Over the years I’ve talked to several different parents who have expressed gratitude for the Student Pastors and Leaders who take on these types of events. I know to some the notion of being surrounded by a thousand wild and crazy teenagers can be daunting. Not to mention there are a lot of things that take place on these events that can really work you over physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
I feel that self examination is an important part in not only ministry and job success, but also in our walk with Christ. We must examine ourselves and allow God to speak to us about what’s going on in our lives. So with that thought I began to think upon this past weekend. Sure there were issues with the trip. One of my leaders is an incredibly hard working man that bends over backwards to make sure things are done. Sadly his job called in, him stupid early and last minute, the morning we were leaving to do some last minute paper work. This sadly put us a bit behind schedule on the front end.
The guy working at the hotel was brand new to the job and it took him nearly 20 minutes to get us checked into the hotel. I’m new to the LYM (Louisiana Youth Ministries) Convention process & Fine Arts so I didn’t really know what I was doing and because it’s a MASSIVE event in LYM there are hiccups in the check-in process which lead to some frustrations here and there.
Again I’m the type that if you tell me something takes place at a time, then it needs to start on that time. Then again like I said this is one of the biggest events in LYM; so like with ever major event there are a lot of moving parts. While the LYM team did a FANTASTIC job handling things there were some things here in there that they simply could not foresee happening. The combination of those things can lead to some frustrations when leading a pack of teenagers.
Let us not forget that we are dealing with teenagers! Every youth ministry has those students who want to push you to the very edge when it comes to rules that have been put in place. You have the students who talk back and question your decisions. You have the students who follow dominate personalities even if those personalities have some negative influence in the group. You have the old hat students who feel like they know everything and don’t need your guidance or the things being given out in services. You have the ones who feel they are far more mature for their age but don’t realize they still have lots of growing to do.
Then you have the other students who aren’t even in your youth group that you have to deal with. Those who you catch being disrespectful towards each other and to adults. This of course causes you to have that internal conflict of, “I’m not their youth pastor… but if they were my kid they would had been ruptured up out of that seat in a heartbeat and find themselves in the van having a come to Jesus meeting.” While you are having this internal dialog you are looking around for that student’s Youth Pastor in hopes of dropping a dime on the still maturing child.
Not going to lie, there have been times where the combinations of many of those things have caused me to question my effectiveness as a student pastor. There have been moments when the Holy Ghost was moving in such a powerful way that I felt the Triune God would manifest physically right there in front of everyone; and I look at some of my students who I’ve been through the trenches with and what do I see
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| Nothing.... |
Us as leaders began to ask ourselves a litany of “What if” questions. What if I had planned this better? What if I had preached on this more? What if I had spent more time with this person more? What if I had done this or that? The list plays through our minds in a loop. Of course in those moments we have to plant our feet and push forward. Just have to do the best we can with the best that we have. Knowing this though, is not always the most comforting of things.
But then I look at some other things involved. This weekend I saw a young man deliver a sermon with an authority that he had not operated in before. I had a young lady that was so nervous she was literally shaking, yet when it was her turn to step up to deliver a special portion of her heart in a passionate poetic form… it was like the world stopped and she spoke with a confidence and passion that caused ever heart beat in that room to move with compassion and reflection. I had two fantastically artistic students, for the first time, put piece of art that they worked hard to create, out for people to see and be judged.
I had the opportunity to build relationships with young students who need to know that they have a Student Pastor who will be there for them no matter what happens. I had the opportunity to encourage and speak life into students who are still discovering who they are and what they are meant to be. I had the chance to get to know two fantastic parents who are doing their best to raise their children in a Godly environment and speak life into others at the same time. I had the opportunity to find out the heart beat and desires for the future that some of my students had. I had the opportunity to take a few students with me to not only feed a homeless man, but to pray with him and share the love of Christ. (At THP we call that; “I Go”)
During this trip the Lord had spoken to me about some exciting things that I need to speak into students at my church. During this trip I had the opportunity to confront new challenges and grow out of them. During this trip I had the opportunity to do what I love to do most; love on students.
So what does all this add up to mean? Well it means that when people say “Man am I glad you’re doing this,” I can proudly respond, “So am I!” I can respond that way because I have to say, even though there were challenges; the opportunities to see not just the sparks, but they fiery hot flames of greatness burning bright in my students was well worth it all. The chance to build relationships and let my students know that they are without a shadow of doubt, loved was more than worth it.
