He had no money and an unusual, ragtag bunch of followers. Yet in only three years, Jesus changed the world.

Those of us who follow Christ long to do the same: to change the world by loving our neighbor, doing justice and bringing the good news to others.

Youth share this longing to change the world, but how much impact can a kid have? How can we as youth workers help students change the world?

To find out, we consulted four experts.

Dr. Kara Powell is a faculty member at Fuller Theological Seminary and the executive director of Fuller Youth Institute, which leverages research into resources that elevate leaders. Kara's commitment to justice is evident in the resources she's helped write, including Deep Justice in a Broken World and Deep Justice Journeys: 50 Activities to Move from Mission Trips to Missional Living.

Mike Yankoski came face to face with his own hypocrisy after living as a homeless person for five months in six different cities. This journey set the trajectory for Mike's life and sparked his desire to change the world. Mike chronicles his journey in his book Under the Overpass (Multnomah Publishers), which will be published in November 2010.

Austin Gutwein is already a certified world changer at the age of 15. As a 9-year-old, Austin saw a video about an African AIDS orphan and decided to use his love of basketball to start Hoops of Hope (HoopsofHope.org), the world's largest free-throw marathon. In six years, Hoops of Hope has raised more than $100,000,000 to help AIDS orphans. Austin tells his story in his book, Take Your Best Shot (Thomas Nelson, 2009).

Dr. Dave Rahn is vice president for Youth for Christ/USA and director of Huntington University's M.A. in Youth Ministry Leadership program. His book Evangelism Remixed (Zondervan/Youth Specialties, 2009) explores the influence that teens have on their peers and how that influence can impact others.

YWJ: Should one of the goals of youth ministry be to help young people become world changers?

Kara Powell: Absolutely, as long as it doesn't put too much pressure on kids. Some youth workers make kids feel that being "world changers" is just one more adult agenda they have to fulfill. Others are afraid to invite kids to engage in serving the poor. In the middle are those who have figured out how to combine grace and acceptance with the biblical calling to use our gifts to impact others.

Dave Rahn: Yes and no. We want to help every young person reach his or her greatest potential. What we don't know is how much potential that is. One of the best ways to prepare someone in high school for a large vision is to help him or her do the small stuff well.

YWJ: What do students who are world changers look like?

Mike Yankoski: They're humble. The necessary motivation for changing the world isn't anger about injustices; it's 1 John 4:19: "We love because he first loved us." Love eradicates injustice. Love seeks the best for our neighbors.