Handing off the ministry

Group, Jul/Aug 1998 by Schultz, Thom

Successful youth workers involve kids in decision making at every possible opportunity.

This is my last column for "Youth Ministry Minute." For more than 13 years, I've enjoyed the privilege of communicating with you in every issue. Now it's time to hand off this forum to other capable hands.

In preparation for this day, I went to the GROUP Magazine archives and reread my very first "Youth Ministry Minute" in the January 1985 issue. Surprisingly, my topic in that issue is quite relevant today. I wrote about the importance of handing off ministry responsibilities to your young people.

Some excerpts:

"Sharing the privilege and responsibility of decision making is paramount in effective youth ministry. Successful youth workers involve kids in decision making at every possible opportunity.

"But too often I've heard youth workers say: 'I let the kids take on that project themselves; I gave them lots of responsibility. And they just blew it. They don't care about anything. They have absolutely no commitment!'

"This kind of negative detachment often leads to youth workers deciding that things would be simpler and faster if they'd just do everything themselves. That's true. Things would be easier. But not better.

"Sharing our power with young people is rarely easy. It requires skill and tact. It's a risky undertaking when we allow young people opportunities to make decisions, to succeed, to fail. We're challenged to make that happen while still gently exercising our expertise as youth ministry professionals and volunteers. It's a delicate balance."

PEER MINISTRY

The concept of handing off youth ministry responsibility is even more important today than it was back in 1985. Today's young people need to be deeply involved in a church's youth ministry. That involvement leads to their own growth-and to the growth of other young people they touch.

The current trend of youth-led cell groups is evidence of the effectiveness of handing off real youth ministry responsibility to young people.

People often say, "The person in any class or group who learns the most is the teacher." We know this to be true because of the thought, preparation, and level of involvement required of the teacher. Well, if teachers learn the most, why not make more teachers? Delegating teaching and leading responsibilities to young people helps them learn and grow more. And youth-led studies and activities powerfully attract other kids. Peerto-peer ministries make an impact that all-adult-led approaches simply cannot match.

TRAINING THE TRAINERS

So what's your role in all of this? Increasingly, the effective youth worker's job is to equip others for ministry. Jesus did this. He spent most of his time training and equipping his disciples for effective ministry.

Even though you may receive great satisfaction from direct-to-kid ministry contact, it may not be the best use of the majority of your time. You'll multiply your ministry by training others-young people and other adults-to carry out the work. As you move into being a trainer and discipler, you'll discover a new joy in watching others grow as providers of ministry.

As I prepare to hand off this column, I must say I've experienced a real joy watching the new keeper of this writing privilege grow and shine. Starting with the next issue, your new "Youth Ministry Minute" writer will be Rick Lawrence, the editor of this magazine.

Rick has written for and edited the pages of GROUP Magazine for more than 10 years now. He has a deep heart for youth ministry-and especially for you the youth worker. I look forward with great anticipation to the wise counsel he'll now provide in "Youth Ministry Minute." Rick penetrates the veneers of issues with insights that often never occur to many of us.

The new "Youth Ministry Minute" will be something to anticipate along with a powerful, all-new package of information and inspiration starting in your next issue of Group. G