IV. The Ecclesiastical Call

Finally, in an affirmation of the secret call (internal) and recognition of the providential call (circumstantial), the ecclesiastical call is a confirmation by the Christian community that the call to pastoral ministry is genuine and recognized by the church. An extremely important phase of the call, this is by no means a rubber stamp. The ecclesiastical call is a solemn responsibility for the church, and a critical affirmation for the called person.

Is ordination a necessity for someone who wants to pursue youth ministry? Definitely not. There are many very effective youth pastors, highly respected by their congregations, who lack any ordination credentials.

On the other hand, might ordination be a worthwhile pursuit? Definitely.

First of all, if this is God's call upon one's life, the greatest joy will always be in obedience. Whatever God leads us to do is a worthwhile pursuit.

There's great encouragement in knowing one is set apart for the work and supported in the work by a local church community.

There's the added credibility within the congregation that follows the church's public recognition of gifts and calling for ministry, credibility that can be very helpful (and is all too often lacking) for a youth minister.

There are the added privileges of administering the sacraments and officiating at weddings and funerals. Which probably doesn't sound like big fun. But, in fact, for many in pastoral ministry, officiating and sharing in these significant lifetime landmarks is one of the highest privileges of ordained ministry. To be present in these intensely vivid and defining moments is to find oneself on stage and playing a pivotal role in real-life human dramas.

Promotion to Low Rank

Folks we now refer to in the church as "ministers" are, in the New Testament, called diakonoi. Derived from the Greek word for service (1 Cor. 12:4-30), it was Paul's favorite title for Christian leaders. Significantly, it's the same word that's the root for butler and waiter. Will Willimon observes how odd it is that the church should designate its leaders by so mundane and lowly a term. In thinking through the question of calling, it's a fact we would do well to consider. If you're interested in going deeper, I explore the call to youth ministry further in my new book This Way to Youth Ministry (Youth Specialties).

Those 5,000 men who sought to volunteer for the fateful voyage of The Endurance had no idea where the journey might lead, but they had both a heart to serve and a heart for adventure. In considering a calling to youth ministry, surely we need no less.