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Since becoming a COO some folks have asked me if it’s a lot of pressure. My response is usually something like this:
I remember standing in a hospital room watching a teen mom (who had kept her pregnancy a secret until her mom delivered the baby on their bathroom floor) hand her newborn to the adoptive parents, them leaving, & me and my ministry partner being left to talk to the teenager.
I remember being asked by a young man who had a major heart deficiency and was facing a transplant why God would allow that to happen to him.
I remember a funeral of a teenager in our community, who died because he’d been pinned to a tree by his own car in a freak accident. All his friends were in our youth group. They were so sad and confused.
I remember running down a gravel road, chasing a girl who was trying to escape church camp. She was so burdened and afraid. I was in charge of the camp.
I remember visiting psych wards, residential facilities, and jails. People would sit down, tell me the hardest things about their lives, and I was supposed to say and do helpful things.
I have been a pastor (a youth pastor, specifically). Being a COO is not easy, but it’s not much pressure. Not by comparison. So if you know a youth minister, tell them thank you today. They’re not just leading games on Wednesday night. #youthministry #studentmimistry
