The Value of Youth Ministry by Brooke Boersma As a veteran youthworker with a degree in ministry, I know that youth ministry is valuable from a philosophical and even a practical standpoint. In the last few months, I've learned it from a whole new perspective - as a parent. Now that my son Caleb is a "big kid" - in 4th grade and a whole 10 years old, he now gets to go to our church's program on Tuesday nights. It's a great place for him to learn from others, worship, and play. As a youthworker, I know that establishing healthy relationships with safe adults (actually 5-7 adults at least) is a way to insure success in life for him. As a parent, I now know that these relationships can provide something for him that I can't.
Case in point. We are a foster family, but several months ago had yet to have a placement of a child in our home. We received a call on a Tuesday to pick up a brand new baby girl from the hospital the next morning - and we would have the opportunity to adopt her. Caleb's an only child and desperately wants a sibling. We were so excited and ran to the store to get a few new things for her. A few hours later, we got a call that another family was going to take her. It was devastating for us. Caleb was very upset. It was a kids' church night, and he immediately said he didn't want to go. I remembered some advice of my mom's a long time ago, "Sometimes when we're sad, church is the very best place to be." I shared this with him, and later on dropped him off.
And what a blessing. He was able to share his hurts (and I think a few tears) with his children's pastor Tami as well as his small group leader. He got prayed for and hugged and was reminded that God is faithful and has a plan for each one of us. In my own pain, I wasn't able to give this to him right then, and the body of Christ - his youthworkers -were.
We as youthworkers have a high honor. We get to walk alongside students, hopefully partnering with their parents, in raising them up to be men and women who follow hard after God. We get to be there for them when maybe no one else is. We get to love them with the love of Christ. Youth ministry is valuable. You are valuable. Keep up the good work of loving kids well and standing in the gap for parents too!
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