Thinking about youth ministry

I have the privilege of meeting with a group of youth ministers once a month for a time of encouragement, planning and praying. I really look forward to meeting with this group of young men. Youth ministers have a special place in my heart because of my own background in youth ministry.  I served as a youth minister for 17 years and taught youth ministry at Florida Christian College for 7 years. Now 15 years removed from youth ministry I find I have a real appreciation for the work these young men are doing in their ministries. I believe they are on the front line of changing our culture. However, the challenges they face as a youth/student pastor today are enormous. Limited resources, secular thinking and the demands of today's teens and their parents make student ministry more difficult than when I was serving as a youth minister. 

• Today, if you are a youth minister, I say thank you, thank you for your time, dedication and effort to see teens reached for Christ. Youth ministry is ever changing, the next time you think about giving it up and bailing out remember these words from the apostle Paul.
• If you are the spouse of a youth minister, you have what I believe is toughest role there is in ministry today. The ever changing youth culture requires flexibility and balance. As the spouse of a youth pastor, you see what your mate is going through to reach teens; the sacrifices, time commitment and efforts are not going unnoticed.
• If you are a church leader, pray for your youth minister, come along side of them and let them know you are supporting them, even when you do not understand some of reasoning behind what they are doing to reach teens. 

I am grateful for the men and women who choose to stay in this endeavor. Youth /student pastors remind all of us the church will live beyond us as they reach the next generation for Christ.