Ministry is expensive. Not necessarily in terms of money; but with time, energy, and life investment. Student ministry is not a job, but a lifestyle that demands attention, careful attention.
I try hard to concentrate on my time management. There is a time I set for dreaming and planning which is also the time I look at my twitter, blogs, and other media that might help further the Kingdom. It’s easy to get distracted!
But what is Student Ministry? Here’s my take:
We don’t work eight to five then go home. Some days, sure. Most days, no. Our Days of programing can be stressful as we get every detail ready for the night. We’re constantly asking ourselves is this place ready to be full of teenagers? Is the Media set? Leaders ready? Food ready? Doors Unlocked? Sound check? Fliers ready? lights on? Greeting table staffed? The night for us is filled with joy as we’re sharing stories and speaking into the lives of this generation. We get home feeling like it went fairly well, some visitors, and the students were well engaged. We sit at home drinking a cup of water to ease our throat from shouting while playing dodge ball and preaching. We’re asking ourselves, “did I lead well tonight?”
At the end of the night or the next work day, we browse Facebook to comment and “like” our student’s status’. Trying to touch base with those we didn’t see at youth or those we need to reach out to. We see something that is disheartening on one of the Facebook pages. We Start thinking “should this be the next message series?” We already know never to speak a message as a response to something. However, our inner voice speaks loudly that a message seems the best way to dodge that conversation, plus we think to ourselves, “I’m sure everyone should hear it”. We move on.
We’re almost done with Facebook when a student iniates a chat. The chat turns a sharp corner when the topic of depression, failure, and hopelessness takes full throttle. This conversation turns into a great discussion about redemption and how God’s love surpasses all our failures.
While most people are sleeping at this time, Youth Pastors are on Facebook (the no-so-new communication tool) having conversations and actually serving in their full capacity as Pastor.
From outreach nights, pool parties, camps, retreats, youth nights, leadership meetings, facebook conversations, talking with parents, going for coffee is all in a day of a youth pastor. Let’s remind ourselves that youth ministry is a lifestyle, not a job. A job you can easily walk away from at the end of the day. Youth ministry begs for attention 24 hours a day. You never know when you’ll get that text or that phone call. You can be sleeping one minute and at the hospital the next. From joy to sorrow in a heartbeat. Youth ministry will take your energy and wipe it clean if you’re not focused on Christ. You start treating youth ministry like a job and you won’t last. It’s expensive, it takes your time without asking, takes your energy to the end of the day, and your life investment.
Nothing is harder than walking and discipling a student for 7 years only for him/her to make one bad choice that will unravel a darker side. From worship leading to prison, from warrior of Christ to witchcraft. Nothing can make a youth pastor loose sleep than to think that his guys or girls are falling away from Christ, getting involved with things that will only kill and destroy.
We’re always asking the question of what will the end result will be? Because a youth pastor can and will have something to do whether that person is fully devoted to Christ, or fully devoted to the things of the world. That alone is on the Youth Pastors shoulders. And why some people say, “you can’t save them all.” That same attitude will lead to a disheartened ministry. And if you don’t try, youth ministry is not the place for you.
I would not trade this calling for anything, this generation needs leaders who will be an advocate for them, I’m all in.
So is youth ministry expensive, I would say yes. What’s your take??
