“I don’t give to the church because it doesn’t bring me cheer,” he said, “and we know that God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7). The way I see it, God wouldn’t love my contribution because it comes from a cheerless heart!”
This is a real statement said to a pastor friend of mine. While his justification for not giving to his church is comically misguided, I wonder if some of our volunteers feel they are giving of themselves in a similar way—without joy.
Is it possible that we can call our volunteer youth leaders into a high capacity role of self-sacrifice while simultaneously calling them to joy and life?
Only recently did I begin to think it was.
Volunteer Expectations—Fantasy or Reality?
Youth leaders that aren’t in need of more volunteers are like Yetis. By that I mean, I’ve heard legends of them, but until I see one with my own eyes I remain skeptical that they actually exist. In my own search for new volunteers I’ve found that Sunday morning announcements don’t get many bites and pursuing people of my own accord often ends with people serving out of obligation and not love. Neither option is ideal.
I’ve wasted a lot of words emphasising the serious standards to which I hold a youth leader. They should have character worthy of imitation, be competent in leading and teaching others, have compatibility with the rest of the team, and they need to have the capacity to attend roughly seventy-five percent of our youth meetings. If finding these four characteristics in one volunteer leader seems as likely as finding a unicorn to you, you’re not far off!
I rarely ever can get all four in one person willing to serve as a volunteer. Generally speaking, it’s the last trait that is the deal-breaker. It’s near impossible to sell someone on the idea of committing to serve on an almost weekly basis without pay. It’s a huge sacrifice that few are willing to make because it can be life-draining and the constraints of work and family life make them hesitant to commit.
But pouring ourselves out for others in self-sacrifice doesn’t have to be something we dread. If we reorient our vision and expectations, there is newfound endurance and joy to be found in investing into others—yes, even teenagers.
Our Focus Matters
There were two criminals crucified next to Jesus. But while one was focused on getting down off of the cross at all costs, the other was focused on Jesus’ kingdom. All of them endured the shame of the cross, but one was too focused on his present pain to see a future hope (see Luke 23:39-43). Similarly, volunteering in youth ministry will bring pain at times. And while pale in comparison to the cross, where we cast our gaze matters.
The author of Hebrews tells us to “run with endurance the race that is set before us looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross” (Heb. 12:1, 2). What was the joy that was set before Jesus in relation to the cross? Was it not the joy he would have in redeeming us so that we might receive adoption as sons and daughters (Gal. 4:5) through his work on the cross?
When we invite volunteers to help us in the discipling of the next generation, we are calling them to make a significant sacrifice—to carry a cross (Luke 9:23). We ask them to give of their time, their talents, and even their finances. Doing this week in and week out takes endurance and is burdensome at times. But if we keep our eyes on Jesus while we do this we can find joy in it. Knowing that what Jesus—the author and perfecter of our faith—is calling us to is nothing in comparison to what he sacrificed on our behalf. He endured the pain and agony of the cross for the joy he received in bringing us back to the Father.
When we recruit volunteers to disciple teenagers instead of focusing on the sacrifices we’re calling them to, why not emphasize the kingdom the next generation will inhabit due to the sacrifice made on their behalf? Yes, you will give of yourself and be stretched, but Jesus found joy in being stretched out on a cross and giving himself for us. Can you find a similar joy in volunteering in youth ministry?
It depends on where you cast your gaze. If you continually focus on the pain of sacrifice, you’ll get frustrated and burn out. But if you focus on the hope that the faith of others will increase through your influence (2 Cor. 10:15), and that they will be joining you in a future day at the marriage of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7), you will tap into joy.
Sean Nolan is a husband, father, and pastor in Baltimore. He is a staff writer for Gospel-Centered Discipleship and infrequently blogs at Family Life Pastor. If his prayers are answered, David Simon will make a prequel to The Wire telling Omar's backstory. Follow him on Twitter @SeanNolan.
