Called to Youth Ministry

I had the privilege of speaking this week at a youth workers conference for the Salvation Army, an organization/church that has been around since 1865. 

More and more I'm hearing people discuss this idea that you can't do effective ministry at your church building. People are afraid that teens (or adults) won't feel comfortable enough to be real and be able to connect with God as we want them to. But is this a valid fear?

Whether you’re developing a project, product, event, or campaign, it’s vital that you have a holistic philosophy and approach for handling last minute ideas or changes before a public release. 

We are making a big push in our church for volunteer ministers, in fact it's been quite exhausting but the good news is the fruit is worth the labor.  I find the most difficult thing about recruiting and then maintaining ministers is finding the time and energy to recruiting and maintaining ministers.  So how do I overcome this obstacle? I find point people who are:

In High School I was a janitor (Environmental Services Associate if you want to be politically correct) on two different occasions.  I am convinced that if I used either of those employers for references I could not get another job as a janitor.  To put it simply, I stink at janitoring (I think I made that word up).  It wasn’t that I didn’t work hard, I grew up working hard.  Overall I have a pretty good work ethic.  It wasn’t that I didn’t show up or that I was always late, during my lifetime when I have had to punch a clock, I show up on time 95% of the time (that might actually be low).  What was the problem?  The problem is simple, I simply can’t do the job the way people want it done.

I've been working on my weekly schedule, something I plan on being a little bit more intentional about doing on a regular basis.  I never realized the impact of having a schedule until I finally put one together.  What took me so long in the construction of a calendar was the fear of it never being perfect.  I finally came to the conclusion, it's never going to be perfect; therefore, I just need to put it out there.  I think managing a schedule is one of the most important things a youth worker needs to do.  It helps us create margin in our lives, direction towards

The point is nothing you do in ministry will ever be more important than your relationship with Jesus. Focus on growing deep in your own faith, not running a business. Youth ministry is not about you.

The hardest part of making a transition is how it affects us as youth worker, as well as the teens and their families emotionally.

When people say the words “young people” they are really saying “youngpeople.” One word, as a noun. Try it, out loud say young people the way you would normally say it. Why does this matter? Because when you say “youngpeople” instead of young people, you change the meaning of the words.

Youngpeople are a kind of quazi-human creature that are outside of the realm of normal expectations. On one hand we don’t expect a whole lot from them. We’re just glad they come to church and don’t have drugs in their pocket. On the other hand we expect perfection from them. “The ‘youngpeople’ should be the supreme example of what a person should be as a Christian. Their friends and family and the entire world are watching them and may be turned away from God if these “youngpeople” don’t do it exactly right.” I am exaggerating (a little) but you get the point.

Let’s look at the term the way we should, though. They are young, and they are people. I’m not trying to be sarcastic and yes, I know this is a simple concept, but it could change the way you relate to your “youngpeople.”

Theology and Youth Ministry are not always considered to be a great match.  In reality every ministry must start with good theology.  John Byrne explains in this video how we move from theology to philosophy to praxis.  http://ymtheology.com/theology-philosophy-praxis