Written by: Volunteer Youth Leader Shawnice Wilson

Shawnice wrote this letter after our team traveled to Orlando for the Youth Pastor Summit last week. Shawnice has volunteered in youth ministry for over 10 years. She and her husband have dedicated their lives to student leadership development.

I was thinking this morning that our youth workers could use a word of thanks.  I attended a Youth Pastor’s Conference this week.  It had great speakers and entertainment and it offered a time of refreshing and refocusing that was much needed for me.  Yet, there was one thing that bothered me.  There was a question that was asked in two of the sessions I attended – one a main session and the other a breakout session.  The question was “How many of you have ever thought about quitting youth ministry?”  I saw tens to maybe hundreds of youth ministry volunteers throw their hands into the air.  What I saw made my heart sink.  I immediately began to think “What can we do?  What’s missing?  What’s lacking?  Is it that they lack the spiritual depth to handle such a position, the greater understanding of what it means to be a youth worker – sacrifice?  Is there a training that we can provide to help these distraught youth workers? 

In all my years of youth ministry, I have never felt that way.  Frustrated – yes, disappointed -yes, in awe of parent responses and student mistakes – yes, but never have I had the desire to quit.  I have also never been the top guy (Youth Pastor) so maybe this has something to do with it, but I have been a leader in youth ministry.  I thought is there something that I have that I can transfer to them – hope, inspiration, whatever – so that they never come to that place again?  Is there something I can do to help them be empowered to the point that the thought of quitting never rises to the top again?  I immediately began to chronicle thoughts of topics in my mind and I even wrote some down.  I then decided to talk to my Youth Director (Pastor) about my feelings on what I had experienced.  We dialogued for a while and in the conversation he said something that resonated with me.  He said, “Sometimes what they need is encouragement.”  So here goes.

For every time the parent’s came to you with their extremely negative comments, off the wall remarks, far left understanding of what was going on, and even direct attacks on your person and you came back at them with the love of CHRIST, even though this may not have been what you were feeling inside (LOL!) – THANK YOU!

For your countless hours of service in front and behind the scenes and your willingness to be inconvenienced continually – THANK YOU!

For your face being the only representation at the football game, for encouraging the young lady who had no hope or confidence in herself, for loving the students in spite of who they are – THANK YOU!

For your heart to serve the LORD faithfully – THANK YOU!

For everything you do – THANK YOU!

You may not see the fruit immediately but what you say does matter.  Don’t be discouraged by the texting during your messages, the blank stares, and seeming lackadaisical, apathetic behavior of the teens in your ministry.  They hear you.  I say this because I was one of those teens. I grew up in a very traditional church.  I wasn’t feeling their way of living.  However, I was forced to sit there week after week and listen to the messages presented.  Now, I am glad that I did.  There were probably pieces of several messages that have impacted my decisions since then, but there is one that I remembered some years later that saved my life.  It was a message on the reality of hell.  In that moment when I thought just briefly to take my life, that message came back to my mind.  It was a simple statement from the message.  The minister said that in hell I’d burn forever without any relief.  I knew that I did not want that, that I wanted to go to heaven to avoid such an eternity.  This is all just to say that what you do does matter.  BE ENCOURAGED!  DON’T YOU EVER GIVE UP!  Your life, your call, your heart, your passion matters more than you could ever know.  So, for all the students that have never said it, but that have experienced life change I would like to say – THANK YOU!

 Shawnice Wilson

I’ve been in youth ministry now for over 10 years.  Some will say after the decade mark, you become a specialist or expert.  Yeah right!!!!  Man I’m still learning every day.  As a youth pastor in an urban setting, with limited resources, I often times find myself searching for ways to stay current and relevant!  If I could be honest, there are a lot of times when I feel alone, unprepared, and isolated from the rest of the Christian world. Surely there was no one else on Earth is struggling in youth ministry like I am to keep up with all of the latest treads, fashions, fades, and issues facing this generation. What do I do? Where do I start? How do I get them to listen to me? If they don’t get, how disappointed will God be in me? Honestly, at times, I’m scared to death, however, I do fell a deep calling to this type of ministry and 11 Timothy 1:7 reminds me that God hasn’t given me the Spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.
As I talk to other youth leaders, we all seem to have or currently feel the same way.  Here is the million dollar question: “How do you begin a youth group, with virtually nothing, for kids in urban settings?”
First, we must understand there is no one cookie cutter process or magical formula. There really isn’t a “how-to” manual for urban ministry (YET!!!). The needs of the students are as diverse as the cultures, ethnic groups, and personalities of those who make up the inner city.

Although there are no set formulas, there are a few essential ingredients which, if implemented, make it more likely for kids to want to keep coming back.

RELEVENT RESOURECES
I know, I know, you don’t have any resources. But if you take a good look around, you’ll begin to see a tone of great resources around you.
1.    Christian Ed. Resources: This is the obvious.  These resources include your Bible, Christian books, music, videos, etc. You can check out www.simplyyouthministry.com to get some ideas.
2.    Facility Resources: You have access to a church building, homes, schools, gyms, parks, and recreational facilities where you could meet and host activities for students. Check around to see what’s available and what would work best for you. You can even rotate your meeting places.
3.    People resources: There are adults from your church who can help you, special speakers you can invite, and local music groups who might be willing to come for free.

As the leader, you are the key.  You have to get out there and pound the payment (as my mom always say) There maybe resources already around you and available to you for little or no cost.

START WHERE YOU ARE
If you don’t have a lot of students in your youth group, it doesn’t mean you can’t have an effective ministry. Some of the greatest youth ministries out there started with 5 –8 people.  This is a perfect size to start developing your core student leadership team and to develop a strong group of disciples that will help grow the ministry. The key in this phase is building relationships. Let the students in on the planning and development of the ministry. You’ll see their level of commitment and excitement for the ministry. Once you’ve established relationships and earned their trust; you’ve laid the foundation for an effective program and ministry to take place and grow.

BE CREATIVE
This is where most youth leaders drop the ball.  I’m all for the traditional format for a youth service:
•    Welcome & Opening Prayer
•    Praise & Worship
•    Announcements & Recognition of Visitors
•    Choral Worship (You know the song that set’s up the message)
•    The Word
•    Benediction
•    Dismissal
•    We’ll holla at you next week and do it all over again!

That cool and everything, but what about adding a little flavor in it every once and awhile!  Your job is to sell a product and/or brand that is exciting and inspirational and makes students want to come back and bring their friends. Students like, want, and need to express themselves (check out some of my students www.myspace.com/incrediblzproductionz). This is why I believe hip hop and varies genres of music is so appealing. Encourage students to do poetry, drama, music, dance, rap, painting, cartooning, graffiti art, T-shirt art, computer graphic arts, murals, even cooking and auto mechanics.  Help facilitate your young people to experiencing God’ spirit though the arts. God Himself likes to be creative. “God saw all he had created, and it was very good” (Genesis 1:31)

Please don’t think you’re alone in this!  We’re in this together!  You can, and you will be healthy and effective!  You know why, because God said so!!!!