12
Jan

What I Learned from 17 Year Old Guys

 

Today I hung out with four seventeen year old guys and learned some cool things that I believe can help us as youth pastors…

#1: They’re NOT perfect. Hormones are raging, immaturity is high, and families are not super healthy. This can lead to some mistakes and that’s OK! Give students grace as they grow.  Never be quick to write anyone off and NEVER hold them to your standards. You are the leader and the example. Let them follow and understand they will not follow perfectly. The greatest key to their spiritual growth and to serving for the long haul is knowing they have someone to run to when they fail. And that’s YOU!

#2: No one is too COOL to have FUN. We talked for at least forty minutes about Sky Zone, dodge ball, and laughing about injuries they have had. I love that guys are so easily entertained talking about broken bones, shoulders popping out of socket, concussions, and pain in general! They asked for a guys night where we could play dodge ball, eat pizza, and have fun.  These guys are NOT the Screech type students. They are much more like AC Slater! Y’all remember them?

#3: They want relationship! As I said in my last blog, youth ministry is all about relationships. I invited one guy to hang out and he brought three others. Not because he invited them but because when they heard he was hanging with me they asked to come. Now, I am not that cool! They just want relationship that bad! Give your students time, respect, and attention. They will open up and draw close.

 

jsc