The Benefits Of Youth Ministry

Freedom to Fail

I found an old note I made to myself when I first entered seminary in 2006. I was asked to write down the following question:

“If I weren’t paid to do youth ministry, would I still do it?”

At that time I wasn’t being paid. I had a dream of being a paid for, “successful” youth pastor. My dreams back then were terribly flawed, self-centred and misplaced. Sure, I wanted to “serve” God, and I wanted to make His kingdom great, but I wanted to be an important factor in all that. I didn’t, therefore, like the aforementioned question very much.

Fast forward 9 years, 3 youth ministry positions in very different contexts on two different continents – I now LOVE that question. In fact, I often “dream” of attempting to do youth ministry whilst holding down a normal job. Hear me out.

Whilst I recognise the huge benefits of being paid to spend quality time with young people and the ability to plan events and programs, I’ve come to an understanding that “successful” youth ministry, as we traditionally know it, doesn’t necessarily require the church to calve out a paid-for position. If my church turned around and said to me “Ryan, we’re really sorry, but we just can’t afford to pay you anymore.” – Sure, it would be tough at first. I’m sure I would have some difficult questions to ask them. “Why don’t they take youth

Everything always seemed hopeless. Every conversation I felt word down, and I wasn’t even experiencing what that young person was! One Friday I took our youth to an old-school crusade (Do we even use that word anymore?). I can tell you from the bottom of my heart that there was nothing special about this event. There were no cool lights, average sounding music and even I struggled to understand the message. The guy literally gave a boring 20 minute sermon with and an altar-call. I have no idea what he was trying to say! To my surprise, however, God was busy