It's A Relay Not A Marathon

I have often likened ministry to a marathon. When one feels called to the ministry, it is not for the short term. Rather, it is a race that is not a short sprint, but one that lasts over an entire lifetime. For my calling, it was not a season, or something fleeting, my race was supposed to be long-term. My time in vocational ministry looked very different in my mind. It looked like decades, not years, only changing when I could no longer physically accomplish what I felt called to do. That was how I imagined it, anyways. 

When I was fresh out of college, I had so many ideas that I felt were God breathed. Some of them were not new, but a different flavor of the same thing. I had such a desire to serve in student ministry to see a new generation as the force to spark a revival within their schools and lead to a wave of freedom that only Jesus could breathe. I had so many hopes that I would be able to implement some of these strategies, to cultivate a ministry, and to inspire leaders to engage with students in a new mindset. 

Fifteen years after I had graduated college, I really haven't been able to implement any of the ideas that I have felt God lay upon my heart. I know that I have ideas and a heart for student ministry, but I haven't had the opportunity for a church to allow me to begin to implement some of these plans in a youth ministry setting.  

At 36 years old, not seeing any of what I felt led to do has been discouraging. And, quite frankly, I have begun to give up on whether I would get to do any of the things God has placed on my heart. I've had very candid prayers with God, expressing my frustration at "warming the bench" while I wait to be given a chance. I felt like I couldn't pass along my ideas because I had no idea if they would work, and I would feel like a fraud only talking about theory without implementation. There was also the added message that "[I] couldn't do this." But I was wrong about one thing... It's not a marathon. 

During prayer, while I was complaining to God and struggling with the lack of opportunity to do what I felt called to do, I felt a nudging to "give it away." It was at that moment that I realized something. Ministry is not a marathon. It's a relay race. While I do still desire to serve as a student pastor, and with God all things are possible, not many churches are looking to hire a 36-year-old student pastor that doesn't quite fit the mold of a typical youth pastor. I had hoped that my role would be hands on once I got a position. But maybe my role is to pass it on, to pass it to the next person on the relay team.

While this blog started as a devotional, it will also be a way to pass along the things God has placed on my heart. I will be the first to tell you, the reader, that I have no idea if the things I write down are things that will work. All I ask is you begin to implement these ideas in your ministry, please let me know if I was on the right track. 

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The philosophy of ministry that drives student ministry is what I call the three E's. These are engaging with students, equipping them with faith and the gifts God has given them, and encouraging them to live the story God is writing for them. In the Gospel of Luke 5:1-11, Jesus shows these principles in the calling of Simon (Peter), Andrew, James, and John. Jesus saw the boats and engaged with the fishermen. He met them on their own turf. He equipped them by telling them what to do by throwing their nets over the side of the boat. He encouraged them to live a greater story, one that the Father was writing for each of them. 

The three Es are essential for helping move students from onlookers of the faith to participants in faith. This is very similar to the YoungLife model of "earning the right to speak into kids' lives." The goal of student ministry is not to put on a good program or bring in more students to meet some quota. The goal of student ministry is to help students be active participants in their own faith. 

Programing, therefore, is a means to an end. Students will not come to an amazing program if that program is not going to be relational. You will not be able to disciple students if you, as the youth pastor focus too much on programing and not enough time on relational engagement with the students. Once relationship has been established, then the work of helping students develop their skills, answer their questions, etc. or equipping them with tools to play a part in their story can take place. Throughout this entire process, the youth pastor/leader encourages the student to live on mission or begin to live the story God is writing for them. 

Everything student pastors do, or plan must be filtered through these three E's. When developing an event or a ministry idea, the questions that must be asked is whether they meet the standard of engaging with students, equipping students with the truth and discipleship, and encouragement to live the story God is writing. If the ministry or event does not have some component of each one of these, it should be questioned whether the program should be done in the first place. There is too much at stake to just have a program for the sake of having a program. If programs and other ministries must be developed, it should be expressly with these three Es in mind. 

It must also be articulated as well that these three Es should not begin with the students. The student pastor's role should begin with the volunteer leaders that have contact with the students. The student pastor is only one person. They could not be all things to all people. It is untenable to reach every student. There are students you will connect with and students that you will be unable to connect with. That doesn't mean that the youth pastor has failed. It just means there are other people with different gifts that will do a better job connecting with certain students than you. And... THAT'S OKAY!!!! 

Jesus gave a perfect example of this in John 13. Jesus got down on his hands and knees and did something that no servant would want to do. He washed his disciple's feet. After he was done, he said in v. 15 "For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you." Our goal is not just to see the next year in ministry, but the next fifty. Part of this foresight is engaging, equipping, and encouraging our volunteers. Our volunteers should see each of the three E's modeled out for them. Every time they come to a meeting, or before youth group starts, they should be greeted the way we want our students to be greeted.  

When they begin to serve, we want to celebrate the beginning of a journey, and when they leave, we should celebrate the next step in their season. The thing that keeps the ministry going is not the programing but the interactions with the people. Whenever staff or students come into the ministry, we want to help them feel like each person is coming home. We want to help them feel that they are a part of something much bigger themselves. We want the volunteers to be excited when they are participating in something rather than working for something. It starts with the three E's. It starts with engaging with your volunteers and developing a sense of community with them and then for the students. It starts with the foundation Christ has laid, then the volunteers, and then out of the overflow, the students.