“I could never work with youth — I just can’t deal with all those hormones!”
“I’ve done my time when my kids were that age.”
“They won’t think I’m cool enough.”
“What if they ask questions about sex?”
These are all reasons I’ve heard when people explain why they don’t volunteer in the youth ministry. And I get it.
Grace Sosa
I started off at my church as the children’s minister, and I have to admit I was a bit nervous when I was asked to transition to lead the youth ministry.
I had gotten used to crafts, songs with motions and silly dress-up days. When kids enter youth group, they are asking big questions about life, faith and their identities.
But the past year of youth ministry has been such a joy for me. I got to be present at students’ games, concerts and performances. I celebrated with them at graduation and lamented with them when life was not what they expected. I got to see them express their faith at confirmation and lead worship on youth Sunday.
I know some people are intimidated by teenagers. Maybe you’re worried they will give you attitude or ask a question you don’t know the answer to. But working with students is so rewarding.
Sure, they can be rowdy. Yes, they forget to throw away their trash. Yes, they laugh when someone farts.
But they also care for each other deeply.
In our youth group of only about 15 kids, we have students of various races, identities and abilities. They don’t need to be reminded to be welcoming and supportive of one another. They love each other as Christ loves them.
There are numerous articles and books about how important it is for adults to invest in the lives of teenagers — how this connection makes them more likely to continue going to church in their college years and beyond.
But that’s not the only reason I am passionate about adults volunteering in youth ministry. I think more adults should volunteer with their church youth groups because it will be a blessing to them as adults.
Here are a few of the blessings I have been given while leading my church’s youth group over the past year.
After a lesson on humility, one youth exclaimed, “Mrs. Grace, in God’s eyes, a baby and Elon Musk are the same.” Funny and true!
When we attended a youth retreat, the speaker taught us to pray with our hands cupped, as if to receive a blessing, and then to send our hands up as if offering our prayers to God when we said amen. This is now our youth group’s favorite way to pray.
One night we discovered the majority of our youth group are Taylor Swift fans. Throw in the karaoke machine in the youth room, and we had an impromptu song and dance party.
“Don’t rob yourself of a blessing just because you’re scared of middle schoolers.”
Several of our youth helped with VBS this summer, and two of them helped with skits. Of course, I saw the youth practice beforehand, but I never expected how enthusiastic they would be with the children in the audience. By the last performance, they were involving the kids in the skit and completely making their day.
During our in-town middle school mission trip, I took the youth to visit some of our homebound members. A seventh-grade boy walked into the room of a woman in her 70s and asked, “Barbara, will you be my bestie?” That afternoon we worked in our church garden. After he pulled each weed, he proclaimed, “That one’s for Barbara!”
In July, I took the high schoolers to the Synod Youth Workshop. Kids were all assigned to small groups with people they didn’t know. Because of COVID, our youth group hadn’t been to synod in several years. I knew the model would be daunting for some of our youth who were nervous about meeting new people. But one student in particular flourished, participating in the talent show and even applying to be on the youth planning team for next year.
These are all small rays of sunshine with my youth group. Maybe they aren’t earth-shattering moments. But I love to reflect on them because these are the moments that make youth ministry so special.
I’ve seen too many churches hire a youth minister, throw him (it’s almost always a him) upstairs with the youth group and expect him to run the youth ministry alone. But just as children’s ministry needs volunteers, your youth group needs your positive presence. Even if you don’t feel comfortable teaching a lesson. Even if you think you’re too old to play basketball.
Not everyone is called to youth ministry. I know that. But don’t rob yourself of a blessing just because you’re scared of middle schoolers. Give it a try. They just might surprise you. If nothing else, they’re sure to make you laugh.
Grace Sosa serves as associate pastor for youth ministries at First Central Presbyterian Church in Abilene, Texas.