The majority of youth leaders believe deeply in the work they are doing, and so look for some kind of measure to tell if they’re successful – “Am I actually making a difference?” Sometimes though, it leads pastors to focus on short-term growth, particularly in numbers of ‘decisions’ or people attending.
Tim Hawkins challenges leaders to be influencing students in ways that will last for years into the future, when they’re well out of the protective, comfortable youth ministry environment. This means not relying on the cheap substitutes for lasting fruit, including:
- looking at size of your ministry
- focusing on social activities more than spiritual growth
- shallow hype & excitement
- promising one thing but providing another
- enticing young people to make a decision before they’re ‘ripe’.
This section convicted me to examine the lasting fruit of my ministry as a leader. Sadly, several young people appear further from God today than they were a few years ago. My effort as a leader may have produced an amount of fruit in the short-term, but some was not lasting.
I need to gain a long-term perspective at ministry, and fight the temptation to produce ‘fast fruit’ instead of Jesus’ calling for ‘lasting fruit’.
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