The past week I have been carrying a burden for the teens of Conroe. I have been convicted of the lack of involvement that Stand Student Ministries has in the community. I feel like we have been a student ministry for our local church, but not for our community. Therefore we have simply dwindled down to nothing more then a youth social network. While there is nothing wrong with a youth social network that is not the purpose of Stand Student Ministries. We call ourselves a "student ministry", but yet what ministry takes place besides me delivering the Word every Wednesday night to backslidden kids who frankly don't care. I love and care deeply for the students of Stand. They are amazing, but lazy when it comes to caring for the world around them. However, they get it honestly. It comes straight down the line from their parents, mentors, and yes even me the most potentate student pastor.
Frankly I am sick of hearing "christians" say they want to see souls saved, but sit idly by and are content with just the one witnesser of the church do all the work. If our hands aren't dirty and busy in the Harvest then how much do we really care? Starting tonight the focus of Stand will not be on Stand, but it will be on the lost youth of our community. I have gotten in contact with one youth services agency in our county and plan on getting in contact with every agency in our county that deals with troubled youth.
I have recently discovered that in Conroe ISD alone there are over 1200 homeless youth. That is teens that are homeless and still attend high school. The real number is far greater. Here are a few statistics on teen homelessness.
Teen Runaway Statistics
Between 1.3 and 2.8 million runaway and homeless youth live on the streets of America each year.
One in seven youth youth will run away from home before the age of 18.
Parental substance abuse is the largest predictor of runaway behavior in youth.
Runaway/homeless youth are 50% male and 50% female, though females are more likely to seek help through shelters and hotlines.
Prior to leaving home, nearly half (43%) of youth reported being beaten by a caretaker.
Forty-one percent of youth who’ve run away had been abandoned by their parents or caretakers for at least 24 hours.
A little over a quarter of youth who’ve run from home have had parents or caretakers request sexual activity, and 32% have been forced to participate in sexual activity against their will.
Forty-one percent of females seeking shelter report being pregnant.
Seventy-five percent of runaway and homeless youth have dropped out or will drop out of school.
Twenty-six percent stay in unsupervised and possibly unsafe places for one or more nights.
Twelve percent spend at least one night outside in a park, on the street, under a bridge or overhang, or on a roof top.
Thirty-two percent have attempted suicide at some point in their lives.
