Yeah, it looks like a great year in Campus Ministry . . . until suddenly, a disturbing thought hits you. Most of your reasons for participating have no connection to God.

Sure, you try to pay attention to the sermons, and sing along with the worship band. You’ve thought about how cool it’ll be to serve people in poverty on your missions trip. But honestly, those aren’t the main reasons you’re getting involved. Mostly, you just want to have fun.

Maybe you shouldn’t bother serving God after all. Maybe you should admit you’re hopelessly unspiritual, and start a Campus Backsliders’ Association.

Unspiritual

Ever felt guilty because you were doing the right things—for all the wrong reasons? Yeah, welcome to the human race. Nobody ever manages complete unselfishness. Let’s say you go out to feed the homeless on Christmas Day. Naturally, there’s part of you that wants to serve others, but admit it–you also want some warm, fuzzy self-righteousness.

Even C. S. Lewis, the theologian who penned the Narnia books, admitted to acting out of impure motives. He wrote:

“As practical imperatives for here and now, the two great commandments [love God and love your neighbor] have to be translated ‘Behave as if you loved God and Man.’ For no man can love because he is told to. . . . If I [truly] loved my neighbor as myself, most of the actions which are now my moral duty would flow out of me as spontaneously as song from a lark or fragrance from a flower.” ¹

In other words, Lewis says, “not feeling like it” is no excuse for failing to obey God. When you’re faced with a command from Jesus, don’t wait until you can summon pure feelings. Just do the right thing.

So what if you’re attending your campus ministry for the wrong reasons? So what if you want a fun spring break trip, as well as the chance to be a missionary? Show up anyway. It’s part of loving God and people.

You’re Not Off the Hook

But that doesn’t let you off the hook for your motives. If you want to be an RA partly to pad your resume, that’s okay–but remember, you still have to honor Jesus in your job. And the best way to overcome crummy motives is by serving.

James wrote in the Bible, “If you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying.” So if your motives are lousy, be honest with God–tell him your heart isn’t where it should be. And then here’s the important part: Look for ways to show God and people that you care.

Let’s say you’re an RA. You may want this on your resume, but God wants you to love the people he loves. So start genuinely serving the freshmen on your floor. They’re not a distraction from your homework (or your Facebook addiction)–they’re folks that God put in your care.

Begin with an encouragement note to that lonely kid who’s homesick all the time. Then buy somebody a snack with your food budget (instead of ordering a pizza for yourself). Don’t phone in your job; be there for everybody on your floor, even the irritating people. Give them your time and give them your prayers. As you do, your motives will get much, much better.

Love Grows When You Serve

Doing the right thing (for the wrong reason) isn’t the end of the world. All of us have crummy motives sometimes. So yes, you can please God when you refrain from throwing things at your roommate. But it’s even better when your heart follows your actions, and you start caring for that Spawn of Satan who shares your shower.

Cleaning up your motives is tough, because it doesn’t begin until you start serving the people around you. Nobody said following Jesus was simple. But when you genuinely serve others, you might be surprised at the love that grows inside you. Even for your obnoxious roommate.

Sidebar: Good Decisions From Bad Motives

What happens when you realize your motives aren’t right, but you have to move forward with a decision? Let’s say you want to join a fraternity–partly so you can be a witness for Jesus, but partly because they have great parties. There’s no black-and-white “correct” decision. Nonetheless, you better figure out what you’re doing before Rush Week.

So how can you choose? Here are four tips for making better judgment calls, even if your motives are hazy.

1. Pray About It and Consult the Bible. Yeah, I know–“thanks, Captain Obvious.” But seriously, decisions often become clearer as you talk to God.

2. Get Good Advice. Pick the brains of people who’ve been following Jesus longer than you (maybe even your parents).

3. Watch the Circumstances. If everything that happens in your life seems to point in one direction, God might be trying to tell you something.

4. Remember, God Uses Us In Spite of Ourselves. Sometimes, you just have to take your best guess on a decision. It’s called “faith.” But your choice can still serve God’s purpose, even if you screw it up. That’s called “grace.”

During her “time off” from volleyball, the slender redhead auditioned for a school play and won the role of the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz. That’s when Conti found her new passion. “I remember being at softball practices and running my lines when I should have been practicing,” she says.

After her final performance as the Scarecrow, a woman Conti had never met before cornered her in the school hallway. “You’re going to be an actor,” the stranger said. Conti, now 22, calls the woman “my guardian angel” because of the impact that random remark has had on her life. By senior year, Conti was too busy performing–as Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible and Aunt Eller in Oklahoma!–to try out for any sports at all. And when it came time to choose a college major at Illinois State, theater was the only option.

Each of the 22 members of Actors Theatre’s 2011 apprentice company could probably tell a similar tale. The young artists, who won their places after auditioning with more than 2,000 other hopefuls, come from as close as Lexington and as far away as Florida and Oregon. Most are 2011 college graduates, though some have held post-college jobs for a couple of years. Whatever the case, they’re drawn together by a strong desire to become one of those rarest of creatures: a working professional actor.

