Challenging Normal

Students do not need someone they can dress like, or look like. Students do not need another friend or buddy. Students do not need someone they can hang out with, they need someone to show them how to live like Jesus. The problems I see in Youth Ministry today is a long list, but one of those things that we can work on is that Youth Pastors need to step up and grow up.

Connecting with students is less about wearing cool clothes and having a fo-hawk. Connecting with students comes from loving on students. This students do not care what you look like or how you dress, they care about how much you care about them. I believe that dressing like a teenager and trying to be a student's "buddy" is a cheap way of trying to connect with them. It tells me that you will not pay the price to love them and to show them the love of Christ.

Students are looking for someone to be real with them, challenging them, and show them something greater. They are looking for a journey, a cause to take on, and someone to lead them in that adventure. I am not giving you an excuse to not dress nice or look decent. I am not giving you an excuse to be a jerk to students, I am telling you that you are not called to be their friend. You are called to be like Jesus. You are called to look at them in the eye and say, "Follow me as I follow Christ."