My students and I had just finished an intense weekend of ministry, serving our church in various capacities during Passion Week. We had reached the culmination of it all when I watched an adult approach me with a sarcastic look on her face and tone in her voice. With every ounce of grace I could muster, I listened as she said a phrase I’ve been dreaming of for about for five years: “You better be careful; you’re going to work yourself out of a job.”

I could tell my reply wasn’t what they expected when I said, “YES! Thank you! That’s my intent!” She laughed, looked at me confused, and politely said “great…job…this morning…” and walked away. In the midst of packing up from that morning’s service which was completely student led, I didn’t have time to explain my philosophy of ministry. However, looking back, I realize my overjoyed “YES! Thank you! That’s my intent!” probably needed a little explaining to someone not in the trenches of student ministry regularly.

I have a strong conviction that this particular generation of students will change the world, but how are they going to know to do that as adults if we aren’t giving them the opportunities as teenagers? How will students know what their gifts are and how to properly use them for the kingdom of God if they aren’t implemented early and often?

I was raised in a family that loved sports. Watching, playing and talking sports was as commonplace as any normal daily activity in my house. It’s a typical part of my day to think of sports, watch a student’s sporting event or talk sports with a junior high boy who is baffled that I even know the difference between a basketball and a baseball. I believe our philosophy of ministry to our students should look a little like sports, as well.

We aren’t called to be players on the team; we’re called to be coaches. The coach of a football team releases the potential, dreams, as well as helps put players in the right positions; but it’s the quarterback who runs the plays. Our job is to equip students for the work of service as the job of the football coach is to equip the quarterback with plays he himself cannot run on the field. Only the player calls the plays. Could you imagine if a basketball coach taught his players to shoot freethrows by making them watch him? Sure, there may be a one- or two-minute instruction period, but what if every player sat on the sidelines watching his coach shoot freethrow after freethrow? They never would have good freethrows themselves. Friends, I want to challenge us. Why is youth ministry any different?

In talking about spiritual gifts, Ephesians 4:12 tells says, “to prepare God’s people for works of service, so the body of Christ may be built up.” Biblical research shows us probably 11 of the 12 disciples were under the age of 20. Jesus believed they could have a powerful and effective ministry. Why don’t we? Most youth ministries look the same with the youth pastor as the one who runs the show. What are we doing that our students are capable of doing? Speaking? Leading worship? Planning trips, events and small groups? It is our job to help discover, develop and deploy God’s mission in our students’ lives. Why aren’t we starting now? I’m convinced our ministries shouldn’t be ministry to youth, but walking alongside of students as they do ministry. If we want to see the world as a better place than it is now, we as youth workers have to be the ones who raise the expectations we have for young people. They can do everything we train them to do. It is our job to fertilize a young person’s passion. When are we going to let them run the plays? Let’s start inviting our students to be a part of something that’s bigger than us.

The one thing we cannot forget is that this model of ministry will not happen over night. For five years, I had been dreaming about an all student-led worship team, praying for God to raise up worshippers; within the past year and a half, it has happened. For years, I’ve been dreaming and praying about students sharing their hearts and testimony in service to each other; the past few years, it’s happened. For years, I’ve been dreaming and praying about students leading our adults in Sunday morning worship; in this year, it’s happening. A few years into my planning and dreaming and praying, I realized how important it is to invite students to be a part of something, to disrupt their lives in a way that we can see the glory of Jesus magnified daily in and through them. I have students who lead worship, give talks, teach Sunday School classes, lead small groups, serve at the soup kitchen, go on mission trips, plan services, lead their friends to Jesus, lead our adults in various capacities in morning worship. I also have plenty of students who don’t. I continually am reminded to trust in God’s timing and continue to pursue potential in my students. I’m reminded that relationships trump everything else; and the more time I spend with students, coaching, walking through life with, the deeper I know them and am able to discover the gifts they have—gifts they have that I can help deepen and deploy as a result of my calling.

I’m just the coach, they call the plays. So working ourselves out of our jobs is the best thing we can do.

• What are you doing in your ministry that students are completely able to do?
• What one student are you going to pour into this week to help discover the gifts God has blessed them with?
• Are you moving in the direction of a more student-led ministry? Not a ministry to students, but a ministry you let students do?