5 Principles of Youth Pastoring

I have the best job in the world. I am a youth pastor to the most amazing teens on the planet. I am sure of it. I didn't even know it was possible to love other peoples children this much. My husband and I started The Edge youth group at our church a few years ago. When we started it, we were barely older then the kids we were ministering to, and to tell you the truth, it was incredibly intimidating. I asked God on multiple occasions why he had entrusted us with these precious students, when we were so young ourselves, and every time, He said simply because you're faithful.

When we started, we were so unprepared. We had no idea what we had gotten ourselves into. We had no prior experience and everything became about trial and error. It felt like we had tried everything, until God began to show us how He saw our students. It was when we began to look at them through Jesus' eyes that we started to realize just how much they were capable of. Just like we were young, and pastoring, these kids could be ministering to others, like we were ministering to them.

Often times, I hear people say things like, "The youth of today, are the leaders of tomorrow," but I believe that the youth of today have the potential to be the leaders of today. Why should they wait until tomorrow to lead? In 1 Timothy 4:12 it says, " Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity." And then in Jeremiah 1:7, God speaks to him and tells him, "Don't say, 'I'm too young,' for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you." Theologians believe that Jesus' disciples were in their teens to early 20's when they were called, and that Mary the mother of Jesus was just a teenager when she conceived Him. David was just a boy when he killed Goliath, and Josiah was made King of Israel at just 8 years old. When I read the Bible, i see example after example of God calling and using young people to lead, not just churches but entire nations! So why today, do we stick them in a back room, and teach them a watered down gospel?

God has given us a few keys to running our youth ministry that has begun to truly make a difference in our students.

1. Youth Groups should be run like a church within the church

As a youth pastor it is my job to shepherd my flock in the same way that a pastor shepherds a church. I take my job just as seriously as I would if I were over the entire church. We try our best, every single day to treat our students with respect and honor, and to never let their age taint our perspective of them. These kids are just as capable, just as talented, and just as faithful as most of the adults in our churches. When I was a teenager, my youth pastor treated me the same way he treated his leadership team. He gave me responsibilities, He let me preach, and He made me feel like it was just as much my ministry as it was his. In doing so, He motivated me to work hard and he taught me how to lead without ever having to be given a title. This is what I want my for youth group. I want my students to feel committed and excited about The Edge ministry. I want them to feel like they are just as much an important part of it, as I am. I want to teach them how to do all of the things that the leaders of the church do. I want The Edge to be a judgement-free zone where kids can cultivate character and mold their gifts. I want each an every student to leave The Edge feeling fully equipped to hear God's voice for themselves, to digest and comprehend the Word of God independently, to openly pray and intercede for their families, friends, church & Nation, to minister & edify others using spiritual gifts, to walk in power demonstrating miracles, signs & wonders, to be of the greatest character, abounding in all of the fruit of the Spirit, to have a spirit of excellence in everything they do, to be passionate worshipers, to be sure in their faith and testimony & able to share it at any moment, and most of all to be able to mentor and disciple others. Not everyone is called to full time ministry, but everyone is called to minister in their place of influence, and I want my kids to be prepared to change the world around them on a daily basis.

2. We have found that our job as youth pastors is to work ourselves out of a job.

The ministry should never be so focused on one person or leader that it would crumble if they were not there. My vision for my students is for them to lead and minister to one another. I'm looking forward to a day when my students can run the service flawlessly without my help. I would like to see each and every one of my students be prepared to take my job at any moment in time. I don't ever want their relationship with God to be dependent on my relationship with them. I want them to be fully dependent on God, having an unshakable faith no matter what happens to me.

3. We feed the hungry, instead of chasing after those who refuse to eat.

Many of the youth groups I have been to are more concerned with growing in numbers than they are discipling the kids that God has already entrusted to them. I have seen so many cases of young people that are hungry for God being neglected or overlooked simply because the leaders are too busy dealing with the troubled children in their group. In our youth group, of course we love and are there for all of our students, but we choose to spend our time pouring into students that will apply our words of wisdom to their lives, instead of trying to change those who are rebellious and disrespectful. By doing this, the standard has been raised. We have changed the atmosphere of our service to where it is now the popular thing to listen and take notes, rather than sit on the back row and text. The kids are asking questions, and reading their words. We give homework assignments, and even though they don't get credit for it, they do it to get closer to God. In fact, just a month ago we started a New Testament Challenge and already 3 of our students have read the entire thing and handed in a summary for every single chapter that they read. Focusing on the hungry students will create an atmosphere where fruit and gifts can flourish, by removing all distractions.

4. Our word is everything.

This one is short and simple, but whatever we say we are going to do, we do it. We never try to create hope or excitement, unless we know we can do something for sure. So often, I hear youth pastors talk about all the things that they want to do and then never get around to it. After a while, the kids begin to stop hoping for things, because they are so tired of being disappointed. When done correctly, vision should create hope, and hope should give birth to momentum, forward motion & growth. Proverbs 13:12 "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." Proverbs 29:18 "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."

5. We are readily available and accessible to our students.

I try my best to stay involved in my teens lives. I am not the most tech savvy person, but for the sake of my students, I have learned how to use all sorts of social media & texting apps. I'm on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Snapchat, Skype, GooglePlus, Kik, FaceTime, amongst other things, just so that there is never a time that I can't be reached. All of our youth group has my number, and knows that no matter what the issue is, if it is important to them, they can call me and it will become important to me. We try to connect with all of them a least once a week outside of church, and we try to hangout with them at least once a month outside of church. We plan events quarterly, and try to not only be there for spiritual and emotional support, but also just to have fun with them and help them to relax when things are stressful. We go to their games, their bible studies, and choir concerts and we visit them in the hospital if they are sick, all in an effort to support and encourage them. If there is one thing that I have learned about this generation, it's that they love and accept anyone who is authentic and real. To be real, you have to be present.

We do our very best to live by these principles. We are only human, so we mess up at times, and we don't always make the right call. Sometimes we disappoint our them, and sometimes we push them too hard. Sometimes we don't give enough, but by the grace of God there is still fruit growing in our in this ministry that we have been given. I am so hopeful of what the future holds, and I am so thankful that God has entrusted these kids to us. They have truly been some of the greatest blessings in my life!