Pastor's Circle - Darryl Starnes

Darryl B. Starnes, Bishop of the AME Zion Church, joined the Pastor's Circle to discuss our youth and self-control.

What is it that stands between our youth and self-control?

I love the insight you brought into self-control, with letting the Master control us.

I think that is the heart of it. I believe the Holy Spirit will control if we allow Him.

The passage in Ephesians says "Do not be drunk with wine, but be filled with the Holy Spirit."

What enables us to self-control is to let the Holy Spirit have control in our lives.

How does your church respond to the assumption that teens are going to drink/have sex and there's nothing we can do?

Some say, "Well, just be discreet and keep your behavior from dishonoring the Church."

But the Enemy allows us to go deeper into bondage when we're keeping it secret.

And then there's the moment when it all comes to life.

The only thing we have is the power of the Holy Spirit.

What is the best way to keep our teens from buying into the lie? Youth group or adult mentoring?

I don't think it's either/or, I think it's both/and.

I really believe in the matter of character development, the younger we are when we're a part of a dynamic disciple-making process, the sooner God can begin to develop fruit in our lives.

I think it requires both mentoring by a seasoned believer, and young people challenging each other.

It doesn't seem like adults are stepping up to the plate there.

The way we look at youth ministry determines our involvement in it.

A lot of people look at it as a waste, because the young people will leave our church eventually.

I like to look at it as training missionaries to be sent out for God's glory.

The best investment in the Church is young people who will have a lifetime of impact all over the world wherever God sends them.

What can adults do to make that happen?

Everything has to come from within. Young people have to find their way from within.

Until young people have Him inside, they may try to do things to please us, but nothing can happen until they have Jesus.

Do you have confidence that this can happen?

As I look at this generation, I think one of the pluses is that there is more concern about their fellow people than there was in our generations.

That can be an advantage for young people, because instead of only caring about themselves, they care about others.

It all depends on whether they channel that into their relationship with Christ.

How do you light a fire under the apathetic crowd of teenagers?

It probably has to be youth who light that fire.

There's nothing like a youth talking to another youth about the things they both face. I think a lot of times they think we won't understand.

God can use youth in powerful ways.