Edwards prepares for retirement after 25 years in youth ministry with TBMB
Baptist and Reflector
Bruce Edwards
FRANKLIN — After 25 years of ministry with the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, youth specialist Bruce Edwards has announced his upcoming retirement.
Edwards has touched countless lives throughout the past two-plus decades, and God has used Edwards’ ministry to encourage and impact youth pastors, youth workers and youth themselves.
As he prepares for the next chapter in his life, Edwards enjoys thinking about the memories that have been made, and the friendships that have been formed, during his ministry. Edwards shared some of his insights during a recent interview with the Baptist and Reflector.
(1) This is probably a tough question in terms of trying of summarize your career, but can you tell us what you consider to be some of the greatest blessings you’ve seen through your ministry of working with youth?
Blessings come in many forms and I’m one blessed guy! There are so many … where does one begin? Coming to the Tennessee Baptist Convention in 1995 was the beginning of a journey for me. Up until that point, my ministry had always been the local church and local church youth ministry. I was called to that but stepping into the role as the state convention youth specialist, I had to see myself as a minister to the ministers…helping youth ministers and youth leaders to be better in their ministry to students. I have loved having strong, deep relationships with both youth ministers and volunteer youth leaders across our state. I have been blessed to have been in hundreds and hundreds of churches, both small and large, coming along side those youth ministry heroes who week in and week out reach, teach, and minister to youth. I have developed life-long friends. I have been blessed to see many students who served with me in our summer travel teams and camp ministry to grow and mature in their walk with the Lord and whether they are in full-time ministry or not, they are serving and loving on people in their churches. Working with students is a challenge. It can be messy. It takes patience. It takes time. It takes consistency but it is what I was called to in my early 20’s and I’ve hung close to that call all of my ministry. I have been blessed to know that something I said, did, or communicate created change, whether it be in how a leader teaches a student a Bible study to how a youth minister totally flips their ministry around to reach more students. My mantra has been as a youth leader … It’s not about us as adults, it’s about students! Make your ministry about students! This may mean you change your plans on a dime, but always being sensitive to the Holy Spirit…God might have a different plan and a different approach. Having served for 24 ½ years in my role with the state convention, it has been a blessing to see churches rise up and see reaching this generation as a priority. Almost every week I receive calls or emails from churches asking for help in finding that person to help lead and guide their youth ministry. I love that. That means that church is making students a priority. Unfortunately, we’ve not been able to meet all those requests. There is a shortage of men and women called to do youth ministry! I get excited when someone steps up in youth ministry.
God called me to be an equipper and He has certainly given me thousands of opportunities to train, mentor, and develop youth leaders through all my years. To know that I might have made a difference in a leader’s life who in turn makes a difference in a student’s life fires me up!
Bruce Edwards, far left on front row, is pictured here with a group of students on a mission trip to Guatemala that was sponsored by the Youth Evangelism Conference. Such trips have been a part of the routine for more than two decades for Edwards, who is retiring this year as youth specialist at the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.
I am so blessed to have seen students who served with me leading their friends to a personally relationship with Jesus Christ. I have been blessed to watch and see God’s call on their lives and to see that replicated to others who disciple others who disciple others.
During my tenure at the state convention, I have had many opportunities to go on, plan and lead mission trips and teams. I love that! I love that a mission trip is like a “microwave of learning” for students – and adults- seeing them having to rely on God to lead and direct them as they minister domestically and internationally.
Another blessing for me personally has been serving on our state convention staff and under our state convention leadership. It’s been incredible to partner with, team up and support my colleagues in ministry and their ministries. I still get excited when other ministries have a “win” in reaching, teaching and discipling! Tennessee Baptist churches are incredibly blessed to have such committed, God-focused, Holy Spirit led state convention leaders. They challenge me all the time and I am amazed.
God called me to be an equipper and He has certainly given me thousands of opportunities to train, mentor, and develop youth leaders through all my years. To know that I might have made a difference in a leader’s life who in turn makes a difference in a student’s life fires me up!
(2) What do you consider to be some of the biggest challenges during your ministry?
There has always been the challenge of time. Seeing the great needs of our churches in youth ministry and not being able to respond to every church and every situation because there just is not enough time or manpower. I receive hundreds of emails and calls…and respond to them all…but knowing that some personal face-to-face time and long-term mentoring would be what they need. I am grateful for the many, many churches I have been able to help and assist as they seek to reach more students with the gospel and disciple those students. I have learned that technology can be my friend and sometimes a simple text can encourage and support a youth minister or youth leader.
Weekly I have been challenged to set priorities and spend my time doing as much as a I can to influence youth ministry in our churches. I constantly raised the flag for churches to know that youth ministry is vital to students as they develop their foundation for the life of a disciple of Jesus. It’s ministry that lasts for all eternity.
(3) What do you consider to be your favorite part of doing youth work? What are some of traditions, both old and new, that you look forward to each year?
