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I Want to be a Church Youth Leader


 
You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others. ~ 2 Timothy 2:2

I'm certainly not the first who has used this verse from Paul's second letter to Timmy as a personal purpose statement for ministry. 

But it is a verse that I use. 

It reminds me of many things:

  • Whether I realize it or not, I am teaching things. I should make sure it's the message I want to get across. I need to always double down and ensure it's the message of Jesus.
  • I am to be surrounded by others who will back me up on the truth. They do not merely cheer lead whatever feel-good message is out there. They are to confirm the truth.
  • This teaching is supposed to be passed on. These people will (hopefully) be trustworthy. Otherwise, the teaching will be in vain. 
  • The people I pass it on to will, in turn, pass it along to others. 
If you picture this, it's like the age-old pyramid scheme where you buy hundreds of dollars of worthless stuff, all while overestimating your ability to sell this same stuff to other suckers, uhh...friends. Except this is not worthless stuff. It's the Greatest. News. Ever. Oh, and God came up with the pyramid. 
I'm mentioning all of this today for two reasons. 
First, I'm reminded how little this process is about me. Yes, I am a teacher. But the system is in place to keep even the teachers in check. When we consider that teachers plant seeds, others water those seeds and that it is God who actually provides the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6), it shows just how insignificant I am. 
Secondly, I'm very thankful for the 'reliable witnesses' that surround me. I call them youth leaders. In my local ministry we just celebrated a college student who had been helping lead. She was taught by her parents and youth leaders. More recently, she learned from college profs and the...uh....experiences in our youth ministry. 
She leaves now to teach in her own youth ministry. I can only hope there will be reliable witnesses to confirm her teaching and trustworthy people who will be able to pass it on to others. 
It's the goal. It's the calling. And it is still the Greatest. News. Ever. 
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