The apprenticeship for 23-year-old Nick Vannoy has been a cross between performing and physical labor. The burly Lexington native is certainly built for it: Vannoy was a lineman on his high school football team. His average day might include performing the role of Mr. Briggs in a Dracula morning matinee for middle-schoolers, building sets in the afternoon, and rehearsing his role in one of the apprentice company’s short productions in the evening. “Today, I got up at 7:30, and I won’t be back at my apartment until 11,” he says. Vannoy spends much of his free time “doing laundry and dishes.”

During his nine-month tour of duty, Vannoy will spend 60-hour weeks at the theater. He’ll live on his savings, a small stipend (a few hundred dollars per month) from Actors, a little help from his father–and food stamps. As a full-time volunteer for a nonprofit organization, he’s eligible for public assistance. He doesn’t have a car, so Vannoy walks to work every day from his dorm-style apartment on Third Street, where he shares space with five other apprentices. “It is very similar to living in the dorms in college,” he says. Vannoy also has to find ways to eat on a tight budget. “I still buy the same things I did before, but now I make sure I get the cheapest brand that I can find. I try not to eat out so much, but sometimes I can’t resist a Qdoba burrito.”

None of the apprentices has time for a side job–they simply sacrifice to make ends meet. But in exchange for the long hours and “grunt work” at the theatre, Vannoy and the others gain the opportunity to ply their trade in a prestigious setting. “This apprenticeship is the best launching pad for a professional career that I know of,” Vannoy says. “For a year, we get the opportunity to work at one of the country’s leading theatres with the top professionals in the field.”

“This is accelerated theater training,” Conti says, adding that she learned as much in her first four weeks at Actors Theatre as she did in four years of college. “I personally think you can make every second of it a learning experience.”

In this year’s production of Dracula, Conti landed the speaking role of Miss Sullivan, a chance for the self-proclaimed “character actor” to demonstrate her convincing Irish brogue. The student matinees in the arena-style Bingham Theatre were one of the highlights. “The kids are completely uninhibited,” Conti says. “They scream, cry, laugh, talk to us–I’ve never been onstage before when people (in the audience) have told me what to do.” Her character was one of several bitten by the sanguinary Count, and she ended the play in a cemetery. “After I was officially dead, kids were playing with my feet,” she says. Vannoy, for his part, has developed a unique method for dealing with difficult audience members. “Today, I was getting heckled a little by a high-schooler,” he says. “I had a flashlight (in one scene), and I shined it in his face. Then I took a rat over by him.” (Dracula featured live rodents that shared the stage with their human costars.) Vannoy says he had no more problems after that.

* * *

One thing that keeps the apprentices so occupied is presenting a season of short plays, all starring (and in some cases written by) the apprentices. Conti, Vannoy, and the others have already presented three works exploring subjects as diverse as pornography and school bullying. In mid-November, they’ll perform “solo mios,” which are eight-minute monologues they are writing for themselves. When asked what his monologue will be about, Vannoy will only say, “It’s going to have to do with Kung Fu.” Conti is a little more forthcoming–hers will explore her ethnic heritage as an “Italian-American mutt.” But the biggest opportunity for the apprentices is yet to come: This spring, they’ll participate in the Humana Festival of New American Plays, when Actors will commission a group of writers to come in and compose a piece for the apprentices.

In some professions, such intensive training would go a long way toward assuring future success. But in the competitive realm of professional acting, an apprenticeship can only do so much. “The vast majority of actors don’t ever make a living solely through acting,” says Michael Legg, the Apprentice/ Intern Company’s director. “I always suggest that apprentices figure out what they like to do besides theatre, because they will earn very little money in the first few years of their careers.” In the class of 2009-’10, Legg says “fifteen of our 22 apprentices booked their first job within six months,” adding that “casting directors and agents tell us pretty consistently that our apprentices audition better and hold up better than their peers.” Still, those first gigs that Legg mentioned are unlikely to pay the rent.

Apprentices learn to audition, market themselves, create original work, and most of all, network. “Everybody in this business understands that you need help to advance your career,” Legg says. Former apprentices–including such notables as Timothy Busfield (The West Wing) and Jenny Robertson (Bull Durham)–often support one another. One recent apprentice, 25-year-old Emily Kunkel, keeps her apprentice “classmates” on speed dial.

Over the 40-year history of the Actors Theatre Apprentice/ Intern Company, many former apprentices have gone on to start theater companies in cities nationwide. Others move to a “theatre town” (usually New York or Chicago) and begin auditioning immediately. Kunkel settled in New York after completing her apprenticeship in May 2011. “I just did a commercial for the New York Lottery. It’s a campaign called ‘Be Ready’ (to win). I’m a lifeguard in an evening gown, so I’m ready to go to a dinner party or an opera,” she says.

