12 Things I love about Youth Ministry

The Christmas season has a lot of movement. People are usually stressed and borderline psycho during a time when they should be slow and reflective. The pace quickens: Christmas parties, visiting family, special church services, and last minute shopping. Everything seems more urgent.
With a little intentionality, this season can become a natural time to reflect on the important things in life. So, instead of singing the 12 days of Christmas (which I would love to do, but you would hate it), I thought I would share 12 things I love about Youth Ministry

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1. Youth Ministry is fun! How often do you see the ushers or senior pastors playing red rover while blindfolded?

2. Youth Ministry makes a real difference for the Kingdom. Teenagers are not the church of the future, they are the church of TODAY.

3. Youth Ministry helps students connect to their passion. Students are old enough to be discovering WHAT MOVES THEM, but not yet old enough to be dulled by disappointment and lulled into apathy.

4. Youth Ministry is direct, teenagers often speak their mind even if it’s not polite or acceptable…which I find refreshing.

5. Youth Ministry attracts fun people, and it’s great to be serving alongside the most fun people in the church.

6. Youth Ministry is strategic. The decisions teenagers make during adolescence have implications for the rest of their life.

7. Youth Ministry is catalytic. Students can be quick to take risks and rise to challenges without a lot of excuses or “experience” that holds them back.

8. Youth Ministry lasts longer than pop culture. When teenagers return from college to volunteer in youth ministry you can laugh at their fading fads.


9. Youth Ministry is a constant stream of blessings. I know the secret: working with teenagers produces fruit in your own life. Sometimes it’s so great doing youth ministry that I feel guilty for calling it “ministry!”


10. Youth Ministry lasts longer than the annoying students. I can outlast them because they will eventually graduate from our ministry. It’s okay, I can be thankful for that reality, I am just keeping it real!
lol jk I love you all!!!

11. Youth Ministry “feeds” students who are so hungry to know Jesus.

12. Youth Ministry is unpredictable. CHAOS: At Anytime and Anywhere  Anything can happen. It’s fun and exciting and often painful. lol

Most of all I love working with Teenagers because I once was a teenager. And NO it was not during the Cold War only a few short years ago lol. And I know what it is like going through those years with so many different emotions, questions, and struggles. I do not have it all figured out but one thing I love is living this life among them and helping them discover the Love of God and the Plans He has for them!!