I remember sitting in the auditorium at the 2009 Gospel Coalition
National Conference in Chicago. A session had just finished; we had been
shown the glories of Jesus and how he is the only hope and foundation
for our ministry. My heart was full, and I was glad that God had called
me to minister to students. The two guys who came with me to the
conference digested the content as they considered how to apply it not
only to our own lives, but also to the students we served back home at
church.
In the middle of our conversation another youth pastor came up to us
and jumped into the conversation. I don't know who he was or where he
was from. All I know is that his statements totally caught me off guard.
"This stuff is really good," he said matter-of-factly. "Not much is
applicable for youth ministry though. Glad we don't have to worry about
using all of this with students." I don't think I even responded.
Many of you would agree with me about the absurdity of his comment.
Yet, sadly, this is how thousands of youth ministries across the nation
operate. Jesus is fine for big church, but he won't keep students
engaged. Jesus is okay for my daily devotions, but students need
something more to capture their attention. Jesus is great for those who
want to go deeper, but we need to start with something else to get them
in the door on Wednesday night.
In more than 11 years working with students in many different
capacities in many different settings, I have found the exact opposite
to be true. Ministries that focus on anything but Jesus may fill the
seats on Wednesday night, but they do not prepare students to live in
the real world. That guy at The Gospel Coalition National Conference,
along with countless other youth ministers, failed to build his ministry
on Jesus. Continue at Josh Cousineau
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