Making Service Part of My Youth Ministry

My students and parents have made it clear that they want to serve together.  They’ve been talking about their YouthWorks mission trip to Pine Ridge 2 this summer, and the people they met and the work that they did.  They’ve been asking if we’ll be doing the community-wide sleep-out, which serves as a fundraiser for the local community aid organization.  I’ve been getting emails about serving at Operation Christmas Child packaging center.  When we started Confirmation class last week, I asked the kids what they wanted to do this year – and in a list that included  “have fun,” “learn about Jesus,” and “bowling,” they also added “serve together.”

It has been interesting to see this shift, in my many years of youth ministry, to students who have a desire to serve.  Sure, they may need hours for National Honor Society or Scouts, but more than that, they want to impact the world and do something productive together.  Because of that, the youth ministry program we’re designing this year is going to have a monthly serving component.  We’re calling it “First Sunday Service” and a team comprised of parents, members of the church Mission Team, and I are working to plan something the first Sunday of every month.  These monthly activities may range from making sandwiches for residents at a homeless shelter, putting together health kits or making tie blankets.  I’m hopeful students will come up with ideas and take the lead on some of these projects.

In an effort to build momentum for the summer mission trip, which will be to a large urban YouthWorks site (my students don’t know where we’re going yet), this winter we’ll participate in an Urban Retreat. It is important to me that students understand that the work they do on a summer mission trip is work they can do back home. We’re about 30 minutes outside of an urban area, so we will be serving in a familiar space to help students connect that with the work we’ll be doing together this summer. In 36 hours, we’ll volunteer in four different places, and spend some time learning about the city.  I’m excited for students to serve at some ministries we as a church support, and perhaps see the city differently. It’s my hope to help them understand that these experiences we travel for each summer are also right here in our backyard.

The church has modeled for the students what service looks like: it supports multiple international missions, frequently serves dinner at an urban homeless shelter, and volunteers at the local food shelf. I am excited for the opportunity to partner with these fellow churchgoers and community members who can model for students what it means to be engaged in service into adulthood. And I’m excited to cross generations as we serve alongside each other on occasion. I’ve also reached out to fellow youth ministers in the area, hopeful that we’ll serve together too. By forging these partnerships, it takes some of the responsibility off my plate, but it also develops a network of people willing to be the Church. It sounds ambitious. But you know what? It’s the one thing parents have overwhelmingly been willing to volunteer to help with. And students are asking for it.

Students are busy, and lots of things are demanding of their time. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that it is necessary that I make the youth programming a productive use of their time. I think that’s why they’re willing to serve together. They’re Millenials who want to do good, meaningful things. They are surrounded by a church that models what it means to serve both locally and internationally. They hear stories of young people making a difference in the world. I am excited for the opportunity to engage students and the church by serving together. They are learning what it means to be the hands and feet of Christ, and together they are doing what they can to make the world a little better.

Sami is the Director of Youth Ministry at Messiah United Methodist Church in Plymouth, MN, serving students in grades 6-12.  Fueled by Jesus and Diet Coke, Sami loves hanging with teenagers, talking about faith, and doing life together. She values real talk, a good latte, and off-beat adventuring.