“Most of our student ministries are known for camps, retreats, programs, concerts, ski-trips, fund-raisers, and all-nighters. And few are known for the sweet aroma of Christ in the lives of teenagers.”

Eric Geiger & Jeff Burton in “Simple Student Ministry.”

last night I sat down with some teenagers and we read through the Christmas story.

I asked them the question, “what does this story teach us about God or about Jesus?”

here are some responses:

• God sent angels to the outcast of society (the shepherds)
• God decided He’d be best represented in this world by being born inside of an unmarried teenage girl.
• God was born homeless
• Jesus was of both earthly and heavenly “royal blood” (line of David and God’s son)

At the bottom of this post I’ve embedded a tremendous presentation by micro-sculpture artist Willard Wigan. Willard produces sculptures so tiny and so ornate that he has to work between his own heartbeats. Yeah. I said that. His work is so microscopic that he has literally inhaled his own sculptures. The slightest breath or change in friction will utterly destroy the fruits of his labor.

I was watching this and it made me think about ministry (doesn’t everything).

I think the best thing you can do in student ministry is be simultaneously present with your God and your students. To hear the still small voice of God and to hear the deep yearnings of an anxious teenager are two very difficult aspirations. I’d even say they’re so difficult that most people have given up trying.

Willard’s work style must become the style of youth ministers. We’ve got to shut up, slow down, hold our breath, and work in between the pulse and thumping of our always-on, always-updating culture.

I just read through The (un)Offical Church Staff Manual: Youth Pastor Edition by Mark Riddle. While there is enough humorous material to make any youth worker smile – even after a the 10th reprimanding by the church custodian, there is a deep and heavy truth laced between the quips and jokes.

Here’s a brief example:

How to Crash and Burn as a Youth Pastor in Less Than Five Years

1. Believe that you’re a rock star – THE youth ministry expert in the church.
2. Take responsibility for everything that happens to, with, and for the kids in your church.
3. Completely ignore theology and its role in what you do week in and week out.
4. Spend time regularly in relationship-building adn one-on-one prayer with someone of the opposite gender.
5. Exclude, alienate, talk against, and look down on your students’ parents. Never to anything that actually supports parents in their ministry to their children.
6. Send anonymous hate mail to your pastor from your church computer.
7. Believe you ahve all the resources you need to lead a youth ministry at the age of 25. Its also helpful to believe that 20-somethings hold the most important and effective gifts for youth ministry.
8. Believe that you’re a wiser and more gifted leader than your pastor.
9. Never take a vacation or days off.
10. Feel surprised every time something goes wrong, because you believe there will actually be a time when everything always goes smoothly.

This is just a list from one page. The book is well worth the $5 bucks it costs. Great buy.

I was given Mike Yaconelli’s Getting Fired for the Glory of God by a pastor who used to work in youth ministry. I’m reading it. Blowing me away. You should read it to. Or maybe you shouldn’t. Maybe it is just awesome because God is using it to speak to me right now. Either way, I’ll recommend it.

Chris, over at the “A New Kind of Youth Ministry” blog put together a solid list consisting of what he’d do if he could do it all over. As a guy who is just finishing up my first year in student ministry, Chris’ list was challenging and very timely. I’m definitely going to print this out, send it to my volunteers, and reread it as I’m making decisions. Here are a few items from the list, head over to his blog to see the whole list:

Act theologically before methodologically

Be more of a spiritual director than a program director

Hire a parent to be a part of our youth staff

Spend more time investing in interns/co-pastors

My fiance, Allie, wanted to write a guest post describing what she’s excited about in terms of marrying a youth pastor. Last week, she wrote about what she’s skeptical of, this week, she’s going for the positive. Check it out:

———–

I’m excited about:

I loved my youth pastor’s wifegrowing up. She held small groups in their home and I always felt honored when she was the leader that stayed in my room on trips. I don’t remember if we had anything in common. All I remember is that she loved Jesus and I was trying to do that.

I am completely willing to take on that roll. I am so excited to walk beside these students and be who I am. If I feel like God is leading me to start a small group with junior high girls, then I am there. If I feel like God is calling me to start up a community outreach event with students, then I am there.

But I am also excited to pray for them on my own. I am excited to be there for Adam and watch a basketball game on T.V. when he’s worn out after a lock-in. I am excited to live my life alongside the church. The Body of Christ. No matter what church Adam and I find ourselves, our lives should be consistent. I am excited to be a consistent presence in the students’ lives, Adam’s life, and the church’s life.

I am excited to be who God has called me to be, no matter what profession my husband takes on.
posted by: allie

I keep sensing that the next natural step for our student ministry is to develop some sort of student leadership something or other. I took some notes over my ideas on having a formal student leader program/group/meeting/etc. Here ya go:

• CANNOT turn into an “insider” clique
• must be centered around service, growth, and discipleship
• shouldn’t be “easy.” Set the bar high for student leaders
• it isn’t for everyone
• what would are gatherings look like? why would they exist?
• could potentially be a great place for adult leaders to jump in

i’d love some thoughts on this as I’m pretty new to the developing student leaders game.

things i thought today:

• i can’t wait to get married
• my future wife is planning a wedding like a champ. i’m gonna let her have a cat cuz she’s doing such a good job (don’t tell her though).
• money stuff gave me a lot of pressure today. 
• then i remembered that i’m very wealthy compared to most people on earth.
• i love podcasts
• shane claiborne and tony campolo challenged me today
• i’ve got to quit complaining about the “church” and start being the “Church” that i want to see in the world
• i want to set up my life so that i rub shoulders with all types of people: rich, poor, black, white, brown, red, democrat, republican, gay, straight, young, old, etc, etc, etc…
• i am so thankful for the church i’m serving at
• “everyone wants to change the world, but no one wants to do the dishes” 
• i love student ministry

a couple of summers ago, at a willow creek leadership summit, i listened to marcus buckingham talk about finding and operating out of our strengths.

He challenged everyone to take a sheet of paper and create two columns. Label one column “loathe” and the other “love.” At the end of each day, we were to go through our memory of the day and recal things that we truly loved (made us feel alive, “in the zone,” or energized us) and things that we loathed (boring, draining, life-sucking). We were supposed to be very specific about our “loves” and “loathes” (going into great detail about what it was that made us love or loathe an activity).

I did this activity and learned a lot about myself. I learned how I’m wired. I learned that relationships are paramount for me. I learned that I am a very critical thinker and that I love operating with creativity. I also love working on a team and sharing responsibilities.

Since this activity taught me alot about myself, I decided to do it again. I imagine that this time it will be much much different since I am in a brand new context. The first time, I was a college student. This time, it will be done in the setting of student ministry director.

(i’ve also challenged some students to join with me on this and see how it works out for them).