Why Student Ministry?

A question often posed to me by others is "Why Student Ministry? Why not be a Pastor?" To answer that question fairly, there have been times in my life (even recently) where the thought has crept into my mind "Hey, I can Pastor a church!" Truth is, God hasn't called me to do so, and to take that position would ultimately lead to failure. I would be "sinning against my calling" as Gene Edward Veith states in his book "God at Work." So, the question now comes back up, "Well then, why STUDENT ministry?" Here's why:

1. I am absolutely passionate about seeing students of all ages grasp and comprehend the beauty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Nothing excites me more to watch the face of a student when they have that "Ah ha!" moment in their life. That moment when the Gospel begins to make sense to them and become authentic and real in their lives.

2. Students matter to me. I remember what it was like to be in that same position battling through the same battles they go through on a daily basis. I'm not speaking of "should I date her or him, should I smoke or not smoke..." I am speaking of the daily struggle to find their Identity in Christ. Understanding that they are saved by "Grace" and not by a checklist of Cultural Christianity.

3. Leadership. Our students have the ability RIGHT NOW to make an impact on the Kingdom of God worldwide and in their own communities. They are LEADERS. They are not future leaders, they are leaders in the here and now.

4. Helping them understand their Vocation in Life: I love hearing students say "I want to go to college and get my degree so I can work with underprivileged children in my community," or "I want to spend my life serving God overseas in missions," or "I want to design video games that would bring Glory to God." (All of these have been said of students I work with.) Boo ya!

5. Challenge. Yes, Student Ministry is a CHALLENGE. It's no cake walk. Don't enter the ministry if you are not ready to be challenged and stretched by God. I want to grow a generation of students for the Kingdom that are not an "inch deep and a mile wide." It's a challenge teaching students week in and week out in a way that is DEEP and RELEVANT. To quote Dr. J.D. Greear of the Summit Church, "There is no dichotomy between absolute exposition and complete relevance. If you're not going to go deep, you're not going to be relevant." Our students deserve the entire Word of God, not the fluff, and that is a challenge.

I want God to raise up the next great bankers, the next great teachers, the next great pastors, the next great missionaries, the next great whatever from the students I work with. This is why I say "Student Ministry." Students matter to me, but more importantly, they matter to God.