4 years ago I first began to sense the Lord calling me to ministry. At the time I thought I wanted to go into youth ministry. I loved youth ministry. I loved the games, the worship, the messages. I loved going on missions trips and seeing teens grow closer to Jesus. Yet, at the time, I was a youth. In other words, I just loved youth group.
The summer after my freshman year in college I did an internship with LeaderTreks where I helped lead missions trips in Chicago. My role was to pour into the students by teaching them about leadership, challenging them, and ultimately helping them grow in their walk with the Lord. That summer was amazing. I learned a lot, grew a ton, saw so much growth in students. Yet, there was something in me that felt that youth ministry was not the place for me. I still loved it, I just felt too close in age to the students. I thought This summer was great, but youth ministry isn’t what I was made to do.
Over the next few years, I felt more and more called to cross-cultural missions. This call took me to Ethiopia twice and led me to The World Race. Throughout those years, the Lord walked me through a journey of handing everything over to Him. My plans, my dreams, my expectations. Briefly after that journey the Lord led me to a door that I genuinely never thought I would ever walk through. Youth ministry. Long story short, everything came full circle and I accepted a role as trip leader for LeaderTreks in Myrtle Beach for the summer.
Katie Davis wrote in her book Kisses From Katie:
“I have learned that something happens when one makes herself available to God: He starts moving in ways no one could imagine.”
The last few weeks I have lived this out. A year ago, I would have never imagined myself back doing youth ministry. As much as I love it and see the value in it, I saw my call for cross-cultural missions. But as I came to a place of saying Okay God, where to next? He has moved in ways that have blown my mind.
Just yesterday, we said goodbye to our first team in Myrtle Beach. As Laura and I walked back inside our team house after waving them off, there was a part of me that broke. All week long we saw the students stepping outside their comfort zone. They leaned into the program we led. They eagerly stepped up as leaders. They wanted to grow closer to God. And in the end, we saw them grow. Not only in their leadership but in their walk with God. Towards the end of the week many of them shared how they wanted to apply what they learned here in MB back home. This of course brought great joy to my heart. But it also broke me. While I get to spend five days with these kids, after that I have no clue what happens. I know how easy it is to fall back into the routine of life where being a Christian is simply about going to church and reading my Bible.
There was one particular student this week that I got to know. Even though she was one of the younger ones, she led with confidence. She spoke up and shared truth during team time. She showed compassion to her team and those we were serving. It was evident that she loved Jesus and wanted to share His love with others. She wanted to continually be growing in her walk with Lord. She was a champion. As I watched her team drive away yesterday I said a prayer that God would continue to be faithful in her life and she would continue to serve Him with everything. But I may never get to see what happens.
Our trip book study this year is over John the Baptist and living a radical life for Jesus. Being world changers for Christ. I believe that every single student that comes to MB has potential to be a world changer. We challenge students. We teach them about leadership. We push them out of their comfort zone. We speak life and truth into them. And then we say goodbye, praying that the Lord continues to work in and through them now.
This is why I do what I do. It’s not easy. But if for five days the Lord uses me to plant a seed in their hearts or help them step closer into living the life they were made for, it’s all worth it. These students aren’t the future Kingdom leaders, they are Kingdom leaders now.
I never thought I would be back in youth ministry. I didn’t think it was what I was made to do.
But in the words of Katie Davis:
“I was walking through life one moment at a time, blown away by what God could do through me if I simply said yes.”
