I'm often asked by potential youth leaders what the expectations are for an adult volunteer in our youth ministry. My short answer? Love Jesus, and love teenagers. There's also a conversation about gifts, calling, and passion. But my point is that you don't have to feel like you have any special talent, that you need to listen to a particular kind of music, or that you have to be a fan of Glee. You just need to love God and love teenagers.
Of course, loving someone requires action.
Just like true faith in God will result in action (see James 2:14-26), to really love teenagers requires action. It requires time. And a little discomfort. And the belief that even when it doesn't seem like it, every minute you invest in a teenager's life is well worth it. A wise youth pastor once wrote me a note when I was a young college student discerning whether God was calling me to youth work: "Remember the first three rules of youth ministry: 1) Hang out with the kids; 2) Hang out with the kids; 3) Hang out with the kids. God will take care of the rest." He was right on.
Oh, and "love" doesn't always equal "like." Yes, it does help if a leader actually likes teenagers. However, there will be times when teenagers are hard to love. But the same is true for us, too. Sometimes adults forget that. They see some teenagers being rude, disrespectful, and downright mean, and it ticks them off. But we forget that we do the very same things. We're just better at hiding it.
So, are you wondering if you have what it takes to be a youth leader? Or maybe you're discouraged because you aren't sure you're doing things right. Here's a tip: just focus on the basics of loving God and loving teenagers, and you'll be pretty close to being on the right track. The rest is just details.
