STUDENT MINISTRY: Longevity in Student Ministry
Recently, I had the opportunity to be on the Shaping Student Ministry (SSM) podcast with hosts Ian Dunaway and John Oliver, not to be confused with the Student Ministry Matters (SMM) podcast with hosts Dan Carson and Chris Vines. It was great to connect with these guys and see a similar heart for serving the church and helping student ministry workers impact the next generation for Jesus. We talked about longevity in student ministry. It’s not very common. My friend David Vandergriff served in two churches as a youth pastor for over 10 years, each before moving on to another area of ministry. Recently, he was pulled back into one of those roles because of a vacant position and served his church faithfully until the next man could be found. We don’t talk enough about guys like Dave. These are men who love students and care about their spiritual development. They often go unacknowledged. He now serves as his church’s worship and media minister, but when you have served students and their families for over 20 years, you always have a place for them in your heart and life.
Longevity in student ministry is a powerful thing. It impacts the church and the lives of students. I wish I had more examples to share, but that isn’t the case. While it is slowly changing, the average paid student ministry worker only lasts 18 months to three years. That is something that needs to change. Instead of doing the first three years of student ministry 10 times, we need to invest in the long-term development of the young people in our church. Over the next few weeks, I want to talk about some important characteristics and investments that need to be made if you wish to be in student ministry for the long term. Today, I want to share some of the benefits:
• Student ministry workers who stay in the same church over the long haul provide their students stability in an ever-changing and unstable world. Our students are dealing with anxiety and often family issues. It is a huge benefit for students to have a stable church life. It is great for them to see you faithfully follow Jesus and love your family through the different seasons of life. Granted, this is only beneficial if your life is stable and rooted in Jesus. However, if that criterion is met, it can be a tremendous blessing to your students.
• Long-term student ministry workers enjoy seeing their students grow in their relationship with God. In contrast, the youth guy who is only there for 18 months never hears the rest of the story or about that story. I love watching my students grow in their understanding of God’s Word and His plan for their lives. It is also a tremendous burden. If you realize that your students aren’t growing in that area and have spiritual support at home, you may need to adjust how you approach the ministry at your church. I have been at my current church for 8 1/2 years. I recently realized that my students are weak in their Bible knowledge. They understand grace and worship, but they are lacking in the facts of the Bible. I have to make some adjustments.
• Long-term student ministry allows students to trust you for more as years go by. I trust those who stick around. Most of us feel like that. If a student has a string of youth pastors from grades 7-12, they aren’t going to know who to trust. Longevity breeds trust and greater opportunity for relationships.
• Long-term student ministry workers have the opportunity to grow more. At the end of year two, you may have run out of youth ministry tricks and hacks. You can either grow or leave. Be a learner and allow God to stretch you during that time. Spend time in prayer. Study more. Read books. Go to conferences. If you value your students, you will look at ways for you to be a better youth pastor and seek out ways to grow.
Being a long-term student ministry worker is not an easy thing. We have to learn to forgive and grow. We have to find ways to stretch ourselves. Ultimately, we have to tell the “Old, Old Story” to an ever-changing generation. Let’s aim to serve them over the long haul.
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Dan Carson
BMA Youth Department Director Dan Carson writes a weekly column titled, Student Ministry Matters, through which he inspires, challenges, and informs BMA of Arkansas churches and church staff about all things pertaining to student ministry.
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