I asked a bunch of children’s and youth workers to think back to when they first began. For some that was last year; for others it’s 20, 30, even 40 or more years ago. You may think that youthwork has changed a lot in that time but, interestingly, the issues raised were mostly the same.
So this blog series - which will be running this week and next - is taking their answers and using them to help us think through some of the joys and difficulties of children’s and youth ministry, whether you’re just starting out or have been around a while. And if some of these seem obvious to you, maybe you could forward this blog to someone you know who is just starting out.
From Matt:
“I think one thing would be to not expect instant results from the youth and children's work.”
I echo this strongly. We care hugely about the children and young people in our care, so we long to see them respond to the gospel message and grow in their own relationship with God. But we need to remember that they are in God’s hands, and that He loves them far more than we ever will. So we can trust Him to be at work through His word, at the time and in the way He knows is best.
If we look for instant results from “our work” we put needless pressure on ourselves, and forget that the Lord is sovereign. We have a responsibility to teach the Bible as well and faithfully as we can, and to model what it means to know God as our heavenly Father. But changing a child’s heart is His work, not ours - 2 Corinthians 4 v 4-6; Acts 16 v 14.
Alison Mitchell is a senior editor at The Good Book Company, where she has worked on a range of products including Bible-reading notes for children and families, and the Christianity Explored range of resources. She is the best-selling author of The Christmas Promise and the award-winning Jesus and the Lions' Den.
