Brittany was 17 years old when the Lord gave her an opportunity that would allow her to make an impact on the Christian teens in her community. This opportunity involved creating, hosting, writing, and producing "Teen Scene," a television show that airs weekly on The Voice of Faith network in Apex, North Carolina.

Brittany's first experience in front of the television camera was singing with a group from her school, Wake Christian Academy, during a telethon in September of 1998.

"Before that, I hadn't even known there was a Christian station around. Once I was there, I immediately went up to the receptionist and asked if she had any positions open."

Brittany then began to volunteer at the station, working the cameras, the sound boards, and the telephones. From there, she was offered a position doing Teen Scene News on a program called "News from the Lighthouse." She also became the cohost for a kids' show called "Bible Buddies." As she worked on these two shows, Brittany came up with an idea for a show by teenagers for teenagers. "I put my ideas on paper, set up an appointment with the founder, and came in and talked with him about it. He said
'Go for it.' So in March of 1999 'Teen Scene' started."

When you first came up with the idea for "Teen Scene," what was most exciting to you about this prospect?
Because it was for teens by teens, we could really reach out to the needs of teens and really could reach our audience.

What purpose specifically did you have in mind for the show?
It was to communicate to Christian teens that you don't have to be rebellious to be a teenager. It was to show that there are Christian teens here who are committed to serving the Lord and are committed to living for Him.

Looking back over the months "Teen Scene" has been on the air, do you believe that purpose has been met?
Yeah, I think it has because we've had teens that have talent but yet have no outlet for it and they've been able to come in and minister by singing or by drama, and they've been able to share some of the things that they've gone through and just be out there as a testimony.

Can you give me an example of how you would open up your show?
We have a topic or a problem that we discuss for every show--for example, we've done suicide and eating disorders. If I was talking about eating disorders, I would open up the show with some statistics to prove that it's a relevant problem to teenagers. And then I would just explain that if you stick around, we're going to discuss "this and this" about it.
Also, we have two more portions of the show. One is the Christian college of the week, run by Matt Mcleod, and then the other segment is Christian music news, run by David Calvert. And we kind of roll those into the middle of the show. So I will open it up with the topic and then I'll immediately go to either the Christian college update or the music.

And then how do you go about discussing the topic? Do you have call-ins?
No, we can't do call-ins simply because we're not live. We are taped a week in advance. So I have three teenagers on the show that I get to come in from youth groups and churches and schools. They'll know the topic beforehand. I'll lead the discussion and kind of interview them, ask questions about the topic, and so forth. And if it's a problem like anorexia or suicide, we will head the show in the direction of how you can overcome this problem with Christ.
Also, we have teenagers that come in and sing or play an instrument. Every week I let the audience know that if anybody out there is watching and is a Christian teenager and wants to come help, come on and help us. Or if somebody's at home and wants to sing, tell us you want to sing, and you can get on there and sing.

So it's real open to your listener interaction then?
Right. We've had several guests come on and sing who have watched the show and just contacted me and we set it up.

Aside from the listeners who will call to participate on your show, have you gotten any other type of listener feedback?
Yes, I'll ask a question on the show like, "What do you think about this topic?" And I'll ask the listeners to e-mail me with their thoughts. Sometimes I'll ask for feedback a week in advance so we can use the e-mail on the show. . . . We've [also] had some people call in and say, "Thank you. I really liked the show."

What have you learned about God in your ministry role at the TV station?
I've really learned that we shouldn't limit God. If somebody would have told me last summer that I was going to produce and host my own TV show for teenagers the next year, I would have laughed in their face. You know, what are the chances a 17-year-old is going to do that--and her first job is going to be a producer? I wouldn't even have thought about it.

But it's neat to see how God can work through our disappointments. For example, in the singing group, they had needed people from the group to do some solos. I love to sing in church, and I was really hoping to be picked for a solo. I was, but then they took the solo away from me and gave it to a stronger singer.

I was real disappointed about it because I really wanted to do that. But when I got to the station, that disappointment just made me a little more motivated to go up and to ask about a job. So even though I was disappointed to not be able to sing, the Lord worked through the disappointment--and it was His appointment for me to do this.

Is there anything that you would like to say to encourage or motivate our readers in any way?
I would encourage them to get out there and see what their unique ministry is. If you're just willing to take the step and have the courage to go up and to ask if you can help or have the vision to do something big for God, doors are going to open for you.

What about teens who have a little bit of a quieter personality--where something like hosting a TV show isn't quite cut out for them?
We're not all made the same. Maybe their ministry is praying for other people, writing letters to missionaries, encouraging people, or helping in the background. Those are just as needed as those of us who are outgoing and out up front.

Looking back, what has excited you most about being involved in a ministry like "Teen Scene"?
Again, a lot of people see teenagers as rebellious, unorganized, no-purpose-in-their-life-type kids. But there are kids out there who have the capacity to do huge things for God while they're still teens. They don't have to wait till they're adults.

It might not be as hard or as out of reach as they think it is.
Exactly. It's not out of reach for them to do something this big.

You're a living example of that. I mean, in one year look where you came.
Yeah, it's amazing what God has blessed me with. I'm so thankful for everything. It's all Him. Like I said, I didn't know I was going to be on TV. I had no desire really to be on TV. I had no idea that this was even an option in my life. So, we'll see what happens, but I'm excited to see how God's going to use what I've done with "Teen Scene" in the future.

This interview took place in June 1999. Brittany is currently a student at Cedarville University, majoring in broadcast production. She views her major as an avenue toward a broader goal. "I think God's shown me through 'Teen Scene' that, yeah, it's a great ministry and I've enjoyed it, but
. . . what I'd really like to do is to be a Christian motivational speaker to youth groups and ladies' groups."

Brittany is the author of Prayers for When You're Mad, Sad, or Just Totally Confused (Vine Books)

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