We get the day after Easter off as a staff which is nice because I get to spend some time with my family. Right now I’m hanging on the back porch while Matthew and Kate take naps. I know there is some yard work that needs to be done, but I’m also taking advantage of this time to write my book Marathon Youth Ministry. With the recent life changes it’s been hard to find the time to work on it, but I know it’s something that I need to do. Even if this book never gets published or bought, writing a book is a good exercise for me to write down what I do, why I do what I do and how I do what I do. It’s an exercise that’s important for a variety of reasons. It’s helpful to tell someone clearly what it is that you do, especially when it comes to youth ministry. There are a lot of preconceived notions based off of a world of different experiences and perceptions. I know I can’t define the job for other youth workers…it depends on the church, but I can define the job for me, the people who will work with me in youth ministry and the church.
The reason I’m calling it Marathon Youth Ministry, the reason I call this blog Marathon Youth Ministry is not because youth ministry is like running a marathon (although it is), but if you are going to ever run a marathon it’s something you have to map out, plan and train for and the same goes for youth ministry. Anyone who walks into this position thinking it’s pizza and games is just going to find themselves schlepping to get to the finish line. Yeah youth ministry can have games and pizza…in fact they are important, but if you can’t get beyond that, then really what’s the point? But one thing I am interested is in other people’s perceptions of youth ministry. That’s why I invite those of you who read this blog to share with me and other readers one favorite memory of your student ministry (if you had one) and then one thing that shaped your faith as a teenager. And I’ll thank you now.