The Prodigal Youth

In the afternoon session of the Asian American Youth Worker Training Day held in March 2025, Steve Chang (former Senior Pastor of Living Hope Community Church) recounts his early life as an immigrant in the U.S. and finding a sense of belonging in his church’s youth group. He reflects on his faith journey, emphasizing the importance of youth ministry volunteers, using the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) to illustrate the complexities of working with youth–the potential to be hurtful, humbled, and healed. He stresses the significance of volunteers' efforts, even when unseen, and encourages persistence. Timestamps0:00 Intro & Steve’s Faith Background7:19 The Hurtful Youth15:38 The Humbled Youth33:03 Celebrating the returned Youth