I Love Being a Youth Minister!

January 1, 2013
"On the Edge"

Youth Ministers are often misunderstood!  We are thought to be the “fun” staff members.  People think that all we ever do is play.  And, don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my job!  One of the many reasons (although not the most important reason) why I love my job is because I get to have fun and play!  But that’s a very small part of what it is that I love about my job! 

I love the difficult things about my job, too.  That sounds strange, but it’s the truth.  Having difficult conversations with people about their struggles often challenges me, and in a good way.  When I am giving advice to a teen or a parent, I often take the advice I give to heart for myself!  Because of those things, I get to grow, too.

I get to see a side of teens that not many others get to see.  Their parents get to see their “home” selves. That’s not always the prettiest picture.  Their friends get to see their “cool” selves.  Their “hanging out” selves.  Many people would call these "selves" masks.  And as much as we try to fight it, we all still wear masks.  I wouldn’t say that they are really masks, though.  Not necessarily.  I believe that the “home” self is genuine.  I believe that the “friend” self is also genuine.  They can be fake, of course.  If the masks contradict themselves.  But for the most part, the person presenting different "selves" are really just showing themselves from a different angle, that's all.  We are, after all, three-dimensional beings.  You don’t get to see the whole picture at once. 

While many people think that all Youth Ministers do is play, a lot of people incorrectly think that Youth Ministers only get to see the bad stuff in teens.  Teens tend to confess what they’ve done to their Youth Ministers to get help, advice and prayers.  Sometimes I wish that I could give them absolution in these moments!  But, alas, I am not a priest and cannot!  But hearing the bad stuff could make any person lose faith, if they didn’t get to see the other stuff, too.  Teens also tell us of the bad things others have done to them.  Taking all of that in can be overwhelming.   

But, I don’t just get to see the “bad” self or the “hurt” self; I get to see the “spiritual” self.  I get to see the teen feel sorry for their sins and repent.  I get to see bravery as they deal with their problems.  I get to see them forgive.  I get to see the love that they show to each other.  But most importantly, I get to see them pray.  In real ways.  In completely authentic, uninhibited, unguarded ways.  That’s something that their parents don’t really get to see.  Their friends, unless that are active in the youth group, also miss out on it.  There is nothing more moving than to see a teen visibly transformed by what Christ can do in their lives.  And there are so few of us who are given the amazing privilege of seeing that first-hand.  That is why I love my job!

There is a huge amount of turn-over in youth ministry, because youth ministers don’t always look at their job the way that I do.  Many youth ministers are blinded by rude parents, or by the few staff who don’t quite understand what it is we do, or by parishioners who think it’s our job to change the youth of the parish ourselves.  Whatever the complaints that other Youth Ministers have, none of those things compare to the joy of it all. And, in reality, the percentage of those who complain is tiny compared to the percentage of people who don't.  And yet, as humans, it is so much easier to focus and dwell on those negative comments, that aren't just annoying, but quite hurtful.

But we are all “on the Edge.”  Satan doesn’t like what we do, and so he attacks.  Taking our eyes off of Jesus for one second can send us over the edge.  Quickly.  And we all do take our eyes off at some point.  But Jesus is always there to pull us back in. 

Most of the time, this “On the Edge” segment will be about the teachings we had the previous night at the group called The Edge.  Since we are on Christmas Break, I didn’t have an Edge Night last night!  So I had nothing to write for a teaching.  Don’t worry, teens, I won’t be sharing your personal stories here!  But do keep reading!  It won’t always be about the teaching, if there is something more important that needs being said!  This is my New Year’s Resolution!  Please pray for me as I write this blog!  Please help me to keep it going, to be true to the teachings of the Church, and to love doing it!  I will pray for you, dear reader, in hope that what I say is meaningful to you, too!