6:45: No one
6:50: No one
6:55: No one
7:00: No one
7:15: No one
Thought in my head, “Hmmm, no is coming”
I shall dub this No Show Wednesday, The Youth-pacolypse.
This was the first time, in 35 years, I had no one show up for a youth meeting.
One kid, two kids, sure. No kids, never, until now.
For context, I have been the youth pastor at this small, rural church (about 40 people) for a little over 3 years. It has been a struggle from day one to build momentum. We went through a pastor change 2 year in and we’ve never been able to find our footing.
This, along with with turning 57 this year, and a few other things has taken a toll on me personally. I have a lot of questions and no answers. I’m sure you’re like “Welcome to the party, pal!”
Listen, I am not naive, I’m exactly like some of you who thought you’d be somewhere other than where you are, right now. I’m just being honest about my journey which is something I hope you’ve come to expect from me.
It’s hard not to view events, or non-events, like this without filtering it through the lens of everything else, and I think this is an important points, this thing could be mean something or it could mean nothing. I’m processing it all.
I can tell you this, I am not taking it personally, it’s not a referendum on whether I am a good youth pastor or not (not that I know of, anyway). Weirdly, I wasn’t concerned, mad or sad, numb might be a good work but at peace might be even a better description. It felt like a calm before a storm.
I’m not mad or disappointed with my students. I had a heads up that a few students were not going to show up due to call and being sick but I have come to expect at least 3 students to be there every week. When they didn’t show, I knew this night was going to be different.
I found myself in an adult service on a Wednesday night. My pastor has started a series about heaven. I was like, “God, is this it, am I going to die? Is this why no kids showed up so I could hear about heaven?” This is how my brain works.
It was probably midway through service when I felt like I needed to go down to the youth room. I had Habakkuk on my mind the past few weeks and so I went into the youth room and read, out loud Habakkuk 3:17-19
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.
I usually drop off at 18, forgetting 19. But verse 19 was wear the hope was.
I prayed for my students, wherever they were, and asked God to show Himself to them wherever they were.
I am not going to make a big deal about this. I am not going to do anything out of the normal other than to tell students, on Sunday, “missed you this past week” I’m not looking to condemn or guilt anyone out.
I’ll process this further still and prayerfully consider what the Lord is trying to do or say, if anything.
If this has happened to you, and I pray it hasn’t, I’m sorry. If it does happen to you, here’s what I am learning,
I’m not alone
this may mean something and it may not mean anything
try to process it as an isolated incident vs a culmination of other things
Reserve judgement on students and do your best to not make it about you
Don’t take it personally
The peace of God is a real thing, embrace it.
Pray through and see what the Lord is up to and don’t make any rash decisions or any decisions until you’ve, at the least, taken a few days to process what is going on.
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