Youth Pastor Name: Chadwick Craft

Youth Group Name: The Crowd

Church Name: First Pentecostal Church of Jackson

Location: Jackson, Mississippi

InsideOut: How many people do you have?

Chadwick Craft: 96

IO: Average age?

CC: 16.37

IO: What do you think is THE coolest event you guys have put together for the Youth?

CC: Geez; I don’t know! Jackson’s Back to School Thing (huge annual event). Friends’ Nights (youth revival every two months). We still wear everyone out with Lock-Ins.

IO: What do you do for outreach?

CC:Knock doors, hand out invite cards, go to malls in groups, canvas neighborhoods, pray at schools

IO: What is your youth group’s claim to fame? (If you’re going to brag on your youth group, you’re going to say…?)

CC: Our weekly prayer meetings on Tuesday nights are our driving force; they are amazingly intense, we never miss a Tuesday!

IO: What do you do to retain those that join your youth group? Bible Studies? Small groups?

CC: Bible Studies, guest Follow-Up (letters, cookies, harassing phone calls, text messages)

IO: Do you guys do Crowd breakers or is that a thing of the past? If not, what has filled the place of crowd breakers?

CC: We periodically (once a month) do a PowerPoint-based game or something like it.

IO: Do you meet on the same night as the midweek service for the whole church?

CC: Yes, Wednesday nights.

IO: What style of music does your Youth Group like? (Contemporary, Rock, Punk etc.?)

CC: Gospel, Contemporary

IO: If you could narrow it down to ONE song, what would be the Youth Group’s “Anthem” or favorite?

CC: Here in Your Presence

IO: Do you have a worship band? What style do they play

CC: Yes, Modern Worship

IO: Is the emphasis in your youth services more outreach-driven (pushing for young people to get the Holy Ghost)? Or more discipleship-driven (ministering/developing/maintaining those already a part of your Youth Group)?

CC: Comfortable balance of both

IO: Do you have a prayer meeting for the Youth?

CC: Yep

IO: How many youth staff members do you have?

CC: 15

IO: As a Youth Pastor, what is your vision for your Youth/Student Ministry?

CC: Our focus is two-fold: To Worship and To Witness (i.e. ‘it’s not about us; it’s about Him,  and it’s about ‘Them’).