University United Methodist Church
 
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Chris Darling

Youth Director

chris.uumc@yahoo.com

Chris Darling is a senior at Hope College in Holland, Mich. He is a religion major with an emphasis on youth ministry. He works in Lansing part of the week and studies in Holland for part of each week. He plans to graduate in the spring.

Q: What made you choose this career?
A: Before college I was touring in a Christian band. We did a church tour and a tour of Christian clubs, so I got to know a lot of youth ministers pretty well. I was around the kids quite a lot. It ended up being just a good fit.

Q: What was your band's name? Did you play guitar or bass?
A: We were called "Boink." We came up with that in middle school. I played a trumpet and congas. (Our sound) was kinda like Supertones or Five Iron.

Q: Do you still play?
A: Not really, I'm pretty busy.

Q: What's been your first impression of UUMC?
A: It's great here. After being in Holland, it's a little liberal out here, and I like that. It fits well with me. It's been a smooth ride so far.

Q: What are your goals for the program and for your career in general.
A: The goals for the program are to revamp the youth room and make it more senior-high friendly. I'm forming a committee to help me do that. I want the kids to own the program. I'm also trying to get the parents more involved. It's very inconsistent who shows up and who doesn't. They don't think it's their (program) and I need to get them to own it...to feel like it's part of their schedule.

Q: What about goals for your career?
A: My degree is in youth ministry, so I hope to do that. But that doesn't pay the bills by itself. So I also work at MSU on the grounds crew, and I do irrigation over there.

Q: What inspires you?
A: I'm different than my friends. I don't go out, I never have. When I wake up, it's for myself, for God and for the kids. I designed a logo and call the program here "Out of Love Ministries" and my whole idea is that after all the theology, we do things out of love for God and for each other. I've realized that through my friends, through my family, and through my Church family. Those are the three institutions that really shaped who I am.

I'm trying to get the kids to realize that God really loves them. There's a (PBS Frontline documentary) video called "Merchants of Cool," (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/view/) about the infrastructure of MTV and institutions like that and how much they invest to market to kids. They'll spend a whole day with a kid and make them feel special, and give them products. That is their research. Then they'll market a product like an iPod to them. They're investing millions in them. And the church doesn't have that much money. But we have something better, which is the love of Christ. So somehow we need to get that to them.

Q: What concerns you?
A: My inspiration is my concern. A lot of kids I hear (them say) that their parents don't understand, they don't listen. And much of that is true. It's not that they hate them, it's that they don't know how to express the love that they have, and it's in the form of discipline. I've noticed that the kids who like youth group and don't get their homework done, that's the first thing to go. That doesn't make sense to me. Then again, this is my job.

Q: What is your favorite Bible verse or parable?
A: It's probably Corinthians 13:4-8. The one they use for marriage all the time. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud..."

Q: What's your favorite book.?
A: "In the Name of Jesus" by Henry Nouwen.

Q: Favorite movie?
A: "High Fidelity" with John Cusack.

Q: Favorite song or singer?
A: Third Eye Blind is my favorite band.