Bruce Edwards, far right on back row, is pictured here with State Regional Coordinators (from left, first row): Amanda Alvis, Annie Brown, Nancy Nesbitt, Catherine Via, Christy Webb, Yvonne Piercy; (back row, from left) Malcolm Norton, Mike Nesbitt, and Bobby Webb.
Knowing that I can, and I believe I have made a difference gives me great joy! I have learned that age is just a number. Students aren’t concerned about that. What they are concerned about is “are you for real”, “will you love and respect me unconditionally”. I love teaching and leading students in Bible study. Not lecturing them or telling them everything I discovered but planning the Bible study so they discover God’s truth for themselves and seeing that light bulb turn on in their mind and heart. Watching them understand that the Word of God does speak to their life, their world and this culture.
When training young youth ministers, I have always told them this is the greatest ministry ever because in the local church you get to plan lots of activities and events and trips that you personally like to do.
I guess now my favorite part of doing youth work is seeing good youth work being done in churches and by leaders who I have invested in. That gets me up in the morning!
I have tried to stay true to my calling as an equipper and training of how to teach Youth Bible study by teaching and leading students each week in my own church. As I have gotten a little older in ministry, this has kept me current and has given me great credibility among youth leaders as I do in my own church what they are trying to do. Outside of training and equipping leaders, those small groups of students who I get to lead and open scripture with each week is the best! I love Sundays!
Traditions are not old. They are good. They keep us grounded and focused. I guess some of the traditions that have and continue to bless me through the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board are of course YEC (Youth Evangelism Conference)- seeing thousands and thousands of students coming together to worship and to be challenged. That is incredible. We are a state convention of small churches so to see hundreds and hundreds of church vans and buses converge on Nashville each year knowing that this conference is for some the highlight of their year is awesome.
For about 20 years, I led our summer missions travel team ministry, where college students served our churches all summer all across our state. The deep relationships and the impact those teams of students had and continue to have are such a blessing. For 10 weeks, these teams became my “youth group” and we lived life together. God used that ministry to provide ministry to churches who might not have had a Vacation Bible School or youth ministry that summer. Such memories.
Camp is in my DNA and I love camp. I love that our state convention continues to see and provide summer camp opportunities for both students and children. God has blessed those many many weeks each summer of discipleship, evangelism, recreation and community.
I have loved playing Catch Phase on our many, many TBMB staff retreats. I have loved seeing Randy Davis be competitive, loud, and even lose at Catch Phase (and he doesn’t like to lose!). I have always looked forward to those fun times with the TBMB staff. They are a great team and great friends!
I have always looked forward to our annual TBMB Summit because I get to rekindle, renew and have lots of conversations with friends from all over the state! That is the beauty of traveling from Mountain City to Memphis for 24 ½ years. You develop friends and relationships that last a lifetime.
(4) It seems like the task of reaching youth has been greatly affected by technology in recent years. But do you consider this to be a positive or a negative? In other words, do you feel like social media and the constant attachment to cell phones can be used to benefit/promote youth ministries — or do you feel like the negatives (including the disconnect that exists) outweigh the positives?
Edwards is pictured here with Linda Rader, when the two were each being honored for their “work anniversaries” at the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.
I really believe that technology can be our friend in youth ministry, but it does not replace the personal relationship. Youth ministry is all about relationships. A student may not remember the Bible study or the Wednesday night message, but they will remember that you reached out to them. I have tried to train youth leaders and personally use texting as a way to encourage students. When a student shares a prayer request about something, I try to remember that and shoot them a text offering up a blessing, a prayer, a word of encouragement. I know they will read a text, but not so much a social media post or email.
Social media, cell phones, technology etc. can be a hinderance to ministry when we allow them to distract them from ministry. I have gone all over our state asking youth leaders to not be ashamed or scared to have students to shut down their phones during Bible study or Wednesday night. We need for students to disconnect and disengage and be focused. They need to develop real relationships and conversation.
(5) What additional advice would you give to those who are entering the field of youth ministry today?
The advice I give to young youth ministers is to make sure you’ve been called to youth ministry. It’s messy. It’s time-consuming. It’s frustrating. It’s a lot of stuff for little pay. It’s sacrifice. And the list goes on and on…BUT It’s worth it! To think that God would use you to influence a student in their decision to follow Christ, in their journey of discipleship and in their personal relationship with Christ is incredible. To God Be the Glory!
I grew up in Atlanta, the home of Winnie the Pooh. As I have tried to finish my 24 and a half years of ministry as a youth specialist well, I am reminded of two of Pooh’s wise sayings:
“How do you spell love? asked Piglet.
You don’t spell it, you feel it,” said Pooh.
And another wise saying…
“’How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1 says “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” For over 24 years, I have had the joy, privilege and honor to serve Tennessee Baptists as their Youth Ministry Specialist. This has been a wonderful season for me
I am forever grateful for the trust and for the many opportunities I have had to use my God-given skill sets and many years of experience in youth ministry. What a joy it has been for me to travel all over the state (and internationally) equipping youth ministers and youth leaders as they reach, teach, love, minister and build relationships with students.
Thank you Tennessee Baptists for allowing me to be on this journey. B&R
