1 Thessalonians 1.2-3 2 We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. 3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
I am moved at these words of Paul. Sometimes in the long haul of Student Ministry the word "work" can sometimes be misunderstood, written off, even looked down upon. Sometimes the word "work" can be marginalized as if working and ministry shouldn't go together. After all, we (youth ministry people) build relationships. We don't pursue #'s. We don't do things like other churches. We don't work; work is what the corporate world does. We do ministry and that to some these days in not the same as work. At least, if I'm honest... I have even said that. When my ministry was flat. When it seemed my bag of tricks was gone. When it seemed that the Sr. Pastor wanted more from me. When I may have felt that the board was looking at me funny. When I was burnt out. When I had had enough of spinning all the plates...I found myself speaking badly about work/ministry.
You see, I have been at this thing called ministry now for almost half my life. I know that when I was a young buck doing Student Ministry I was all about ministry. Yes, sometimes I was driven by #'s. Sometimes I was driven by approval. Sometimes I was driven to be liked, to be smart, to be the guy that knew more, or was this or that or even better. I didn't think that it was work driving me. Work was what the world did. I was doing ministry. For me working hard at the wrong things made ministry a lousy endeavor, and the easy way out was to blame working hard on my situation. At some point I think we all come to the place where we get our issues brought to light and then if one so chooses can work at getting things in the area of work and motives straightened out. Being driven and working hard in my estimation is not the same. Ultimately the benefit of all who partake in the adjustment go on a little painful but in the end a relief as new important adjustments take place. Most likely a new vision, a new work ethic can be established and the jumping out of the sheets to go to work/ministry become a reality.
I left student ministry after a long stint at 1 church for almost 10 years. I thought my time was done. I was ready to go be part of a place where I was the boss, the senior guy. I believed that it was my time to preach, to do ministry with adults. So, I went to a 4 year old church plant. Short story, after 3 years I left the church plant. I had preached at least 100 sermons and more. I had developed a building program. The church wasn't growing, the church was standing still and I just plain gave up. So I went out to find a job. Oh, I looked at all the church employment placement places, I wrote letters, sent out resumes, and not many were calling for me. God had a plan and I had no idea what it was, nevertheless I landed a job in corporate sales. Landing the job was brutal.
When I met with the CFO/CEO he looked at my resume and said "So, you have been in ministry for 15 years? Have you ever worked a G-- D--- day in your life?" I was stunned. Shocked. How dare he insult my occupation? How dare he talk about the work ethic of ministry? Then he said, "I see you have been doing student ministry. Have you ever touched any little boys?" Now I was disgusted. Then he asked, "Why do you want to sell?" And I humbly said, "I need a job." I need to WORK there is that word-- work. I needed a job. I needed to work. I was hired and this CEO was my boss. So what did I do? I worked my tail off. I wanted him to see that we pastor's work hard no matter what. Interesting that in this day and age I often hear some youth pastors talking badly about hard work. After all some have said, "ministry and work aren't the same." Or are they?
I believe that ministry is the hardest of work. It's hard because there are students that need to be reached. It's hard because there are expectations of building a ministry and not just maintaining. It's hard work because there are fights to fight. There are people to deal with. There is a flow of work to pursue. There are budgets to make. There are strategies to put in place and then work toward. There is much to do. To those that put down corporate church work. The 3 years I was in the real corporate world I can say that I am glad-- I am thankful, I am a different person for working with people that pursued the task at hand everyday. I am a different person because I loved the challenge of prospecting. I loved working to produce. I loved helping my customers. I loved hearing from new customers that came over to my product because I went the extra mile. I pursued, I pushed, I planned, I strategized, and I prayed everyday that I would make a difference in the office and to the people with which I worked. I made my job my ministry. When my boss said "I should be putting in 60-75 hours" I went for it. If I could do it for the this guy, I certainly can do it for the Lord. At least that is how I felt about it. I had to learn the hard way once again-- ministry is as unto the Lord and it is lots of hard work. I wasn't driven by money or things or the corporate ladder.
This new job was about working hard for the benefit of my family, the benefit of those around me, the benefit of a CEO that didn't believe that people in ministry worked hard and for the benefit of those that have distinguished between ministry and work. I was in corporate world but my goals, my purpose, my desires were about things that to me were of high value and I was willing to go the distance. Check this out. So the church I left in 2001 to go pursue the church plant calls me back in 2009. The Senior Pastor asks me to come back and re do the student ministry. Can you believe this? I left because I thought I was at the end and almost 10 years later they call me back. With all that I had been through in corporate world was I ready? Was I prepared? After all, this church is considered a mega church because it is well over 2000 people. In a church this size the youth ministry was considerably unhealthy #'s wise. What I had built 10 years ago was gone. I had moved a youth group to youth ministry and now it was a youth group again. I have a ton of work to do. I do believe that the ministry should grow.
