Youth Ministry can be a fun and exciting blessing but it also comes with its battles sprinkled throughout those moments of blessings. I don’t know about you but its hard not to take certain things personally such as the size of the group, what kids may say, how parents respond. You can give 110% and an event can flop. You can strive to reach the culture and work so hard on a message and only get blank stares as a response. Sometimes, it feels as if you need to throw in the towel. I would like to just encourage the youth workers out there that I know that there are spiritual battle and sometimes it seems like it is more personal where we can feel defeated, distressed and overlooked in all the hard work.
As I have these personal battles that develop every now and then I need to do a couple of things. First, I run to the Lord. He knows all things and I trust Him in his leading. As I go to the Lord it changes my focus on the situation and onto him. When I am looking to Christ I see the proper focus and what really matters. Defeat, the distress and even the feeling of being overlooked can fade away when I run to the Lord. Sometimes we overcomplicate ministry with events and other stuff when the reality is we can forget the simplicity of the Gospel.
The second thing I try to do is evaluate the purpose of what am I doing. I have been doing youth ministry for 10 plus years now and I do see a change in youth culture. This culture now is not a “let’s be active together as a large group” instead they are more involved with social media and just talk more than do stuff with each other. It is a culture that is more resistant towards church. It is easy to think, a few years ago we did this and that and it was a big success but what now, what am I doing that is different, it can look like I’m killing the ministry instead of it growing. Maybe the answer is, “That is why, you are doing the same thing.” The youth culture is different and we can’t keep doing things that we did 5 years ago. As I refocus on the Lord and the simplicity of the Gospel I think how can I reach the youth where they are at. It means more thought, getting out of the rut and reaching the youth. Honestly it does not matter about numbers God cares about hearts. I think that mindset of change is good because Jesus reached the culture in different ways. The Gospel is the same just presented differently to different people. I am learning and growing in this area. I am being stretched and it is hard and not pretty at times.
The third thing is I make sure and surround myself with strong Christians that are and are not involved in youth ministry but offer encouragement in these battles. My wife and friends as well as other pastoral staff can help. I also know I am not alone. We are in a battle that is all across the world for the youth. Paul ended one of his letters to the Corinthians church by saying, “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” I am praying for the fellow youth workers out there. As I grow and learn I pray we can help one another and learn from one another.
