A Reminder to Be Yourself

Aren’t you a little old to be a youth pastor? Why aren’t you higher energy? You’re not the typical youth pastor, are you? Why don’t you play more games and more events? Shouldn’t you dress like students and know everything about culture?

If you’re like me, you’ve heard some of these questions at some point in your career. Maybe not the first question, especially if you’re just starting in youth ministry, but I’d be willing to bet we have all heard some version of these kinds of questions.

Truth be told, I struggled with my identity as a student pastor for many years. I went to all the conferences, followed all the trending youth workers and influencers, read all the articles, and began to craft our student ministry to look like the ones we saw online.

The reality of ministry in the age of media and technology is that we are consistently presented with a “picture” or “image” of what our ministries and—by extension, we—should look like.

And yes, there is a prototypical look for student ministries and student workers. I mean stop and think about this for a moment. If you were asked to describe what a “typical” youth ministry should look like, what would you say? What would you compare it to? What about you? Who would you compare yourself to or style your ministry and appearance after?

I think for many of us, we default to the popular, large, and financially capable ministries. Now hear me on this: I’m not saying that how those ministries and youth workers do ministry is wrong or broken or not beneficial. But that isn’t meant to be the standard or our standard. In fact, we need to embrace ourselves, our strengths, our context, and our students.

Too often we try to emulate or reflect what it seems like everyone else is doing. But the reality is this: our students don’t need a reflection, a copy, or what everyone else is doing or being. They need you!

They need you in their context, in their communities, and in their present reality. They don’t need someone else. They don’t need the next big thing. They don’t need the lights, the haze, the glitz and glam. We cannot compete or replicate all the bells and whistles of culture, nor should we try to. Our students need an authentic, transparent, and relational youth pastor who loves them where they are and is directing them to a radical, life-altering, world-changing relationship with Jesus.

When we understand that truth, we realize that each and every one of us has been uniquely chosen and gifted by God to reach those students in their contexts. We all have strengths and weaknesses, but God has planted us where we need to be right now.

Who you are is just as God designed you to be so you can lovingly shepherd and disciple students in their faith journey. Whether you’re an introvert or extrovert, someone who is artistic or someone who is a gamer, whether you love sports or would rather read a book, whether your style is on point or you simply grab what’s clean. God has intentionally placed you where are to be the best student worker possible and He has uniquely gifted you to that end.

So embrace who you are! Live out your gifting! Love students and point them to Jesus! Never try to be something you are not. Never cave to the pressures or presuppositions of culture. Don’t try to reflect, seek to be authentic.

By doing this, you will see your students not only grow closer to you but you will see them grab onto a Savior that loves them as much as He loves you and accepts them as they are.