Interview with Steve Wright: Part 1 of 2
In my last post, I introduced Steve Wright and his book reThink: Decide for Yourself - is Student Ministry Working?
ALEX: Please tell us a bit about how God saved you.
STEVE: I met Christ as a 10th grader at a little country church in north Georgia. My grandmother who was a committed Christ-follower passed away a few weeks before I was invited to go to a revival by a neighbor. Before this time, I had never thought much of death and eternity. At the revival that night, I heard the good news and made Christ Lord of my life.
ALEX: How and when did you first discern that God was calling you into youth ministry?
STEVE:This was a difficult time for me because I didn’t really understand much about church or Christian ministry. I wasn’t around either a whole lot growing up. I thought full time ministry was for senior pastors and missionaries. I went to Haiti a few times while I was in college to explore missions.
It is kind of funny because I would leave Haiti very broken and confused. I was broken over the sin and living conditions and confused because the missionary I worked with would work me so hard each day I thought I would die. I was a collegiate wrestler at the time and in really good shape (I thought), and I would leave thinking if missionaries work this hard every day there is no way I could make it.
God was gracious as He brought a pastor into my life who allowed me to work with his student ministry. As I was faithful, he would give me more responsibility. It was through his ministry that God impressed on my heart that He wanted me to be a pastor. This pastor not only modeled for me 1 Timothy 3:1-13, but also was used by God to show me what His plans for my life were.
ALEX: Please comment on the benefits and potential pitfalls of a youth ministry.
STEVE: Benefits:
• Dependency on God- I think student ministry constantly drives its leaders to their knees. It is terribly burdening to see what students and their parents face on a daily basis. Only by God’s mercy and His grace can we walk through these difficult times.
• Hope- I am blessed to see students claim Christ as Lord. Watching God’s transforming power in these students in whom I am pouring my life and His wisdom reminds me of the fact that God is always bringing restoration to people and relationships, and sometimes He allows us to partner with Him in the restoration. This has been God’s grace on my life.
• Observation- Student pastors have the opportunity to watch the lives of other Christ-followers because of their contact with these individuals through ministering beside and to them. Through observing the faithfulness of others, Tina and I have been taught so much more about God and what it means to surrender all daily to Him.
Pitfalls:
• Pride- It may sound strange, but pride is every student pastor’s greatest enemy. We know that God opposes the proud. In student ministry, it is simply too easy to do the opposite of John 3:30. If you were to ask me what my greatest need is in ministry, I would straightforwardly respond, “humility.” For me to be effective in ministry I must offer God’s grace and His great grace is only given to those who walk with great humility.
• Neglect- It is easy in student ministry to care for the needs of others in such a way that we bring leftovers home to our families. God Forbid! I must shamefully confess that in the first decade of my ministry I sinned in this way. I did not esteem my family as my primary ministry.
[This interview continues in Part 2.]
Steve Wright serves Providence Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC as Pastor of Student Ministries. He is the author of reThink