Youth Ministry In A Nutshell: A Case Study.

A ski trip for high school students, from the youth pastor's eyes, begins 10 months ahead of time. You have to estimate the number of teens who will be going from your group. You have to choose the dates. You have to select the mountain, or mountains, you want to ski. You have to select the mode of transportation. Then you set the price, make the flyers, and pray that you don't wind up $30,000 in the red.

Then the students sign up on an "installment plan." You begin the strict accounting process to ensure the teens' payments wind up credited to the right person...and protect your ministry self in the process.

You select adults to go...a mixture of good skiiers and good organizers. This is actually the easiest part of the deal. Who doesn't want an extremely discounted ski trip in exchange for a few limited chores?

Then you have to get 50 teenagers to get their necessary paperwork in on time. This is actually the hardest part of the deal.

Then, just before the deadline, you have to fend off teens and parents who have changed their spring break plans and now want to go, and they can't understand why you can't just "let them (or their kid) go on the group rate." Well, there are all sorts of restrictions on the advance purchases we make. Believe me, moms and dads and teens, I'd let as many go as wanted to go if I could...it's good for my P.R. for cryin' out loud!

The trip date comes up and you have to get 50 jacked-up teens through airline check-in and security. This is always dicey. You never know who lost their ID's and can't find their wallet and who knows what they're doing in this process. For example, an exchange at the ticket desk yesterday:

Agent: How many bags will you be checking?
Kid: None. (His bag was oversize and weighed 70 pounds)
Agent: May I have your paper ticket and identification? (She was working exclusively with our group)
Kid: Sure. (Kid then puts the paper ticket on the counter and walks away, pulling his luggage. No boarding pass. No clue.)

You then check-in 50 teens at a resort who makes an absolute killing on Texas/Oklahoma teenagers. 5 floors, 9 youth groups registered...and one unknowing honeymoon couple who I guess had seen the brochure and thought they could get a great view of the mountain and save a few bucks by staying across the road. Note to all of you: Anytime you're thinking of taking a romantic "getaway" at summer or spring break, you may want to ask how many youth groups might be staying at your intended vacation spot...a relaxing hot tub with your new spouse changes moods when 6 high school guys with a severe case of "oneupsmanship" after a day of skiing decide to join you.

Once you get to the resort you take 50 teens through the process of fitting boots, skis and poles, as well as any various upgrades.

The first morning, you take your group to the resort and show them the lay of the land. They know the check-in spots at lunch...which have to be secured and guarded by an adult so your group will have enough seats to pay $13.50 for a sandwich, bowl of fruit and candy bar. You take the adult to the infirmary to turn in the very important paperwork and get a beeper and if one of your kids winds up there, you get beeped. You get the first timers off to lessons.

Then the magic happens. It's why us youth pastors do all the above.

You ski with teens. You build relationships and lifetime memories with lift laughs (let's just say the snowboarding term "hucking" can be not only misunderstood by grownups, but creatively applied by teens to situations both on and off the slopes that you almost...almost...feel guilty for laughing at). You watch them "get it" right after lunch the first day and see that look in their eyes when they say, "I went down (insert name of tough green run here) and I DIDN'T FALL!!!!"

You have a meeting at night in which they actually pay attention to your Bible study (of course, you remember to keep it to 10 minutes because of the fatigue factor). They actually worship together. A few adults talk about their spiritual life. Then we have a mock trial every night to award this embarrasingly goofy hat to the kid who did the dumbest thing during the day...complete with judge, prosecuters and defenders, witnesses, reenactments, objections, court reporters...the whole bit (apparently in American culture, the court procedure is very well taught in schools--or at least very well gleaned from hours of television). Who needs skits? You just let teenagers ham it up and you laugh for about 40 minutes.

"Judge: So what exactly is the charge?"
Teen: Your Honor, I'd like to charge (engaged group leader) Lizzie with Inappropriate Public Display of Affection With A Group Leader."
Judge: And what observation causes you to make this charge?
Teen: Well, at the top of the Zephyr lift upon getting out of the chair, Steve went left as we discussed, Lizzie went right which is the opposite of what we discussed, and she knocked him over. Then she landed on top of him. Then she got the giggles and couldn't get up. Steve was trying to get out from underneath her but couldn't because of his snowboard so they had to stop the lift until they could compose themselves and get out of the way.
Judge: So, (good friend of Lizzie and her fiance, and noted available college-age bachelor) Steve, would you also like to add Mental and Emotional Anguish to the charge?
Steve: Are you kidding? I wouldn't mind it at all if it happened again! It was GREAT!"

Repeat the entire process for three days. Except on the last night, you turn a blind-eye to the bending of the hotel rules because they think it's really on the edge to stay up past "lights out" and order a pizza (I have fantastic teens in my group). Then you suddenly need to get ice, or need to check something with the manager just to see the group scatter like cockroaches really just to amuse yourself...then unload the contents of your water bottle of the freshman guy who made the mistake of opening his door without checking the eye-hole to the "can't believe he knew we were doing this and doesn't care" group.

So...what's the point? Taking a bunch of kids skiing? Putting up with all this hassle?

It ain't about the skiing, folks. It's about the relationships built that will allow the teens to open up about where they are spiritually. It's about the mileage the teens get together that allows for truly deep and encouraging friendships. It's about the trust you get from your teens because they know you really care about them...and they really, in some wierd way, care about you.

And on the way back, a kid pulls you aside during the hour and a half wait in the airport and pours their heart out to you and trusts you with deep dark things that go on in all our minds but no one talks about. And you see extraordinary possibilities for The Kingdom because this kid is so stinkin' gifted, talented and passionate and you want to bend over backwards to give them every opportunity to grow.

And then they say, "Thank you so much for listening. Thank you so much for caring. You're the best."

And then you realize you'd pay $30,000 for that experience all by itself.

I have the best job on the planet.