How To Survive: Being a Youth Leader

Four years ago a friend of mine asked me to co-lead a weekly Bible study with her for a group of high school freshmen. I agreed thinking I would mostly be a figure head "leader" - like the Queen of England or a mall cop. "How fun!" I thought. "We'll brush each others' hair and occasionally read a Psalm," I thought.

Wrong.

Fast forward to the present and I am now the sole leader of this large, rowdy, incredible group of godly senior girls who are about to fly the nest and break this momma bird's heart! The past four years have been a whirlwind of weekly lessons, summer camps,  family crises, prayer nights, prom pictures, and enough tears to capsize the Titanic. It's been dramatic, exhausting, heart-breaking, and completely life-changing. I've grown more as a leader than I ever could have if I had remained a student.

As (somewhat) of a youth ministry veteran now, I thought I would share a few tips on how to survive the Odyssey that is high school ministry:

Be Weird - Being authentic is crucial in any relationship, especially in youth ministry. So go ahead and tell lame jokes, trip in public, share your stories and show them that you are an honest person who desires that openness from them.

Keep an Open Door - Most real ministry happens outside of church. Be a walking hot-line for your students and make time to see them face-to-face. Your job is just to be that safe place they can come to and discuss anything without being judged or dismissed. 

Stay Current - Youth ministry requires a lot of relational homework. Stay up-to-date on who is dating who, when the next school dance is, whose parents are dealing with an illness, who needs prayer, and even which celebrity won that award on TV for that thing you vaguely care about. Invest in all the little details of their lives.

Pray and Pray Some More - Youth ministry has a funny way of bringing out your deepest insecurities. Combat the doubts, the pressure, and that sneaking feeling of inadequacy with prayer. You are uniquely equipped and empowered through the Holy Spirit to handle whatever your students throw at you. Humility, trust, and weakness are the perfect formula for a youth leader...or a follower of Christ in general. 

I hope this post has encouraged some of you to jump head-first into high school ministry. It really is amazing. And for the rest of you just trying to survive it - keeping fighting the good fight, keep on keepin' on, just keep swimming, and all of those other cliches. I'm praying for you.