Student Ministries Pastoral Letter | February 2026
LOOK HERE!
Worship has been heavy on my mind lately. What makes it meaningful, worthwhile, right, good? Is it ever okay to say that it wasn’t those things — or would that simply reveal sinful consumerism in our hearts?
Both our middle and high school ministries have been wrestling with these questions, and I wanted to invite you into that conversation as partners in the discipleship of your students.
In middle school, students are in a teaching series learning that worship is about posture, not performance. On the high school side, students have been navigating changes to our programming that affect how they lead and are led by their peers. In both communities, we see students who genuinely want to worship well, but who sometimes feel uncomfortable, uncertain, or even frustrated by the experience. That discomfort isn’t necessarily a sign of failure – it’s often part of how God forms us, especially during seasons of growth and transition.
On Sunday, February 22, our friend Alex Aghoian, who has led worship at many of our high school retreats, will bring his band to the Hangar at Perimeter Church. The music will be excellent. His leadership will be heartfelt and sincere. But if I may be so bold: how well or poorly Alex and his band lead us will not be the measure of whether this is a “good” worship service.
Here’s how we’ll know if it was a good worship service:
Will the Father find us Spirit-filled, singing the good news of Jesus to one another with our whole hearts? (John 4:23–24; Ephesians 5:18–19)
That kind of worship doesn’t depend on a stage — it depends on a people. It looks like students choosing presence over polish, singing even when it feels awkward, encouraging one another, and offering themselves honestly to God. And it means you have a meaningful role to play as well.
So let me ask just two things:
First, will you make it a priority to be present as a family? Will you join us on Sunday night, February 22, at 6 pm in the Hangar — and invite others to come with you?
Second, will you help prepare the way through prayer? Starting today and continuing over the next three weeks, would you join us in asking the Father to receive the worship He alone deserves? A simple prayer we’ve been using is this: “Look here.”
Worshiping well changes us. It shapes us more and more into the image of Jesus – not just individually, but together. Us! The body of Christ growing together, being transformed together, worshiping together, to the glory of His matchless name.
This is what we’re here for — to magnify the Lord together (Psalm 34:3). We can’t do that without you. Thank you for walking with us, trusting God with us, and worshiping alongside us.
for the Kingdom,
Ryan Carson
Pastor of Student Ministries