Kunkel is still nannying part-time to pay the bills, but through a recent stage role–lovelorn Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream–she’s managed to earn membership in the Actors Equity Association, a national stage actors’ union that gives members the opportunity to audition for better-paying parts. At Actors Theatre, she says she “got a better picture of who I was and my ‘type.’ I guess ‘quirky’ is the word everybody uses nowadays,” she says. “[Which means] funny, smart, and a little daffy.” Those qualities used to mean a career spent playing the sidekick to the innocent, demure heroine. But with the popularity of newer stars like Tina Fey, Kunkel says, “the funny girl (can be) the leading lady.” She admires famed character actors Carol Burnett and Spalding Gray, and hopes to emulate their success.

“My agent told me to keep going from one thing to another, so you keep sharpening all of your skills,” Kunkel says. “I want to work with writers who want to hear their work in my voice. I want to be respected by people in my field. I want to write and perform my own solo works. And I want to play Carol Burnett in a biopic someday. I’ll take whatever I can get to get there.”

For now, however, all of the excitement (and disappointment) of an acting career remains in the future for the current apprentices. They’re trying to soak up as much knowledge as they can during their brief time in Louisville. Conti hopes to find work as a nanny when she returns to Chicago, which will allow her flexibility to attend auditions. “When I go back home, I want to hit the ground running and have an agent,” she says, her eyes igniting at the thought of living her passion. The young actress hopes to do commercials, voiceovers, films, stage work–you name it. “I’m totally open,” she says.

For many teens, summer means an exciting (and potentially life-transforming) week spent with their church family. Kids will head off to camp or a missions trip, and return home with a fresh love for God and passion for ministry!

Then again, those special trips may also produce nothing but a temporary “Jesus High.” Your teen may still come home determined to live differently—but it’ll only last three days.

So how can parents help their kids make the most of youth events? We asked three veteran youth ministers to share their thoughts about practical ways that you can equip your teen for a life-changing summer.

Before the Trip

“I don’t think parents always understand the [power] that a missions trip or a camp can have,” says Darryl Lawler, a youth pastor in suburban Chicago. “It’s such a deep impact, more than the whole year of youth group meetings.” Kids will spend an entire week being stretched in extraordinary ways.

That’s why Lawler asks parents to be involved as much as possible in preparing their kids. If your teen isn’t already in the habit of praying and reading Scripture, help them develop those discipline before their trip. If they’re raising money, “help them learn to trust God with finances,” Lawler suggests.

Lawler also exhorts parents to help teens set realistic expectations for their time away from home. One way to do that is by asking, “Why do you really want to go on this trip?”

“Fun” is an acceptable response, Lawler says—God can work with mixed motives. But kids should realize they’re going to be challenged spiritually, even while they roast marshmallows at camp. And if they’re preparing for a missions trip, they’re going to work very hard.

During the Trip

After the church van pulls out, praying is the most important thing you can do for a traveling teen. But your involvement with their special summer experience doesn’t have to stop there. “If all parents could go on a missions trip with their kid, it would be invaluable,” says Scott Russ, who leads teens in suburban Cincinnati. “The more shared experiences as you can have . . . the better off they’re going to be.”

Louisville youth pastor David Buckner is also eager to involve parents in summer activities. “I don’t see parents as chauffeurs and checkbooks,” he says. “I see them as an integral part of the ministry.” Even if they can’t come on the trip, Buckner appreciates parental involvement with the preparations. Volunteering for specific needs is best: “Instead of saying, ‘let me know if you need anything’ . . . say, ‘I see you’re having an [event] on Saturday—I would love to help with that,’” he suggests.

You may or may not be able to accompany your teen on a weeklong missions trip. But either way, your involvement beforehand will send a clear message that you believe in the task.

After the Trip

Summer trips are designed to be life-changing experiences. But church leaders can only do so much: Once the trip is over, parents need to hold kids accountable to their commitments. “Discipleship begins and ends at home,” says David Buckner. “You are the best example of what a disciple is and does.”

Understanding what your teen experienced during a week away takes creativity. “Yes and no questions don’t exist when you talk to a teenager,” Buckner emphasizes. “Start sentences with ‘tell me about.’ Tell me about your Bible study leader. Tell me about the recreation time.”

Once you know what happened, you can suggest ways for teen to reinforce what they learned. And if they have a “valley” experience after the “mountaintop” of their trip, you can assure them it’s perfectly normal.

Darryl Lawler emphasizes the importance of connecting kids with consistent serving opportunities when they return home. “Once teens have a taste of [serving regularly], they’ll want God to use them for the rest of their lives,” Lawler says. “If they’ve got ownership, it’ll stick.”

Helping your teen integrate an intense spiritual experience into “real life” can be challenging. But with a little work on your part—and a lot of intervention from the Holy Spirit—your teen’s summer can be more than good times and Jesus Highs. That youth group trip may become a transformational moment that impacts the rest of her life.