Here we go again. Amidst our bagel breakfast today, in my first class, we talked about the attitude that certain seminary students (and I would say the church in general) have towards the youth ministry program. This is an attitude definitely of misunderstanding. Questions like, “Why are you wasting your time studying youth ministry?” or, “Why don’t you study to be a pastor?” are popping up in the seminary. And it is driving me nuts.

As usual, youth ministry experiences some of this because people don’t understand that we are trying to guide young people to spiritual maturity. They think that we are just around to play games. They think that my classes have no spiritual depth (because they’ve never taken one of them). They believe that the “real ministry” of the church is the pastor. They believe that if you are called by God, then you will be the pastor of a church. They’re wrong.

Considering the global statistics about the population of the world and the needs of young people, we MUST have youth workers in our churches. Mexico has a youth culture like none other, and, frankly, I’m tired of the church ignoring these young people. Our methods must change if we are to reach them. Our thoughts must change. My students get it. The others do not. There must be a church-wide education. The future leaders of the church (i.e. the seminary students) must get it, or there will be no youth ministry in Mexico. If the pastors of the churches don’t send us people to work with young people, we will have no students to train. Why must we stick to our traditions and ignore a generation? I’ll post more later.