayer


life: “I saw God’s faithfulness displayed many times as we went through this campaign, and that makes my confidence in him grow. I now feel more confident about asking God for major prayer requests that I previously would not have asked for. I never understood the full measure of prayer. I am sure I still cannot fully comprehend it, but this has opened my eyes up to the won- der and awe of God." What an encouragement for the youth and myself!


Jeremy Wissink has been impacting youth at Community Bible Church of Omaha, Neb., since 2012. He and his wife Rachel have three sons. In his fee time, Jeremy enjoys outdoor activities, playing games, playing and watching sports, and playing and listening to music.


Fellowship Focus, September/October 2019


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