In a facebook status of mine the other day I mentioned I was out having coffee with a potential youth leader for our student ministry, and lunch with a mentor/friend. I received comments (obviously sarcastic and said in jest) making reference to every time I update my status it often involved things such as coffee, lunch, slacking. Yes, for me this is part of my job. Yes for me, taking kids to the beach, or camping for a week, or out for coffee is part of my job.
HOWEVER...
If I wrote of all the heartache & heartbreak that I experience being a Youth Pastor...seeing students turn their backs on Jesus and walk away from their faith...I wonder if anyone would ever want to do what I do? (my exact facebook status)
This is the other side of what I do. This is the side of my job that deals 100% with student's messy & broken lives. At lunch yesterday with Ron (my mentor/friend) we talked about five years ago when he taught me "Career Youth Ministry" while at Briercrest. We laughed at the fact that all the other 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year students who were taking the course were asking such naive and foolish questions about what it would be like to be a Youth Pastor.
- How much will I make?
- How many hours will I work?
- Do I get an expense account?
I was there taking the course already having spent 6 months in the trenches of Youth Ministry. So before and after class Ron and I met to talk about my reality, and what I was dealing with as I journeyed through life with my students.
The life of a Youth Pastor isn't all slurpees and dodgeball. It won't ever be...because lives aren't ever that simple. And for some reason God has chosen a screw-up like me to help students recognize that even if they screw-up...that God has an incredible plan for them, that he loves them, and wants to them to live their lives for Him. But even that isn't that simple to get across.
David Sawler--a Canadian, and author of a book called "Goodbye Generation" says the following ...
"I am convinced that being a minister of youth is one of the emotionally draining jobs in the world. There are extreme highs and extreme lows. Nothing will bring you as much joy as working with this age group, and nothing will bring you more pain."
Yup. You sure got that right David. I couldn't say it any better myself.
1st Thessalonians 2:8 says "We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us."
I share my life daily with my students. I need to live a life marked by honesty, integrity, vulnerability, passion, prayer, and the ongoing pursuit of becoming more and more like Jesus.
I can only pray that the students that I share my life with will make that same decision. It's not an easy decision to make. But it's the most important decision anyone can ever make.
-Tyler
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3 comments:
Amen.
I think you have hit it right on the mark. I can't think of a better way to explain this. Thank you, it's so wonderful to hear your heart and the words that I know my hubby feels as well. I am praying for you and your ministry, Tyler.
Hey Tyler & Matty & the youth workers,
Ya, there are reasons only certain people are called to do youth min, and it’s because only certain people are capable!! – I fully agree it’s a hard job, one with a lot of labour and effort involved. My roommate works with youth (in a different, incredibly heartbreaking capacity) and made a comment once that got stuck in my head. It was a lighthearted comment on her part (I believe) but profound nevertheless, “I love cleaning the house, I actually get to see the RESULTS OF MY WORK!”. It struck me how (and we did talk further about it) often, she doesn’t get to see results at all. I’m not sure what it’s like in a church setting, although I’m sure there are situations that echo Pam’s; sometimes, you toil and don’t get to see what for.
SO it may sound trite or cheesy as a comment left on a blog, but I firmly believe that your work with these youth is SOOOO important! There is a different spirit moving through our young people and I firmly believe that God wants to change it; that this generation will NOT be like the generation before us. The pendulum has got to swing back, and I’m pretty sure this is the time.
The people who think that all you do is drink lattes and sit on your butt are naïve, plain and simple. Ya, I said it :) (I can say that because I work in an office and DO sit on my butt all day).
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