Last week, I had the privilege of traveling with our Youth Minister (“The Chad”) and our students to the New Life Northwest camp in Washougal, WA. We had a wonderful week of renewing and recharging and just spending time with one another. It did this former youth leader’s heart good to hang out with young people, share deep conversations, and just have some plain old-fashioned fun.

 

My experience reminded me of how much I love young people and why my memories of youth ministry are some of the fondest ones I have. Perhaps I should have been offended that the students were disappointed to discover that I would be driving the church van back to Spokane so that Chad could drive the truck and trailer. But I wasn’t. I was actually quite pleased that they so prefer him to me. He’s their leader, he loves them, and they know it. (I really love them, too, but I’m just not Chad, and that’s okay.)

 

A number of years back, I was the leader and Chad was one of my students. It’s indescribably cool to see him now in the role that I once held. His parents deserve all of the credit for raising him right, but I’m honored to call him a “son in the faith.” And partnering with a great friend in ministry is just about as good as it gets. That’s why it doesn’t bother me that the kids like him so much better than me. They should. He’s their guy. The baton has been passed and as much as I loved youth ministry, and hard as I worked to reach our young people, I believe Chad will do a better job than I did. Reminiscent of Esther 4:14, he has come to this place for such a time as this, and some young people will be thanking him for eternity.

 

Troy Burns