Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Youth Ministry They Will Remember

Facebook is like a treasure trove for finding people from the past.  A few weeks ago I found my second grade teacher, a couple days ago I found my 7th grade study hall teacher, Angela Hunt (yes for those of you that read she is the author you are thinking of).  As far as study hall teachers goes she was one of the best.  She also taught English but I didn't have her for that subject, maybe I would have done better with English if I had Angela as a teacher. (this may be obvious as you read my posts)

Gary, Angela's husband, was one of my youth leaders as a young impressionable junior higher.  Now I can't remember one lesson Gary may have delivered (no offense to him personally).  What I remember is that Gary was an awesome youth leader.  Why do I remember Gary when I can't remember all of my youth leaders from my younger days?  Gary invested himself in building relationships with us and that is what makes the difference between and average youth minister/worker and the cream of the crop.  He talked to us and not at us, he talked with us.  That's what I remember.  I don't even know if Gary remembers me, our youth group was huge. But I remember Gary and in my book he was a great youth leader.

Youth ministry is about building relationships with students.  When they know you genuinely care about them they will take to hear the things you teach them even if when they are older they can't remember your lessons or messages they will remember you cared about them and invested in their lives.  So for all of us in the trenches of youth ministry let's get busy investing in those lives and building relationships that make an impact, youth ministry they will remember.

4 comments:

Rick Lawrenson said...

She would have taught you not to end a sentence with "of".

It's interesting that I read something yesterday or the day before - an interview - with Angie on the web.

Gary must be the world's oldest youth pastor!

Andy Lawrenson said...

I wasn't sure if he was still doing the youth thing or not of.

Anonymous said...

Hunt.

With brackets you have to make sure that the sentence still makes sense as if they weren't there - so if you take the brackets out the full stop would come after Hunt.

Anyhoo!!!!

I know what you mean about the youth leaders and remembering them. The leader who actually stands in my mind was my cell group leader rather than the actual leader in charge of youth work.

Her name was Emma and she was a careers advisor during the rest of the week so she became out careers advisor as well as our cell leader - if something was up about school or what to do next she'd have an answer that made sense or she knew where to get the answer from. (Her friend from uni is now one of my best friends!)

Andy Lawrenson said...

@God's Rock Angel -

That's just the problem. Everything I write makes perfect sense to me even when it doesn't to anyone else. :)
I wonder if it has anything to do with being left-handed?

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