Stepping stone

Youth ministry is probably the most fluid segment of pastoral care out there. When I say "fluid" I am being a tad bit euphemistic.

I don't have precise numbers, and I am very reluctant to muddy up the waters by making inferences across denominational lines. Simply put, why the heck is it that youth pastors move around so much? And if they don't, why the heck is it the misplaced belief is so pervasive?

There are a few youth leaders who proudly proclaim their calling as career youth workers. Still, with the amount of seminary grads popping out annually, it is obvious there is not that many pastorates out there. Even with the rise in church plants, there is not enough churches to house the pastors. So, seeing the "step-down" into youth positions is almost inevitable.

In all fairness, how many 22 or 23yr-olds are ready to lead flocks (yes, the same can be said for the average youth group, but humor me). Where are these folks supposed to get the seasoning they need to be what they need to be?

Another way of looking at it is asking how many senior/lead pastors today started or served as youth leaders in the past. I believe that when you look at it that way, you get a whole different appreciation for youth ministry.

The jury is still out. Is youth ministry a stepping stone, or a useful builder of character? I think I might do an impromptu localized survey.

Stay blessed.

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Together

So, I met with a couple of guys yesterday, part of a youth ministry networking group that meets in the area.

It was quite refreshing to see like-minded youth pastors talk passionately about their craft. It is even more refreshing when you consider the fact that youth pastors meeting together to plan joint activities is not as common as one would like, at least in my opinion.

All in all, it was a nice time of fellowship, and I picked up some software and event ideas.

More on this later...

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It's all about the 'hood!

I consider myself to be tougher than average. Now, I have never been to the top of Kilimanjaro, nor have I gone backpacking in the Amazon. Still, I think I am relatively "harder" than most.

So, it may surprise you to know that despite my toughness, some things, even words, make me queasy.

For example, the ultimate catchall phrase "urban ministry." Ooooh.

For me, the term evokes images of Morgan Freeman running round with a baseball bat and bullhorn, dodging bullets, knives, drug dealers, angry parents of drug dealers and corrupt politicians, all while blissfully leading a bunch of inner-city teens to the promised land. With an "urbanized" version of Lean On Me playing in the background.

For so long, it was a badge of honor. There were youth pastors, and then there were urban youth pastors. The former, God bless their hearts, were the preppy, sometime radical seminary graduates who ministered to the kids on the right side of the track. You know, kids just like themselves.

Then, you had the soldiers, the youth workers who marched boldly where angels feared to tread, winning the streets back one weeping former gang-banger at a time, breaking down barriers as we rolled out our ghetto reclamation project.

Yeah, I was one of them. I wore my badge with honor. You see, I wasn't just any other minister. I worked in the inner-city, so I did real work. I got my hands dirty. I knew the lingo. I was comfortable in Tims, tee-shirt and hoody, and I even had a ear for hip-hop (albeit, the Christian versions).

And that is how I allowed urban ministry to be my crutch. How? I quit looking at the horizon because I was so proud of my (not God's) impact on the present.

This is in no way intended to be a slap in the face of those who genuinely are out there in the not-so-glamorous places, doing what needs to be done. I am mostly uncomfortable with titles and tags, and all the unseen problems they can cause.

One thing I do believe is that youths face similar issues regardless of their backgrounds. Having coached soccer for years, this is clearer to me now than when I first got into ministry. Teens all have the same problems; they just manifest themselves in different ways. Affluence can be a curse (the tabloids remind us of this daily), and children of affluent homes can and do have the same voids that plague less affluent kids.

It would be foolish to pretend that the same approach to youth ministry would work in every environment, but I do believe that basing any ministry type on God is an important first step we tend to forget quite often. I believe that some people ARE called to the special realm of (dare I use the word) urban ministry. Still, let us not forget to pray for the Starbuckers (it didn't sound mean when we used the term way back when). They do not have it much easier.

Try competing with Facebook...

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Sanity check

So, it is said that youth ministry will test the limits of your mind.

Correct.

I honestly believe that folks who do this in any capacity must have a few screws missing. And that is not entirely a good thing...

Anybody who has been in the trenches knows this, and I think most of the successful ones don't just tolerate this fact. They embrace it.

I hope this blog serves as a salute to those who strive to lead. I hope it makes people stop and think. And, mostly, I hope it glorifies God.

All the while, I hope we can celebrate being loony.

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