I was sitting across the dinner table from a young man I had just met, chatting with him about where he went to church. It was pleasant enough. He offered that he attended a local non-demoninational church where he played guitar on Sunday mornings and volunteered with the youth group on Wednesday nights. I nodded eagerly as I chewed. My husband is a youth pastor and always lamenting the lack of committed volunteers.

I was about to commend the young fellow's efforts when he dropped the line, casually and without irony, "But I would really like to get more involved with the church's leadership. I guess the youth are fine for now." It hung heavy in the air and dry in my mouth.

Like many young leaders in the church, he considered working with the youth a stepping stone to the main event of adult ministry. This isn't uncommon. A handful of senior pastors I've known over the years have gotten their start in youth ministry. They'll laugh nostalgically about the days when they were in their twenties, ...