relational ministry that counts
Lee Valley Ranch - Black Hills of South Dakota
I met Rachel age 3 and Beth age 4 pushing small chairs in the halls of the education wing of our church. “Hey girls, what are you doing?” I asked. Beth smiled big and said, “We are playing meeting!”
Late night after hearing one of the top Christian speakers in the country for youth I asked my group what they thought. “He was funny,” “He was good,” “I liked him,” were the replies. I agreed, but I doubt any of us made any life changes.
When youth describe Christian leadership they most often name models represented by
microphones or a
committees. Kids see in the church people holding microphones – speaking or singing on platforms, pulpits and stages. Kids see people sitting in committees – elected to boards, appointed to task forces, joining advocacy groups, sittings around tables, talking and planning. These are the models we see, we reward, we applaud, give money to, and train people for. I am not against microphones and committees. We need them, but these models only fit a few people. It seems to me that the microphone and committee leaders exist only to motivate, organize, inspire, and teach so that we can be servant leaders in daily life?
Isn’t ministry about caring for one’s neighbor? Are not the real leaders the least likely person who walks along side, comes close, reaches out, takes risks, crosses boundaries, takes action and does not expect recognition or rewards?
“I don’t think this counts,” says the high school girl who describes hanging out with a friend on Friday night whose parents just split up. This is her response when asked how she was beginning to use her Peer Ministry training. “I don’t think this counts” seems to be the response of most youth who talk daily with friends about relationships, self-worth, misuse and abuse of drugs and alcohol plus a whole host of other concerns. Such caring conversations are seldom recognized as ministry. They are! I believe kids are already doing ministry! It is just that we have failed to name that what they are doing is about God!
It seems to me our first priority in youth ministry ought to be in helping every youth recognize their vital place as ministers. It seems to me that if want kids to value the church, the church must hold up their relational abilities as essential valued life giving response that any and all Christians are called to do. Maybe it is time to stop playing meetings, stop exposing kids to funny speakers, and empower them with the skills of caring and welcoming ministry. It seems to me we need to be sending letters of call to our kids, laying hands on them and blessing them as front line ministers of our churches.
As the National Director of Peer Ministry I am certainly a bit biased, but not without reason. Peer Ministry takes kids number one concerns, their friendship and relationships and gives them the skills, meaning and purpose to recognize them as ministers. Instead of preaching and teaching the Good Samaritan story Peer Ministry puts skills behind it to live it. If microphone and committees are not resulting in kids knowing that they count as essential ministers, than it is time to learn why Peer Ministry is a powerful training to equip kids in ministry.
www.peerministry.org peermin@peerministry.org
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It has been a traveling week or so again. Worked 3 days in Helena, MT --- two days of "Growing Groups," and a morning of preaching. Made a run-walk up on the side of Mount Helena, a gorgeous hike overlooking the valley and the city. I was impressed with this town. Clean, old and new mixed, friendly, seemed well thought through. It is now on my list to go back to.
