We broke curfew this week!!

Laura and I have had the thrill this past week of being back at Community Church in West Milton, Ohio where we first started in ministry years ago. I have been able this week to have the joy of being the keynote speaker at their annual Missions Conference. Few things are better than returning to a former ministry and being able to pick up with so many old friends like we have never been gone.

There have been many highlights, but last Sunday night was by far the apex of our being blessed. One of the couples held an open house style event inviting through Facebook anyone who had been part of our youth ministry during the years that I served at the church as their Youth Pastor. How very cool it was to see so many of those who were on our youth staff and to spend time catching up with those who were teenagers in our youth ministry, many of whom who now have teenagers of their own.

In fact, we had such a great time that we didn't get back to our host family's home until 2am. I can't tell you the last time we were out until 2am (actually, it may have been way back when we were in youth ministry). We felt like teenagers sneaking back into our house after breaking curfew, trying not to wake up mom and dad. But this was one of those nights when you leave going, "I am so blessed...Thank you Lord!"

One of the guys who was a teenager who found Christ in our youth ministry brought his son up to meet me. He told his son something along these lines, "This is Pastor Scott. He is the one who told me about Jesus. It is because he told me about Jesus that you are able to grow up in a Christian home!" To say I was "blown away" was an understatement.

Later in the night all of the other adults who had been on our youth staff had left and it was just us and a group of those who had been in our youth group. As the party was coming to an end, one of them gathered everyone together and they prayed for us, thanking God for the ministry we had so long ago in their lives and asking God to continue to bless our lives and our ministry. Even as I type this, tears flow down my face just thinking about that moment.

We broke curfew Sunday night...but it sure was worth it! Thank you, Lord! And thank you, alumni of Community Church's Youth Group from 1987-1994! We love all of you!