Jesus was his model, his theme, his best friend and no one I know talked about Jesus the way Mike did. I called him last year to tell him that I had been reading his book, Dangerous Wonder, and writing journal entries after each chapter. I couldn’t just read it, I had to interact with it. Mike made me want to know more about Jesus.
Ministry opportunities come and go… they’ll always be there. May you find time to reflect on what’s really important in your life and then prove its importance by managing your life around those priorities.
While you’re serving with people, believe in their gifts, value their contribution, do life with them and give them access to your life. During this time there will be occasions when you’ll get to “test” their loyalty. You’ll see how they respond when your back is against the wall and when you’re exhausted (both bi-products of youth ministry).
Every time I talk about volunteers I tell youth workers that they need a Marv in their ministry. I tell them to go back to their church and find a senior citizen who has lived a long life with Jesus and isn’t afraid to tell the truth. That was Marv!