The following post was written by Robb Hollifield. Robb serves as the senior high student pastor at Cross Creek Church in Fountain, CO.
If you really think about it, student ministry is the epicenter where progressive culture and the church intersect. Students, whether in public school, private school, or homeschool, are getting a hearty dose of “what’s cool” on the daily through movies, tv, social media, and friends who double the efforts simply through a sharing function within every social internet platform. With that being said, there are different types of student pastors this produces. In the most stereotypical way, you might be a student pastor if…
You’re abnormally good at useless talents
Juggling, Rubik’s cube, Kendoma, double flipping a road cone onto the larger stack of cones, eating an entire Little Caesar’s pizza faster than anyone thought possible… If any of these “leave off the resume” talents are lying in wait in your figurative back pocket, you might just be a student pastor.
You know “fun facts” about pretty much everything
When meeting new people, conversation can get awkward if common ground isn’t found quickly enough. What better way to make friends than sharing your vast YouTube knowledge about pop culture! “Oh nice, you like the Avengers movies? Did you know pretty much the entire first MCU phase was released under Universal before Disney purchased Marvel? Now Twentieth Century Fox just sold to Marvel too so can’t wait to see Marvel’s first family back on the big screen again, ya know.” If you knew that “Marvel’s first family” was referring to the Fantastic Four, you might be a student pastor.
You throw GenZ lingo into adult conversations
Are you a full-grown adult who converses with other full-grown adults using words like “lit, dipset, bet” or in heated exchanges, use the phrase “He big mad” … you might be a student pastor.
Your best hangout idea is pizza and video games
Do you absolutely demolish every noob in Mario Kart and/or the latest first-person shooter all between sips of Mountain Dew and slices of pizza and/or Taco Bell? You might be a student pastor.
Your desk is messy and littered with even flyers, sports equipment, and toys.
“Thursdays are my desk cleaning day but I got sidetracked with playing SpikeBall/corn hole with a former student who stopped by.” Is this you? You might be a student pastor.
You’re the most competitive person you know.
–If you argue with refs in games (i.e. your volunteer leaders at youth group)
–If you make a competition out of simple tasks like bottle flipping and your one rule is “no mercy” … you might be a student pastor
You make yourself available at any hour of the day for hurting/broken students or growing leaders all with the motivation for them to know and love Jesus.
The truth is, culture is rapidly changing. God has called uniquely gifted, passionate, sometimes mega extra (💁🏽♂️) individuals to pursue students within this morphing culture. Would you do pretty much anything to get the message and hope of Jesus to a generation who desperately needs it? You might be a student pastor.
