Youth Workers: Get Your Hands Dirty

I’m not a huge fan of camping. If I had my way I would “camp” in luxury in a semi-truck recreational vehicle, with a 65” plasma screen and ESPN running nonstop. Actually, on second thought, if I had my way I wouldn’t go camping at all. I would just stay at Embassy Suites, with my feet up, enjoying the air conditioning on full-blast. Camping, especially tent camping, just isn’t my thing!

I don’t like to be dirty, or grimy or go without a shower for a week. I just don’t understand the appeal. I’d much rather be in a full-service hotel with room service at my beckoned call. I want to stay on the surface and not be in the muck of it all.

You’ve got to get your hands dirty.

Real, relational youth ministry is like camping that way. It’s deeper than what’s on the surface. Real relational youth ministry is bound to get you stuck in muck.

True discipleship means having real relationships. The type of relationships that address “real-world” problems and are willing to camp there for a while. True discipleship pushes past the surface and leads students to challenging places, where leaders have to say difficult things.

It is easier to never get your hands dirty. But you won’t be effective. Effective ministry isn't easy; it also isn’t clean or luxurious. The easy way is to simple push play on a video at youth group and call it good. Or just circle everyone up and do a Bible study that never touches real life issues.

If all we’re doing is gathering together for pizza and dodgeball with a little bit of Jesus thrown in for good measure, then all we have created is a nice recreational vehicle for youth. What we really need to do is go camping in the real world. A world where you, and I, have to get our hands dirty.

If you want to take me camping, I’m going to say “thank you” then politely decline. But one thing I will join you on is getting my hands dirty doing youth ministry. Blessings as you do that this week!

Get your hands dirty with the new Journey: Disciples curriculum I developed with Awana YM for your high school students.