“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”

Perhaps the most famous opening line Charles Dickens ever penned in A Tale of Two Cities speaks to a truth which could have come out of a book geared toward youth ministry. Any one moment, any one experience, can have us praising God for the work He is doing and at the same time leave us wondering whether or not we are called to youth ministry. It is like the agony of seeing a student take a step forward in his or her walk with the Lord, only to take two steps backwards. We are left wondering what happened.

This experience happened to me while I was working in the public high-school system in which my church was based. I applied for the job because I wanted to experience the environment in which the youth I was serving spent the majority of their adolescent life during the week. Also, the job was working with the students for a maximum of four hours a week; hence, it would not be a huge burden on my schedule. The experience has been invaluable, but at the same time it had its moments of total frustration.

Once upon a day...

I was approached by one of my youth with an unusual request during our regular Sunday night youth group. She wanted to know which days I worked at school because her boyfriend needed to talk with someone about some issues going on in his life. Apparently she had suggested he talk with me. Sam (not his real name) and I arranged to meet through Sarah, my youth, after school one day when I was done working in the classroom.

The conversation began awkwardly as Sam thought Sarah told me about the issues he was facing. As Sam opened up and we delved deeper, he mentioned he was struggling with the concepts of God in which he had been immersed. These concepts of God did not fit well with his experiences of God in his life. We finished talking, and Sam left for football practice. I sat on the bench watching him leave. I was frustrated because I wanted to close in prayer but had decided not to because we were on school grounds.

The Value of Prayer

A foundational principle for how I approach youth ministry is that no two situations are ever exactly alike. Each student is unique, meaning no matter what the situation I never assume I know precisely how to handle it. Following this premise I have always tried my best to create guidelines so I never walk into a situation unprepared.

One of those guidelines is always to spend time in prayer. Whether I open with it, close with it, let youth lead, or whatever, I always make sure to pray because prayer is one of the most basic and essential gifts we can offer our youth. Paul told the Thessalonians we should pray “without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17, NRSV). Prayer sets us apart from the counselors, teachers, social workers and other professionals who work with youth on a regular basis. Prayer affirms the belief God is continually at work in this world. God is not just a character in a storybook. This is what I believe, yet I let Sam walk off without even suggesting we pray.