I imagine that Drew Brees’ youth minister is really proud of the man his former youth has become. And certainly that pastor who preached about the “few good men” God was looking for, had no idea that someone would be talking about that Sunday morning message so 16 years later! There are several lessons we can learn from the “Patron Saint” of New Orleans. The first of which is you never know what God is doing in the life of each young person in your ministry nor what God has planned for their life. And second, never underestimate the impact one message, one comment, one visit over lunch, or one service project can have in the life of someone. God can take anything and use it to “turn on the light bulb” in someone’s life.
Drew Brees, the star quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, has a pretty interesting story, full of potholes and detours, setbacks and victories. As a Boilermaker, Brees’ college career included setting five Big Ten Conference quarterback records including career passing yards (11,792) and total touchdown passes (90). And then in 2001, the San Diego Chargers nabbed Brees in the first pick of the second round in the 2001 NFL Draft. I can imagine that for Brees, it must have seemed like a dream come true. But his time with the Chargers was up and down, and ended in an injury that must have left he and his family and fans wondering what his future would hold. What team would ever take a risk drafting an injured quarterback?
But God had bigger plans for Brees. And God, as He often does, worked this bad situation into something amazing…not just for an injured NFL quarterback, but for an injured city as well. Brees says about that unfortunate injury:
“At the time, I felt like that was the worst thing that could ever happen to me at the worst time. I started to feel sorry for myself and ask, ‘Why me? Why now?’ All those things were very easy to ask. But, as I look back now, I can say, ‘God, that was probably the best thing that could ever have happened to me.’”
In 2006, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans Saints’ future was just as unsure as their soon-to-be quarterback. The Superdome suffered some damage and was being used as a homeless shelter for thousands of displaced residents of New Orleans. And their record was in as much turmoil as the city. At the end of the season, the team was homeless, without a coach and leaderless. So it was fitting that they would place their hope in Brees. Who better to help a struggling, demoralized team recuperating from their own injuries from a hard hit?
As Breese said about the move, ““At the time, we were all in the process of rebuilding. The Saints were trying to rebuild. The city was trying to rebuild. And I was trying to rebuild, literally, a shoulder and a career.” And so together, Breese and his team and the city itself found healing in each other. Brees and his wife jumped in all the way with their new community. They began a foundation to help in the rebuilding of New Orleans, and Brees would often be found right beside residents and construction workers sawing boards and hammering nails. They become involved in the local school system helping encourage and motivate students and teachers. And of course, Brees become the leader the Saints needed to turn them around from an abysmal 13-loss team into 10-6 division champs and NFC runners-up! And of course, this season Brees lead his team to the big game itself, facing the Indianapolis Colts in the Super Bowl on February 7th.
What impresses me the most about Brees is how he leads his team. He really does put his team (and his family and community) before himself. Heath Evans, a Saints fullback said of Brees:
“What makes a man is the ability to sacrificially give expecting nothing in return, and what makes a leader is someone who is willing to die to self every day for the benefit of the team. Drew has that down pat. Real men of God are always trying to find ways to draw closer to the King. Drew never misses a chapel, team Bible study or couples’ Bible study. His focus is always team-focused instead of Drew-focused. That is the make-up of a true leader.”
As youth ministers and leaders in our own churches and student ministries, we can take a page out of Brees’ playbook (if you’ll pardon the obvious pun). Too often at conferences and in networks, I hear youth ministers puffing themselves up by talking about how big their groups are, how many big things they’ve done, how awesome their youth buildings are, and how cutting edge their ministry approach is. I also hear them undercutting their pastors or gripping about their churches, as if the church they were working for was an albatross around their necks holding them back from really doing great things! This is NOT working as a team! This is not leadership! Our ministries do not exist for us. They aren’t there for our career or to pad our resumés.
If anyone had a right to gripe about their team and blame any losses or mistakes on them, it was Brees. If any team had a good excuse for a lack luster season, it was the Saints. But that was not their approach. And it should never be ours. You may be the Drew Brees your church is looking for, the leader who comes alongside his pastor, takes the ball, and helps his church run the plays to make a difference in your community for God’s Kingdom.
Brees said that every member of the team has a role, and then he said his role on the team “is helping others and putting them in positions to succeed. Obviously, I have to work to be the best quarterback I can be for the team, but, if there’s ever a time when I can help a guy by pulling him aside and talking to him about a route or showing him something in the weight room, I want to do that. But not only with things on the field, but also things in life.”
Let’s model this kind of leadership, this kind of teamwork, for our students and churches. Be the kind of youth minister your pastor dreams of–a Drew Brees kind of quarterback–who understands it’s not about me or “my” ministry. It’s about the team. It’s about God’s Kingdom. Remember, we are all just members of One Body, and that is Christ (1 Cor. 12:12). It is for Him, to Him, and through Him that we exist and serve together.
For more information about Drew Brees and more video clips to use with your students, visit the FCA’s website HERE.
Youth Ministry Matters 
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