How to be a Youth Minister: By Ron Swanson

How to be a Youth MinisterWritten by Ron Swanson
  
This is me.
 
Youth Ministry can be hard. There’s mission trips, weekly meetings, blogs, relationships to maintain, parents to appease, fringe students to reach, fundraising, leadership teams, teenage drama. Sometimes it seems never ending, but I’m here to help. If you do not know me, good. I've spent years ducking the government, living off the land, and avoiding any records of my whereabouts. My name is Ron Swanson, fearless leader of the Pawnee Parks and Recreation department. I’m known for my woodworking ability, leadership skills, and no-nonsense attitude. I am also a wonderful youth minister – and you can be too. Just follow these simple steps and don’t be dumb.
 

 
1.       You can only give what you have.
You cannot give those whom you mentor more than you have. When the government asks me for taxes, I cannot give them more than I earn (not that I should be giving them ANYTHING – but that’s my next blog post). If you are not overflowing with God’s love, you cannot hope to give your kids as much as you should. You are still a human and humans need a few things – water, food, rest, and a quiet place.
 

 
2.       Be friends with people.
As much as I hate to admit this, it is important to be friends with the people you mentor. That means be interested in the same things they are interested in. Personally, I’m interested in a good scotch, women named Tammy, making things out of wood, Bridge Over the River Kwai, and actively avoiding conversations. If that’s what your youth are interested in, wonderful. Sometimes they’re into things like Justin Meibel or 2 Direction. Apart from a sure sign that our generation will be the last great one, that’s okay. Maybe you should purchase an album and get to know these “artists”. Sometimes great sacrifices must be made. You will be remembered.

 
3.      Do a Few Things Well
Excuse my language, but this one is important. As youth ministers we can get caught up in the smaller things, forgetting the big things. Big thing: allow our youth to have a close & personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Our whole job focuses around guiding our students to Christ. The other things are small things. Do one thing well rather than trying hard to do two things. A student will find Christ with one well planned event rather than suffering through two poorly planned events. Do not make your youth group like the government - inefficient, useless, and as pointless as a cat. Be selective and don’t bite off more than you can chew.

4.      Let Your Kids Fail
Do not baby your youth, they need to fail occasionally. Why? We learn through failure more than we learn from success. Do not let them jump off buildings or get away with bad things at youth group, there is a difference between growth and being a punk. Recently I had a group of youth present at a youth night. The night was rousingly mediocre, but they have potential and they learned many more lessons through that night than they would have had if I held their hand and did everything for them. This one okay night will lead to many more great nights, and for that I am proud. Also, teach your kids to fish for goodness sakes. And hunt.
 
Here is a pyramid I made for greatness at anything you do in life:
 

Disclaimer: Ron Swanson is a fictional character from the fictional show Parks and Rec played by Nick Offerman. Despite repeated offers(mans), Ron did not actually write this piece. The advice, however straightforward, is still important to remember as ministers.