As a Pastor of Student Ministries I firmly believe that we must stop making youth ministry about us and come to a place where we are brave enough to hand this vital ministry back to its rightful owners: the students. We must empower them to become the kingdom warriors Christ has called them to be. We need to realize that this ministry is not about us in any way. Nor should it be a ministry where we hand feed those we minister to; because quite simply it isn't working and it is wrong thinking.
Our role is that of a shepherd. We need to coach and mentor the true intended ministry leaders so that they can succeed and produce fruit. As my friend Tim Eldred says: "Life and leadership is about releasing potential in people—young and old—who are all gifted, talented, and called by God to lead the cause of Jesus Christ." Youth leading their ministry is no more radical than men leading men's ministry, women leading women's ministry, or for that matter garden gnomes leading their own ministry. In fact, it should, and I pray it does become the norm throughout the church in the US, Canada, and beyond.
Still not convinced? Maybe my friend and ministry partner 16 year-old Jonah Bissell can shed some light on the benefits of this seemingly radical ministry concept: "The breaking point for me was when my friends started to accept Pastor Rob's call to step up and lead. I was always the 'young' kid in the group and the constant exposure to older students, has allowed me to mature at a quicker rate than many, though I am certainly still a work in progress. Seeing my older friends really focusing, listening intently, and leading during youth group really inspired me. In this case, God used my peers and my friends to transform my views about what the purpose of youth ministry truly is: learning about and growing in Jesus Christ, the focus of our faith, and ultimately, our Lord and Savior.
In the summer of 2010, God spoke deeply into my heart about a particular sin I had been struggling with for years and caused me to seriously evaluate my relationship with Him. That was a huge breakthrough for me and it was when this barrier was removed that I myself completely freed to finally fulfill the purposes Christ had for my life. In the months that followed God molded me into a strong and maturing Christian, with the ambition do my part to further the cause of Christ. He had inspired me to set aside daily time for bible reading and prayer, which has given me the desire to incorporate Him into every decision I make and this has lead to a deep compassion for my peers and realization that it is my responsibility along with other teens to make our ministry strong and vibrant.
Since then our church leadership has blessed me with the opportunity to preach during our Sunday morning service, to become a small group leader and core group leader in my/our student ministry and all of this has led to me finding myself sharing the gospel openly with my peers more than ever before. The advice that I would give to any student that is serious about taking this step into ownership of your own ministry is that even though it may seem scary, heavy, overwhelming, and unrealistic, it is the role that God created you for! Will you join us and Lead?" I stand with my dear friend Jonah and ask my fellow youth leaders to prayerfully consider unleashing the students in your church.
Jonah is only one of the many students who have accepted our challenge to assume their rightful place as the ministry leaders of the student ministry. As a church, we have made a conscious effort to empower them to take risks, expect much from themselves, and to make Christ their primary focus. In a time and culture where their peers are accepting mediocrity, we have been blessed to see a generation arise and assume their rightful place as kingdom equals. They represent the present of the Church and not merely the future and they have decided to expect much of themselves, their God, and their peers.
Will you join us and take the needed risks to prepare your students for ministry? Are you secure enough in who you are and what Christ has called you to do to change your job description? I pray that more and more of us are awakened to the need for this radical paradigm shift in youth ministry because I know from experience that if we unleash the passion of these young hearts and give them the freedom to be who they are called to be it changes everything and best of all, furthers the cause of Christ!!