I Work With Students

Much of the success (a tricky word for ministry being as success is hard to gauge) I've been able to have in working with youth has been the result of a willingness to invest in what they're doing. So I have always tried to make it a point to get involved by attending local school and sporting events. I once won fifty bucks at a Christmas concert! When I was young in ministry, however, this was hard for me. I usually felt like some kind of goof showing up by myself and sitting alone at high school basketball games etc. But as I have gotten to know more and more people in the community over the years, it has become a real joy.
A couple years ago, I volunteered at the concession stands with a bunch of moms, and when they would ask me if I had a kid who played, I would reply, "Yes, my oldest is a senior and I have two playing junior high ball." They would appear confused because I look a bit young. Eventually I would admit I was joking.
For years I had been working with students primarily from Freedom High School. If I were to attend a game, I could barely make it five feet, before somebody wanted to stop to talk. It's really cool. Although sometimes when a bunch of band kids yell to me, and their teachers "correct" them, I feel stupid.
My current position has me working with several area schools. The picture above was taken by a student of mine while I was attending my first ever Monaca High School Football game. A senior student of mine scored a touchdown from his defensive end position which isn't an everyday occurrence. It was a great night! In this particular photo, I was asking students if they thought my "pants looked neat" and if "they dug my style" My volunteers present, along with many people I had never seen before thought I was missing bolts.
All this to say, I have a lot of fun when I get around crowds. We recently had our kickoff for High School and Middle School. I am so thankful to God that I enjoyed the two nights as much as I did. I have been working really hard lately to truly connect with the people God has placed in my care, students and volunteers alike. I even did "the worm" for the first time since the early nineties with a middle school kid named B.J. I think at some basic level, the heart of a youth minister is just different from the hearts possessed by most. And I am more than o.k. with that!
I love to take a genuine interest in students, and see them light up when I make that effort. There is something truly gospel about taking the time to let someone know that they are worth your time and attention. Sometimes when I see a "light" come on in the heart and the life of a young person, I wonder why so many others don't love these crazy kids in a similar fashion.