Last week I completed my fourteenth year as a leader in student ministry. Fourteen is not a number we often celebrate in our culture, but in the world of students it means a lot. Over the last fourteen years I have watched a class of students come in as squirrely 6th graders and leave as somewhat less squarely seniors, and then repeated the process. As I’ve pondered what I’ve learned over the last fourteen years, a lot of fun lessons come to mind…
Farting contests are a way of life for 6th grade boys small groups, and sometimes 6th grade girls groups, too.
Watching Rocky IV with your 9th grade group will inevitably lead to a fist fight in your living room.
Man cannot live on bread alone, but pizza maybe.
At some point your group is going to be physically stronger than you, and they will throw you in the snow and pay you back for anything you have ever done to them leading up to that point.
Everything Matters
Fortunately, I have also learned some meaningful lessons. Above all else I’ve learned that everything you do as a Small Group Leader matters.
Every kind, encouraging word….matters.
Every hour spent building a relationship with a student, earning the right to speak truth…matters.
Every crisis walked through with a student…matters.
Every game, concert, match, meet, or ceremony attended…matters.
Every conversation with a parent…matters.
Every hard truth spoken in love…matters.
Every sacrifice made…matters.
Nothing Matters…unless
While no effort we make on behalf of a student is wasted, I’ve also learned over and over again that our efforts don’t truly matter unless the love, grace, peace and truth of Christ is flowing through us. I know this, and yet I regularly forget that without Him my efforts are in vain. I am grateful that in these moments He is faithful and good despite me. I am also grateful that He continues to use me despite my shortcomings and failures.
As I think about the next fourteen years I hope to have a lot of fun. I hope that my efforts make a difference. But, more than anything my prayer is that more and more I will do “what matters” through “Him who truly matters”. My hope for you is the same.
As you think through your ministry with students, does this resonate with you? If so, how do you regularly remind yourself of this?
Jon Grunden
Latest posts by Jon Grunden (see all)
- Does it Matter or Not? - July 16, 2014
- Will February Ever End? - February 12, 2014
- Hold On - January 22, 2014
I have about the same amount of time in as you do, and I definitely resonate with what you have said. Although, I do spend the majority of time with female students, so my experiences have a little less in common with the farting and fist fights 😉
Yes Yes and Yes! 🙂 It matters and thank you for mattering. Congratulations on 14th year. The longer you remain in youth ministry the longer of an oddity you’ll become. AND THATS A GOOD THING MY FRIEND. I’ve Youth Pastored for 24 years and there was a point at which churches began to see me as too old and irrelevant. Praise God for telling me to “stay the course.” It slowly but surely began to dawn on me that students want WISDOM AND LOVE, not just someone who is 7 or 8 years older than them. At Youth Ministry conferences and meetings I stick out like a sore thumb as a fifty year old youth pastor. Nothing whatsoever against young leaders ( I was once young and there’s days I wish I were young again). Anyhoo, Young or Old or In Between: Stay the course and give your flock 2 things: ABSOLUTE LOVE AND ABSOLUTE DISCIPLINE. God BLess ALL yth leaders young or old, male or female, We’re on the same team 🙂