InsideOut: How long have you been in student ministry?
Destiny George: I joined the youth team fresh out of high school six years ago. However, within the last two years, I have taken on more roles in the youth team.

IO: What is your favorite fast food restaurant?
DG: Back Yard Burger. There is nothing like a Hawaiian burger!

IO: What is your favorite fast clothing store?
DG: Forever 21 and Goodwill—any store that has good bargains!

IO: What about your favorite Scripture?
DG: Philippians 4:4-7: 4) “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5) Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6) Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7) And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

And I love Psalm 118:4: “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” My goal for 2012 has been to rejoice in the Lord no matter what the day brings, and to help others learn how to rejoice in the Lord. I want to fully understand what it means to rejoice in the Lord.

IO: Who is the biggest influence in your life?
DG: When I read this question, I automatically started thinking of several people. To sum up most of those people, I would have to say my church, WMAC, is the biggest influence in my life. My parents, grandma, pastor’s family, and several people in the church have continually poured into my life throughout the years. Proverbs 15:22 reads, “Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.”

IO: What is the most impacting book you’ve read, besides the Bible?
DG: “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan. I am so glad I get to have a passionate love relationship with Jesus with no boundaries. Every new youth worker needs to read “My First Two Years in Youth Ministry” by Doug Fields.

IO: Tom’s or Converse?
DG: There is something about my red Toms that makes me happy!

IO: Mac or PC?
DG: I can only afford a PC.

IO: Did you attend college? Bible college or secular?
DG: I received an associates degree in Biblical Studies at Gateway College of Evangelism. Life changing experiences took place there. I just completed a nursing degree, and now I am getting my bachelors in health care management.

IO: Are you single or married? Kids?
DG: Not married, but I have the best boyfriend, Jordan Griffith. He serves on the youth team with me. Trust me, he is 10x more creative than I am.

IO: What is the name of your student ministry and how did you get started?
DG: 3116. This was the stock number on the back of a plaster decorative Bible on the front of our old pulpit. We found this as we were spending the day cleaning out a storage shed at church one day. We liked the number, so we searched for significance for it and found that the 3116th word in the Bible is “servants.” That’s how we came up with our youth group name. Our goal is to be servants.

When I was graduating from high school, the youth leader had resigned. Our pastor’s wife put together a youth team instead of having a main youth leader. Six years later, some leaders have come and gone, but we
still have a team! Everyone on the team has their own role. In the last three years, we have put a major focus on going “out of the box” with our youth group. Since we started doing a simple youth service on Wednesday nights, we have grown from eight regular attendees to around fifty-five people.

IO: What is the dumbest thing you’ve ever done in student ministry?
DG: One night while painting the youth room, I dropped a whole gallon of paint on the carpet in the middle of the youth room. Three years later it is still there—and yes—there is a random rug in the middle of the room.

IO: What is the most unique prop you’ve used to illustrate a lesson?
DG: In Sunday School, I had one of the students dressed up like an animal that was getting ready to be sacrificed. We will just say the student had a lot of fun with it.

IO: What is your most memorable moment in student ministry?
DG: There are a lot of memorable moments because we are continually trying to create those for the students. One memory was seeing a new student praying for the lady in the church who has no legs. Or looking up from from worshiping and seeing our students in the altar area every service during praise and worship. Students visiting the sick and ministering outside the four walls of the church building. Then there are the shaving cream fights. My job as a leader is to give them opportunities to make memorable moments.

IO: What song would you say is the anthem for your group?
DG: Thank you Youth Congress! Our anthem is “The Anthem.”

IO: How about your favorite online resources when planning youth services?
DG: I get a lot of ideas from www.theyouthsource4ym.com and Simply Youth Ministry. You can sign up for free, and they will send you awesome emails throughout the week on several different topics about things leaders deal with. In addition, they send great games, activities, and outreach ideas.

IO: I’m in student ministry because…
DG: I get to help change and affect my generation and future generations. I am no longer sitting around complaining about it, but I am doing something about it. I get to see that process of a student’s life maturing and developing a walk with God and a ministry that is not self-seeking, but Kingdom seeking. I get to reach out to those students who think they have no purpose and show them a purpose filled life. When I get to Heaven, I want to hear, “well done,” and I want to see all the students and lives I have helped come to Christ. I want to see that they lived a passion filled life for the Kingdom of God. And I’m in student ministry because I get to be loud, crazy, and participate in shaving cream fights!

Destiny George serves on the youth team for 3116 at West Monroe Apostolic Church in Herrin, Illinois. Terry Griffith is her pastor. You can find her here on Facebook.