Love makes you do the CRAZIEST things…
By Amanda on Sep 28, 2009 in Featured
(probably not her husband)Post by Destiny
A month ago my husband challenged our teenagers to raise a certain amount of money for missions in one month. If they were successful he promised to do whatever they wished with his hair. Well as of last night my husband now has a bright pink mohawk standing up proudly on his head, which will remain there for the next nine weeks. In which time we have two conferences and a convention to go to plus about a million other things. Needless to say I have stocked up on hats and beanies for when we are out together and not around the teens. Here is my question, What are the craziest things your husbands have done to motivate, challenge, or for no real reason just did because they love the youth?
I just found your site and had to laugh. My husband has been a yp for 10 years (all at the same church) and he too has had pink hair. Thankfully, his hair is now so thin there will be no more silly hair dying. But he finds other ways.
Someone once told me that behind every great youth pastor there is a equally great wife who is rolling her eyes.
But how awesome that they love the kids that much, right? We are blessed–even through the embarassment.
Lindsay | Sep 28, 2009 | Reply
Um, this is HILARIOUS! We’ve shaved the head of one popular boy with long surfer hair in youth service because they invited so many friends. There has also been talk of shaving my husbands eyebrows but it never happened, ha! We’ve done happy meals/taco bell in a blender and dead fish volleyball but somehow a pink mohawk just takes the cake! Thanks for sharing.
Ashley Christian | Sep 28, 2009 | Reply
The craziest thing my husband ever did because he loved the youth was to marry the youth pastor.
Seriously though… I love reading your site, but as the youth pastor I think it is important to remember the women who serve as the youth pastor and the husbands that support them.
The craziest thing I have seen done for the love of kids is allowing the kids to duct tape a person to the wall. In our case it was the senior pastor, but it was HYSTERICAL to watch.
Anna | Sep 28, 2009 | Reply
http://jakeandkristinadopt.wordpress.com/2009/09/28/crazy-things-for-love/
Had to write about my YP hubby and his craziness from a couple of weekends ago!
kristin | Sep 28, 2009 | Reply
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/blakeandamanda
(Hopefully this post doesn’t disappear like the one I just submitted…?)
Yesterday morning my husband just got his hair dyed pink by the kids for reaching their goal of 150 kids on mid-week services… So when I saw this post just now… I literally feel as if we’re all living the same life in a way…lol
I posted our facebook address if anyone wanted to see pix… this is TOO WEIRD!!! It’s always good to talk to each other esp in times like this I feel like we are truly sisters in Christ in every sense that word implies… God bless!
Amanda (but not the official one) | Sep 28, 2009 | Reply
I guess hair must be a theme with our hubbies. Mine has more on his chest than his head. The chest hair has been the victim of several stunts. One summer he let a couple of high school boys shave a superman symbol into his chest hair…. they did it backwards. The next summer he felt it necessary to top that, so he and the associate pastor went to the salon and got waxed. My hubby had a cross done on his chest and the associate pastor had his back waxed. The experience wouldn’t have been complete with out capturing it all on video. This summer, he let a kid trim his chest hair and the kid in turn glued the trimmings onto his own face as a beard for a skit.
Crystal | Sep 28, 2009 | Reply
i think hair is common territory for youth pastors. Whether it is being dyed, cut, waxed, or glued on. my hubby has done some of these same things when trying to motivate the teens. plus the customary kissing an animal, dressing up like a lady to attend an all-night function (didn’t happen, AMEN), eat crazy and nasty things, and i am sure the list could go on and on.
but i think some of the craziest things he (and i sometimes right along with him) have done are answer the middle of the night calls from distraught teens/parents, drive 8 hours into the wee morning hours to pick up a teen, stare into the faces of gangbangers (real ones), and counsel kids down from suicide. truthfully it is only becuase he (and all youth pastors) passionately loves these kids and wants them to know Christ that he (and they) do the things he does!
tzigane | Sep 28, 2009 | Reply
Yeah, we’ve done all that too. Shaved heads, getting “slimed”, swallowing goldfish (that was probably the worse), having a “Fear Factor” style challenge night to raise money.
But, in the end the kids know we are there for more than just fun and we have been able to witness the incredible POWER of God to change the human soul!!!
Jennifer | Sep 29, 2009 | Reply
I came across your site of a Google search. My husband has been the youth leader at our church for several years now. I know this has nothing to do with your post, but I am very discouraged this evening. Do you know of a message board so to speak where I can talk to other wives of youth leaders/pastors? Sorry to interrupt your comments and thank you for your time.
Jessi | Sep 30, 2009 | Reply
Hi Jessi,
You can always post and issue on the comments and I find that the other women do actually read the other comments posted and comment back to you. (It not the perfect forum set-up.) Feel free to vent or ask questions. The other women are great, and my heart beats for wives who are in the same shoes, married to a youth pastor. Hope you can feel encouraged.
Glad you found us
Love,
Amanda
Amanda Maguire | Oct 1, 2009 | Reply
My husband hasn’t done any crazy hair things– yet! But there is a lot of dressing up, eating weird stuff, etc. I think he tries to stay a step ahead of the kids so HE can dictate what crazy stuff he will do and not the other way around. That’s why middle school ministry is nice- the kids haven’t figured it out yet!
It’s so funny that kids just go NUTS for these stunts. After reading all these comments, it seems to me that it’s a boundary thing. We know kids are always looking for the boundaries of any relationship. A YP’s job is to stretch the kids’ idea of love, and I think that undignified stunts like mohawks and back wax are a good way to say, “See, I really do love you!” Which is kind of how our relationship with Jesus can be. We think, “Surely he doesn’t love me enough to forgive this or that, or to take care of me through this…” but if we trust him, he will redefine love as we know it. A YP is just a goofy guy (or gal) talking on stage until the love they talk about becomes real, and often a razor or a goldfish is the best way to do that! Just a thought on a rainy morning.
Kristen | Oct 2, 2009 | Reply
Thanks Kristen, great perspective!
Amanda (but not the official one) | Oct 4, 2009 | Reply
Please tell me someone hasn’t actually eaten a goldfish…And please tell me that if they did, it was a dead one?!
Sarah | Oct 4, 2009 | Reply
My husband has been a youth pastor for 6 years now! And right now we have a bet going to see if we can reach 100 students on high attendance day. He and the intern will shave mohawks if that goal is met…I laughed at your comment about your husband, b/c I was like you thinking “Oh NO”, I don’t want to be seen with him in public!!! But he has kissed a snake before, which totally freaked me out!!!
What can you say…youth pastors are just kids at heart!!!
Kim | Oct 27, 2009 | Reply
Wow. This is great. I was looking for a site that would help me…good and bad. I think I found it! Crazy things…shaving legs (knees down), dyed hair (bleach blond), shaved head, pies in face (not just whipped cream), drank milk (expired and sat next to radiator for 12 hrs, before me!!!). Is it just me or is a requirement of being youth minister being a big kid?
Jessie | Dec 19, 2009 | Reply