This post is not what you think.
This is not a “how to.” Rather, it’s a “how NOT to.”
Youth ministry is a funny thing. It used to be the red-headed stepchild of church…
…until people started doing it well.
…until people saw the potential in teenagers.
…until they realized that teenagers can be phenomenal leaders.
There were plenty of youth ministry heroes in the stepchild age. At the very least, if you did youth ministry when it wasn’t popular, it was noble. It wasn’t glamorous.
You were a hero to so many. In fact, my youth pastor was and is my hero. I’m so thankful for him!
But, it is what happened next that is so dangerous.
The students who had hero youth pastors started to become youth pastors. They got in a church, started working in the trenches, and followed in the footsteps of their hero. And somewhere along the line, they weren’t doing youth ministry to glorify God anymore.
They were in it to be the hero.
All of the work this person does is built toward one main goal: that one day, those kids will turn around and say “thank you.” Maybe one day, you’ll be introduced as their hero.
You’ll wear the cape.
You’ll save the day.
Your name will be in the newspapers of their heart.
I’ve fallen into this trap before, and I want to help you if you have to. One of the main reasons that this is such a problem is that it is the antithesis of youth ministry. Our calling, as youth pastors, is to point students to Jesus. Period. We are to make much of Jesus; not to make much of US making much of Jesus. We aren’t the target. Jesus is.
This is a lose-lose situation:
1. When someone else is the hero, you’ll be jealous. You lose.
2. When you’re the hero, you’ve made your heroism an idol. You lose.
You might become a hero. And if you are a hero in someone’s life because of the God-honoring work you do, that’s awesome.
But don’t chase the wrong thing. Chase after the God-honoring work.That way, when it’s thankless, it’s worth it. Because you honored God!