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So...You're
a
Youth
I
began
my
youth
ministry
experience
more
than
thirty
years
ago
as
a
volunteer.
After
fifteen
years
working
as
a
volunteer
I
became
a
“professional”
youth
worker.
Now
that
I
am
again
volunteering
on
the
local
level,
I
realize
that
I
had
forgotten
the
joys
and
the
disappointments
that
are
unique
to
volunteers
in
your
ministry.
This
may
be
a
good
time
to
refresh
my
mind
and
to
share
with
others
some
of
the
more
important
aspects
of
being
a
volunteer.
Here
they
are:
1.
Building
relationships
is
effective
youth
ministry.
It
is
one
of
the
most
important,
if
not
the
most
important,
thing
that
you
can
do.
2.
Remember
you
are
a
model!
Kids
will
be
looking
at
you.
They
will
be
watching
to
see
if
you
practice
what
you
preach.
If
you
are
married,
a
healthy
marriage
is
one
of
the
most
important
things
that
you
can
model
in
front
of
your
kids.
3.
Availability
is
next
to
godliness.
Godliness
and
a
vital
relationship
with
Christ
is
the
first
and
most
important
criteria
for
being
a
volunteer.
The
next
most
important
is
your
availability.
Kids
know
that
you
love
and
care
for
them
when
they
know
that
you
are
sacrificing
to
spend
time
with
them.
4.
Students
need
affirmation.
In
today’s
world
most
adults
are
too
busy
to
pay
much
attention
to
teenagers.
Teens
need
to
be
noticed.
Notes
of
encouragement
and
phone
calls
make
a
huge
impact
in
a
teenager’s
life.
Don’t
neglect
this
important
part
of
a
volunteer’s
ministry.
5.
It
is
okay
not
to
be
liked
by
everyone.
When
you
were
in
junior
high
or
senior
high,
you
weren’t
liked
by
everyone.
Why
do
you
think
everyone
will
like
you
now?
We
all
have
unique
personalities
and
some
people
will
be
attracted
to
your
type
of
personality
and
some
won’t.
That
is
why
it
is
important
to
have
volunteers
with
different
personalities,
interests
and
gifts.
6.
Be
careful
with
affection.
Kids
need
to
be
touched
and
affirmed,
but
particularly
in
today'’
society,
it
is
extremely
important
to
be
appropriate
with
our
affection.
Take
care
to
insure
that
expressions
of
affection
do
not
get
misrepresented.
7.
Get
to
know
your
students
by
name
and
use
their
name
often.
For
most
kids,
their
name
is
one
of
their
greatest
possessions.
They
like
to
hear
their
names.
Get
to
know
the
names
of
new
students
quickly
and
introduce
them
to
fellow
students
and
leaders.
8.
Consistency
is
beautiful.
Be
consistent
in
your
attendance
and
your
support.
Be
a
person
of
your
word.
If
you
say
that
you
are
going
to
do
something,
do
it.
If
you
are
unable
to
keep
your
promise,
be
quick
to
acknowledge
it
and
if
an
apology
is
needed,
give
it.
9.
Get
below
the
surface.
Most
youth
workers
find
it
easy
to
talk
about
sports,
school
and
friends.
Students
want
and
need
to
be
challenged
in
their
faith.
I
hope
this
short
list
helps
you
understand
that
volunteers
in
your
ministry
are
much
needed.
You
can
never
have
too
many
volunteers.
The
more
the
better!
Remember,
God
has
called
everyone
of
His
children
to
service.
Could
working
with
the
teenagers
of
today
be
one
of
your
callings? Director of Youth Ministry, CE/P
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