I am often asked what I consider to be the ‘ideal’ youth minister. It’s a bad question in a way, because we should never have stereotypes, but it gets me thinking about the kind of youth leaders who seem to gather young people and keep them coming back. Young people want to be there with them.
There can be some bad examples of this. For example, the leader who works so hard on his popularity, that his charismatic personality draws people for all the wrong reasons. There are plenty of examples of groups that folded once the dynamic personality evaporated or left. In my travels to churches to do consultancy work, I am often surprised by the type of group that really seems to be cutting it. I think there are some common parameters in the groups I have observed.
What they say matters
Perhaps the most obvious attraction is the group where the leader(s) take seriously their preparation and teaching. What they say seems to matter to them and, although humour might be used, there is a sense in which their teaching is serious. I have heard youth speakers who are great jokers and can entertain, but their message is an afterthought to their entertainment. Some see their presentations as a path to popularity — this comes unstuck when faced with a ‘hard’ teaching. But, if teaching seriously deals with the passage and applies to the life of the young people, they seem to come back for more. I was slightly worried by the young person, who, when I asked him why he went to the group, replied, ‘It’s a good laugh’.