I do believe that parents and students should be practicing a relationship with Christ that is more than church attendance or even doing things. I do believe I must hemorrhage in order for students to bleed. (Leading by example) I do believe in doing things with purpose. I do believe in building relationships with students. I do believe that I need to spend time with my team. I do believe that there aren't enough hours in a day to accomplish things that I am called to do period. So herein lies the rub. I do believe that pursuing Godly things in ministry is right period. I do believe that reaching students is a high value that student ministry should be about. Some would call it #'s. I don't. The easiest thing in student ministry to do is maintain a happy youth group. Really? Really.
So here I am at 52 with people that may think... what is he doing in student ministry again? Well... I am finishing raising 2 boys from high school and sending them off to college. I look at High School parents much different now that I have been in the trenches. How I deal with parents now is way different then the way I dealt with parents back in the day. I was a parent during some tough times for my guys; some parents need some tough words given to them about the things going on with their students. Tough words are hard work. Tough words for those afraid of hard work often opt out. "It's too hard. It's too tough. I like safe and easy." Tough times for students and parents and youth pastors can produce much great things. Pain is a great teacher. I by no means feel that I have arrived. Indeed, I believe that all that has transpired is to benefit all the people around me-- My wife, my sons, my church, my ministry, my team, the parents...all will benefit because I went through tough learning times so that I could be the person God desires me to be... and it was more painful than easy... matter of fact, it was hard work period. Let me close like this.
During my time away from student ministry... well, I really wasn't away I was raising 2 boys, they were playing hockey, I was around many parents weekly, I was attending a church and helping out, I was chaplain of a Jr. hockey team, I was working, working, doing some school work to finish some classes... I didn't stop. I saw first hand what it was like to be on the side lines as other youth pastors had influence on my 2 boys. I have been around youth people for a long, long time. So, here is the rub-- I know many younger, bright eyed ready to go youth workers that right now struggle with "churches" that look outward, that work hard at putting a great Sunday morning together or Saturday night, that struggle with big buildings, that struggle with many things going on out there and in there. Some are finding ways to get out of working with goals, strategies and other such "worldly, corporate" things. I say embrace the things that are helps for time management, building fruitful ministry, helps for you to become better at doing what you love to do-- Student Ministry.
Students, parents, churches need you to go all in. If not, maybe it is time to go all out. Students and parents are in need of leaders that lead by going all out for the right things. Speaking against the P.C. world. Showing students and families that the local church is loved by Jesus Christ. That the local church with all it's blemishes is the place where you work not because you get a pay check, but because you believe in it and love it. That the local church as corporate as it may be is where you get paid to give your all. I look back at over 20 years of student ministry and I can say that I work harder today then I ever did before. 2 reasons:
- There is not much effort placed in just maintaining a youth ministry. The world today is absolutely crazier then it was 20 years ago... and I believe I – we have the answer-- the power for transforming lives is found in the Gospel. Making ministry outward focused is about believing that the Gospel is still the vehicle in which God transforms students-- all people... so keep the mission clear.
- I believe that hard work is the essence for ministry. Ministry is work and work is ministry. Just like spirituality does not happen by just sticking students in a Bible Study or "Sunday School" class. Students today need a ministry working hard to reach them, to guide them, to help them, to be honest with them to be even what parents are not-- that is hard work. What they don't need in my estimation is a glorified YMCA. Spinning plates to appease people is work for sure, but is it the right work you want to spend your time doing. Stop spinning plates and get back to working lean. Don't be afraid of hard work.
After all-- the people of Thessalonica were remembered for-- "We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."
Things to do:
- Build a team around you that want to work hard at their giftedness for you and your vision. (they believe in you and the ministry)
- Don't bring warm bodies on any more. You need go getters.
- Ask for vision, seek God for vision and then go and get it.
- Chase it, live it, breath it, don't give up.
- Take your days off and take them off.
- Get your Faith on. Trust God with His vision and go.
- When you face a difficult time-- don't blame people, or the church or your boss. Take some time to get re energized and get back at it.
- Break down the stuff you do just to do and don't do it anymore. Simplify to get the Maximum out of your hard work.
Just some words of wisdom from an old youth guy that is still going for it! I believe that working hard as unto the Lord is a great, great endeavor. If you ever want to talk or chat or need a friend…feel free to contact me.