What does it take to make it as a youth minister?

For the last few months in the DOOR’s Youth View, youth workers employed by churches have given snapshots of their work in answer to the question, ‘What exactly do you do all day?’

Church-based youth workers are advocates for young people and an encouragement to volunteers and churches to engage with them. But what about their qualifications?

One afternoon at the Soul Survivor Festival a few years ago I was with a group of young people who were chilling out and looking at leaflets  about various Christian ministries. There was an advert for a college training Christian Youth Workers and I was asked if I’d done this course. One of the young people, Mark, was incredulous, saying: ‘College! … You don’t need to know anything to be a youth worker!’

I was amused by this view of what youth work entailed – completely at odds with the reality that I knew.

At one level he was right; all you need is the ability to like young people and some skills in enabling opportunity, exploration and questions. At another level, though, he’d missed how much youth workers can bring to the role.

In the Oxford Diocese we have a Licence for Youth Ministers (LYMS), but it’s tough to get. Simon, Rob, Lizzie and Rob, licensed in October, deserve every credit for their achievement.

The requirements of the training are many: Show understanding and competency against all the elements that make up the work standards for youth work; and demonstrate understanding and application in work with the church; theological reflection; applying faith; Biblical knowledge; and a good grasp of missiology.

Students must also demonstrate the ability to preach and enable worship and, on top of all this, be committed to ongoing development and learning.

It seems like a lot but I’m thrilled that through this we have youth ministers who are equipped to have a prophetic voice about how culture is changing and how the church can best work among young people. It’s also great to see recognition for those who minister to those on the edge or outside of, our churches.

You don’t need to know much to bless young people. But I’m so proud that we also have ministers who, in their calling, have had the opportunity and gone the extra mile in serving the church and young people.