Simple...

Youth ministry is not complicated. It’s not rocket science. However, I believe in a way we have complicated it. Let me explain. While on one hand it is good for people to write books and think through the philosophy of youth ministry. (I enjoy reading these books, and this year I’m reading them all the way through!) But on the other hand, writing books and spending time thinking about the how’s of youth ministry can get us away from actually doing youth ministry and spending time in relational ministry with teenagers and adults.

Let me share a story to illustrate. On Saturday night I went to a dinner at the church where I was youth pastor for seven years. It was a great seven years, and during that time I was able to see many teens encounter the love of Jesus. Well, on Saturday night they had a dinner to honor the graduating seniors and the adults who had an impact in the lives of these graduates. Many people were there, and it was fun to recall the memories we had with this class as they journeyed through their teenage years, and together we laughed and cried as people shared stories about these teenagers. It was a great night.

But one story stood out above the rest. It was the story of the Sunday School teacher these students had. His name is Manuel Campins, and he was their Sunday School teacher from 7th grade through 12th grade. Every week, for 45 minutes, year after year, Manuel shared his life with these teenagers. I remember years ago Manuel asking me if I still needed a teacher for the 7th grade class, and every year after that I can remember Manuel asking if he could teach this class again. Over time, this class developed a real bond with their teacher, and through their teacher they experienced the deep love of Jesus. This was evident on Saturday night as teenager after teenager shared about their wonderful Sunday School teacher. They shared about times spent laughing hysterically, and times spent in deep discussion. But most of all, they shared about the impact that Manuel had in their lives.

To me, that is what youth ministry is all about. It’s not complicated. To me, Manuel Campins is a youth ministry legend. He probably will never write a youth ministry book, or speak at a youth ministry conference, but he will have an impact that reaches into eternity, all because he was willing to give an hour or so a week, investing in the lives of teenagers. And because of that – lives have been changed forever. His included. Because these kids had just as much of an impact on his life as he had on theirs.

So, while it can be good to write books and think about how to do youth ministry, may we never let that take us away from the simple act of “doing” ministry and investing in the lives of teenagers.