All I Ever Needed to know about Youth Ministry I learned from Potty Training.

Youth Ministry is much like Potty Training. There are many methods to it; but not one model guarantees success. Everyone tells you how to do it, even if they never done it themselves before. When you first don't succeed, try again. It takes time and patience. Using Pull-ups or having a backup plan is a good idea.



Accidents will happen. Even if one thinks you got it under control; you always have to start over at square one with the next child. Cleaning up messes keeps one humble and is a learning experience. Wearing your Superhero Underwear sometimes makes you look and feel special. Encouragement and questions are a good thing. Looking at other successes of training is helpful; but ultimately it is in God's timing. Be Faithful; persistence pays off. The longer you are at it; the better you will get. Remember it is one of life's journeys; and this too shall pass, treasure the moments.



Just when you think you have it mastered, someone else will come out with a new method of training to tell you how to do it. (Remember the old cloth versus disposal; pull-ups and rewards methods?)



Trust, love and put confidence in your student that they can do it. Once they have achieved this goal - look out world - God can do great things with them.  (This is from 2004)