New youth minister on the job

By WAYNE QUESENBERRY/Staff

Brent Smith is aware of the pressures surrounding today’s young people. As youth pastor of the Bastian Church of God, he is using his understanding to teach them responsibility and accountability.
“Young people today face more today than any generation,” Smith remarked earlier this week. “This generation is a ‘point and click’ generation. Everything is at their fingertips and they are influenced by what they see. The pressure on them is far more than any other generation.”
Drug use, broken homes, single-parent families, no sense of belonging and little direction in their lives are major issues for young people, according to Smith. He sees a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as the means for them to cope with life’s ups and downs.
“The worst part of my job is losing one of these young people whether by death or just turning away,” he added. “We have to have faith and hope they have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. You have to know Him and He has to know you.”
While none of his local youths have died from drugs, Smith said, some of their family members have. Several of them are mixed up in drug use, according to him.
“Drugs is one of the things we want to target,” Smith commented. “We want to let them know there are better ways to deal with their problems. We want to offer them something real and truthful they can hold onto.”
Music is one of Smith’s major tools in reaching out to the youth. It is the focus of Interlinc, the Wednesday night youth services.
“Music is the number one thing with students,” Smith pointed out. “At our services, we teach the kids about Christian music. We watch music videos and then talk about their themes – what the song is saying. We want the young people to be more aware of what they’re listening to.”
A variety of musical instruments is available at the church for the youths to play. The formation of a band may result from the jam sessions.
Sports activities, youth retreats, cookouts, hanging out, watching movies and playing games are part of the church’s efforts to attract and keep young people involved.
Smith shares his youth ministry duties with his wife, Samantha, also a licensed practical nurse at Bland County Nursing & Rehab Center in Bastian. They reside in one of the church’s two parsonages.
“We love it here,” Smith stated. “We love the people. We love the community we are in.”
Although Smith grew up in the church in Logansport, Ind., he didn’t feel called into the ministry until he was 19 years old. Smith was working at the time in a metal working factory that made stainless steel ventilator hoods.
He enrolled in the Church of God’s extensive training program for ministers. The two-year program, Smith noted, was crammed into nine months.
After serving as youth minister in Logansport, Smith later moved to a church in Kokomo, Ind. That’s where he met his future wife.
The Smiths decided to take their ministry elsewhere. They sent out several resumes and were accepted at the Bastian Church of God about three months ago.
“The kids seem to really love Brent,” remarked Jenny Buckner, a member of the church’s youth board. “He is interested in the kids and has lots of ideas to get things done.”
Wayne Quesenberry can be reached at 1-800-655-1406 or .