Of Youth Camps and Stereotypes
I hate stereotypes. The reason I kept big snakes in my office at the seminary for about eight years was to break the stereotype that I heard as a young minister that any well educated minister who was as boring as watching paint dry would make a good teacher at the seminary. The formula of education + boring person = seminary professor was not a stereotype I have ever wanted to emulate. I am grateful I did not have to trade in my zest for life when I moved to Wake Forest and Southeastern. But I am as guilty as anyone at stereotyping. I have done it with my own ministry. I LOVE young people. It is my calling to work with young adults in college and seminary, training them to change the world. I also have such a great time ministering to youth in middle and high school. The stereotype of working with youth: to be effective at communicating to them you must be young, have a radical, amazing testimony of conversion from some wretched life of drug abuse, etc, and be hilariously funny. The stereotype is not that to be an effective speaker to youth you should handle the Word of God well. So, while I do a lot of youth events—rallies, DNows, etc, arguably more than any seminary professor—I have steadfastly refused to preach for a whole week at youth camps with very few exceptions. Oh, I will go and teach the adults things about youth, and I may do a camp here or there, but I realized this week something I hated to confess. I have said no to a lot of youth camps because I figured I wouldn’t be very good at them. I have not suddenly had a revelation that I am this generation’s savior for youth camp ministry. Hardly. I am still at my core a professor, and teaching in a classroom setting remains my greatest passion. But as I am finishing back to back youth camps where I spent ten days with hundreds of youth, watching God change many lives has made me rethink my own stereotypes. I realize that I can teach much in a weeklong camp, and fulfill my calling this way as well. I also realize young people can handle a lot more truth than we stereotypically offer. I have hidden behind the façade of not wanting to be away from my family as an excuse not to do week long camps. But all five camps I am doing this summer involve one or both of my children. At two camps the band my son plays in will lead worship, which will be the rule if I do more camps in the future. I have seen God move in power this week. I like you battle the monotony of ministry, the tendency to normalize the faith to the point I live on virtual spiritual autopilot. This week I have enjoyed the fresh wonder of awakening at 430 in the morning, driven to my knees to pray for some hardcore unsaved youth, and then watched God change them. I have been reminded of the wonder of our faith. I also love having time to sit and reflect in a place where the office buzz has been replaced by the beauty of creation. So what is the point of my rant? I am still learning, still growing. I so love youth. So why would I not spend a week using my gifts to minister to them? Because it is not stereotypical for a professor of evangelism to do these things, especially one nearing—gulp—fifty? I agree with Mute Math—I do not want the “typical.” So, I will clear my summer more for youth camps, and I will be less inclined to say no when asked. And I will be more sensitive to the trap of stereotyping. Maybe you have some stereotypes you need to assess as well.