Just for Fun

Not sure where you're at in your ministry rhythm, but it's January on the calendar, and for many of us that means some type of winter fare; skiing, tobogganing, ice skating, tubing, winter retreats, etc.

Along with that come some of the most vivid memories to my days in youth ministry.  So I'm sitting in a Starbucks yesterday talking with a youth pastor, and we began to reminisce about incidents we encountered while on one of these winter trips with our youth groups.  I realize stories like these aren't limited to the month of January, but also thought maybe you needed something to laugh about, something to remind you of the reason we all are in youth ministry, to watch our students hurt themselves.  In every case we shared, we agreed and knew that it "hurt", but it was "funny".  Thanks Brittany.

In that vein, here are a couple of my stories.

On this particular evening, we were skiing on a hill in Michigan called Bittersweet, and that is what this particular night entailed.  I remember skiing down one of the runs, to see several students from our group looking down in a ravine, which is never a good thing.  I asked them what was going on, and they proceeded to tell me that Sarah was down there.  Apparently what had happened is she was "cut off" by another skier, and was sent flying off the run, into the ravine, where she came to a stop under a fallen tree.  The reason cut off is in quotation marks is because you've never seen Sarah ski.  Well, after I quit laughing, listening to her languish about her knee being bent in ways it shouldn't, we got some help to get her out.  Her knee was okay, her ego wasn't.

Okay, they get better.

I remember skiing with another group in Michigan, at another hill called Alpine Valley.  All the stories happened on the same trip, names have not been changed as to embarrass the guilty as much as possible.

I was completing a run, and out from behind the pine trees came walking Fred, my NYI president.  The pine trees lined where the ski run ended, and the parking lot began, so someone with skis should not have been coming from that direction.  He was covered head to boot with mud, and I asked him what happened.  Well, Fred, like many in my youth group, didn't know how to stop.  When arriving at the bottom of the hill, he continued skiing through the pine trees, into the parking lot that was more mud than snow.  The only response he gave to answer my question was, "all I can tell you Mark, is that it was a white Cutless Ciera with Florida plates.  Enough said.

I remember on this same trip, on one particular chair lift, several of my students had trouble getting off the lift in time, to the point where a couple had to bail out so they weren't seen riding the chairs down.  Watching them make the "leap of death" as they began calling it, is a story all its own.

Well, one Jr. Higher while attempting to jump off the lift, like the Sr. High guys had done, failed in his attempt, and while trying to jump off got his arm caught between the arm rest and the protection bar on the lift.  I'll never forget the sight seeing him hanging from the chair lift, 10 feet off the ground, by only his arm. 

Same day, I was on a lift with one of our college students just starting up the hill.  There was a young lady skiing down right under the lift, except you could tell by the flailing motions of her arms that she was far from in control, so I proceeded to look at Jason and saying, "This will be good." 

Well, she proceeded to pick up speed, running into a nylon rope that was attached to two four-by-four posts, whose job was to keep skiers from running into the uphill chair lift. Well, this particular rope did its job, and the young lady hit it at a rather high rate of speed, snapping one of the posts in half, flipping her over the rope, and throwing her to the ground with a loud thud.  I about fell out of the chair laughing, until I realized it was Melissa, one of our students.  I immediately slid into youth pastor mode by yelling at her, asking her if she was alright.  Well, she didn't know.  Well, Jason and I knew we would soon have to put our game faces on, so we proceeded to laugh about what we had just witnessed all the way up the hill, and most of the way down.  It really was one of the funniest things I've seen while skiing. 

She was okay, but had a rope burn half way around her body, even with the heavy clothing she was wearing.  Her equipment was intended to protect her from the elements, just not intended to protect her from a ½ inch nylon rope.

I could go on telling you about the time four of my guys and one sponsor decided to take on the ski jump at the bottom of one hill on their "last run", proceeding to provide some of the best wipe-out footage in my memory. 

Or another "last shirt-less run", the ritual for a youth group who's retreat I was the speaker.  Well, one of the young men decided to video his run down the hill.  On this particular weekend, there had been a thaw, so only the runs had snow on them. He was doing well, until about half-way down the hill, he lost control, went off the run, and scrapped his back on the bare ground off one of the runs, and was picking gravel out of his back for a week.

The story I want to end with is one of the funniest ones I ever remember seeing.  It involved Brandon.  He was one of the most courageous students in my group.  He had an issue at birth that left him with very little muscle control, but didn't believe there was anything that he couldn't do, and that included a whole host of events.  He white water rafted, helped us build a home in Mexico, and on this particular day, was skiing with our group.

We got off the run, and because of Brandon's issues with his legs, he couldn't turn, which also means he couldn't stop.  Needless to say we all skied behind him, because you never knew how far he was going to get, or where he would end up.  He would ski until he was becoming uncomfortable with the "warp" speed he had jumped to, and then he'd just bail.  Well, he had several "yard sales" on this particular run, and we had already had some good laughs at his expense, but the best was yet to come.

After he had collected himself, and began to pick up steam on this part of the hill, a lady turn in front of him, 20 yards downhill.  But you don't want to be downhill from Brandon.  Long story short, she couldn't have timed her turn more perfectly right into the path of an oncoming Brandon.  We all cringed watching, what seemed to be happening in slow motion, as Brandon closed in on her, finally with his skis going inside of hers, and by this time he had built up a head of steam.  Well, the collision was memorable at worst, classic at best, as he hit her full force, and the next thing we saw was a cloud of snow, surrounded by ski poles, the popping of the bindings, gloves, Brandon's coat, and us quickly moving on the scene to make sure everyone was alright.

After we helped them collect their equipment that was spread all over a 50 yard portion of that run, helped the lady go on her way after several apologies, we all began to lecture Brandon on the dangers of what just happened, and that he needed to do everything he could to make sure this wouldn't happen again.

His only response was, "I told her to look out!"

Memories like these are as much a part of youth ministry as the other 50 things we do.  In every case, I knew what had happened to a student hurt, but it was funny. 

Need a good laugh, if you're like me, you don't have to go very far to think of the antics that many times our kids pull.  At times, they drive us nuts, but more times than not, we're along for this incredible ride called youth ministry.

Have a great January.  Hope yours is as memorable as mine have been.