Please read the first and second posts in this series to get a grasp of what this series is all about. This is the last installment in the series and I would like to offer some positive things that have come from youth ministry being so popular. These are in no particular order:
- RESOURCES: No longer do you have to wait for the latest YS or GROUP book to come in the mail but we have blogs, online resources and other ways to improve our ministries at the tip of our fingers. This is due to technology but also the vast number of youth ministers who have come bearing God’s gifts to network and spread what God has done with their ministries.
- CAMARADERIE: It’s good to have fellow travelers on the road in ministry. I can share my victories and struggles with so many other men and women who have worked longer than I have and can be a source of encouragement for me.
- KINGDOM ADVANCEMENT: I love what other guys are doing and I an so glad youth groups are in their care. Look, God’s kingdom is going to advance whether I am in or not but it is with the help of so many men and women who are dedicated in what God has called them to do.
- LIVES ARE CHANGED: I have been able to be a part of a few students whose lives have been changed but little do they know how my life has changed because of them. I don’t mean “changed” in a warm fuzzy way but in a serious, never-be-the-same kind of way.
- IT KEEPS ME ON TOP OF MY GAME: YM is not a game but knowing that I am replaceable (easily, I might add) keeps me on my toes. When I interviewed for this job in 2004 I was told there were 20 or so resumes that were submitted. That number would probably quadruple now if the position were to come open. I am not so prideful to think I am the only one who can do youth ministry here but I also understand that this is a good thing. For whatever reason, if I were to leave, God would bring the next guy in and his kingdom would advance. That’s not a bad thing at all!
I hope these posts have helped as it has been a journey for me to blog on this series.
