Youth Pastors Need a GPS
by Brandon on May 5, 2009
in Resources, Youth Pastor Toolbox
Imagine this: you are driving on a narrow, winding road high up in the mountains. Outside, it is pitch black, your high beams only illuminating a few feet in front of you. The caravan moves slow; two other vans are following you as you tenderly wind up the mountainous road. You are hungry, exhausted, and certain you are about to drive over a cliff. You are ready for this winter retreat to be over, and it hasn’t even started yet. Suddenly, above the collective noise of the 14 students in the van, you hear a calm, reassuring female voice. She tells you, “Turn left, you have arrived at the destination.” Thanks be to God, and to your GPS.
Driving a van-load of Junior High students on a retreat can be one of the most stressful events mankind has experienced. Unlimited energy, combined with a confined space, equals a migraine for you. That is why, before your next retreat, you need to treat yourself to a GPS. This little miracle device will not only help you get to that remote retreat location, but it will also get you there in the quickest route possible, thus saving your ears from even more “Wet Willies.” Plus, when bouts of loneliness and anxiety occur during a long drive with students, the computerized voice can provide comfort and a sense of sanity.
The series Youth Pastor Toolbox discusses tools of the trade for youth ministry. A new “Youth Pastor Toolbox” will be posted every Tuesday.
