How young is too young?

By Rick Capotosto

Samuel Chapter 3:  When God calls you

Verse 8   Then Eli perceived that the LORD had called the boy.

Verse 10  Now the LORD came and stood and called. . .”Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said,  “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

Samuel was only a boy at the time of this calling, yet he grew to become one of Israel’s most remarkable prophets and priests. He would go on to anoint David, establishing the lineage of the Lord Jesus, the redeemer of the world.

“Then Eli perceived that the LORD had called the boy.”  

While traveling around the country to meet with supporters, alumni, and church leaders, I am often asked, ”What is Western doing to fill the many pastoral vacancies in our Reformed churches?”  This concern is understandable.

My response to this question is usually another question: “Can you tell me the names of two or three high schoolers students in your congregation who are being nurtured for the ministry?” I also ask if their congregation offers financial incentives for theological education or if they are intentionally developing a pathway toward ministry for their young people.

Do we doubt for a minute that God may be calling young people in our communities to serve His Church? While not every child is spiritually attuned, some are. What is too young?  

Waiting for young women and men of faith to get through college has become a dangerous strategy. Many find their faith deconstructed during these years, being far from their supportive Christian communities. At the least, there is little encouragement to pursue a life of ministry when the world offers so many practical, enriching alternatives.

Pastor Steve DeVries, a 2014 WTS graduate and 10-year veteran pastor at North Holland Reformed Church, is one encouraging example of someone who heard God’s calling early in life and diligently answered it with the help of perceptive mentors within the church. 

“When I was 17 years old, I began to cautiously wonder about a call to ministry. What made the difference was hearing from people I trusted and respected; that this sense of calling wasn’t a far-fetched dream, but rather quite consistent with what they already saw God doing in my life. It made all the difference to be told by older and wiser people in the congregation that they perceived God equipping me for ministry. They backed it up by entrusting me with a progression of leadership opportunities in the church, sparking my fire for ministry, and encouraging me along the way. This foundation was enough to sustain my sense of calling through high school and college, with all of their distractions, and lead me to seminary for the formal training and formation I needed. 

 This is the kind of involvement I have tried to carry forward as lead pastor of North Holland Reformed, making our church mindful of God’s whispers and urgings to the young saints in our midst.”

Such attentiveness by the local church has been common throughout church history, identifying young people with a passion and calling for ministry. 

 Filling the Church’s need for qualified leaders remains a primary goal at Western Theological Seminary, and we welcome the help of the local church to identify and encourage their young people in that direction. Theological training and formational excellence still make up the vital foundation needed for a lifetime of ministry, and Western stands ready to provide that for the amazing young leaders of tomorrow’s Church.

As you sit in church next week, look around at the young faces and imagine. 

How young is too young?  Who can I encourage this week?