"Working" in Youth Ministry or "Living" Youth Ministry?

In this world work is a daily routine. Get up, brush teen, get dressed, go to work, do the work, and come home. Except, for a youth worker, work doesn’t work that way. Sometimes that sounds good. Sometimes I want a regular 9 to 5 shift and sometimes I would rather talk to my dog than talk on my cell phone.

So why do I come to work every day?

Sheena came to Teen Haven Camp on August 4th confessing to believe in the devil because all she’s been exposed to was evil, but not in God. She’d been physically, mentally and sexually abused. Though, at first sight, she appeared to be sweet on the outside, inside she was a time bomb on its last tick full of anger and rage. Her belief system was a challenge for all of us. The big question in our minds was, “What would Jesus do?” As counselors, we talked about what the best ways to minister to her would be, we prayed for her, but the best thing was to let God be God and trust that He would reveal Himself.

After a week full of tears, frustration, and doubt Sheena came knocking at my cabin on Thursday night. She came in and asked if I was busy. The following conversation was one of the most amazing ones I’ve ever had. She began by saying, “I think I know what my purpose is. I think God wants to use me to bring my family back together.” My jaw wanted to drop to the floor! Not long after, she made her official confession of faith and accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior!!!

This youth worker business isn’t really an option for me. Jesus doesn’t clock in at 9 and clock out at 5 so He is the reason that I come to work. The fruit of my labor is Sheena. So how does being a youth worker work? It works when it isn’t called work. It works when it’s called life.

-Nina Maldonado, Teen Haven

Feeling exposed

Sometimes a student’s time in the Learning Center does more than just address academic needs. It affects the heart as well. Here is a letter from one of our Learning Center Students.

“While working on my Phase Petition (an application to move to the next level of the program), I was inspired when I discovered some information about the Learning Center.

Up until this point in my time here, I didn’t believe that there was a time I was caught so naked until then. The Learning Center format is set so that you can't just cruise through under the radar. The Learning Center format is designed to strip away all our masks and hiding places. My own resistance to the Learning Center was not because I was afraid of learning. It was because I was afraid of admitting that I didn’t know or was having trouble grasping the simple basics of education.

The Learning Center is designed to expose people like myself. In there, I wasn’t the coolest or the smartest or toughest. I was forced to expose these discoveries to volunteers half my age. Not being the smartest guy in the world is something I already knew. But showing everybody else that I wasn’t was one of the most difficult things I’ve done.

I am a man who wears many hats, several masks and, at times, both. But I couldn’t fool the Learning Center system. And, I found out that despite my flaws, the Learning Center loved me…warts and all!"

What God is teaching our staff...

God has taught me more patience through my role as a chaplain. I have been reminded that as we ask our clients to grow in areas of life, such as patience, how much more important it is to model it.

-Jon Shacklett, Men's Ministry

Water Street has taught me that patience is not an option, and by the work of the Holy Spirit and the grace of God I'm learning this virtue.

-Bill Lewis, Operations

Changes in the lives of men become more evident with longer stays here at the Mission. This is parallel to situations in my life where the longer the "stay," the longer the relationship with someone, the deeper the lessons.

-Steve Gentino, Business Office