Youth ministry is a career of ups and downs - frustrations and excitement. I know this. I'm not even through my first year with this new position and I'm getting it. All of it. Frustrations. Moments of excitement.
Like the kid who doesn't like the new kid...for whatever reason. Maybe it's a territorial thing. Maybe it's a personality thing. How do you let them know you get it (because I know I've been there before...when I was a kid going on my first mission trip, there were a couple of kids we didn't mesh well with at all...we didn't want them there). But then how do you remind them that we're a community of Christ followers and all are welcome here?
A community is building - I see it. But then something happens when the pot gets stirred just a little...a new person is introduced...and all hell breaks loose (so to speak).
Or that moment when your kids don't want to spend another minute talking about this Jesus guy. Why do we have to read the Bible every week? How long is the lesson going to take? What game are we playing tonight? Oh hey, this chair DOES recline!
WHY WON'T YOU TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY?!?!
It pales in comparison to the moment a kid texts you at night wanting to know what that worship song was you played (and they send you a video of them playing the song for their dog!) Or they text you about taking the time to do the at-home assignment you've given them for the week, knowing they're probably the only one actually doing it!
It's the moments of deep conversation around the questions they want to ask - what came before God?. You know they're truly searching for understanding. It's seeing them get excited about a worship event (one we had to miss because no one wanted to hear some old guy sing songs about Jesus, but then you play them a couple videos of his music and they get into it)!
It's all of it.
I'll take those moments of excitement. Those wins. Even if they're few and far between.
Like the kid who doesn't like the new kid...for whatever reason. Maybe it's a territorial thing. Maybe it's a personality thing. How do you let them know you get it (because I know I've been there before...when I was a kid going on my first mission trip, there were a couple of kids we didn't mesh well with at all...we didn't want them there). But then how do you remind them that we're a community of Christ followers and all are welcome here?
A community is building - I see it. But then something happens when the pot gets stirred just a little...a new person is introduced...and all hell breaks loose (so to speak).
Or that moment when your kids don't want to spend another minute talking about this Jesus guy. Why do we have to read the Bible every week? How long is the lesson going to take? What game are we playing tonight? Oh hey, this chair DOES recline!
WHY WON'T YOU TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY?!?!
It pales in comparison to the moment a kid texts you at night wanting to know what that worship song was you played (and they send you a video of them playing the song for their dog!) Or they text you about taking the time to do the at-home assignment you've given them for the week, knowing they're probably the only one actually doing it!
It's the moments of deep conversation around the questions they want to ask - what came before God?. You know they're truly searching for understanding. It's seeing them get excited about a worship event (one we had to miss because no one wanted to hear some old guy sing songs about Jesus, but then you play them a couple videos of his music and they get into it)!
It's all of it.
I'll take those moments of excitement. Those wins. Even if they're few and far between.