Youth Pastor Down...

Found this draft of a blog I wrote back last summer, but I never posted. From July 2011:

I just need to get this off my mind and what better way than on my blog that very few people read. Anyways, I love youth ministry and I love to network, encourage, and help other youth pastors. Lately many of my friends in youth ministry seem to be getting beat up. By who? The leadership of their churches (i.e. Senior Pastors, Executive Pastors, Elders, Deacons, Parents, etc.).

I hate it that many of my friends in youth ministry are treated so badly by the leadership of the churches they work for. Honestly, it breaks my heart. I believe this poor treatment of youth pastors is the reason for the high turnover rate of youth pastors at most churches. This is an epidemic in churches today.

Many youth pastors are treated like second rate, junior varsity pastors. They are often overworked, underpaid, under resourced, and under appreciated. Yet they persevere, because they love letting God use them to change the lives of middle and high school kids forever.

I know several youth pastors who have quit from a church, are very close to that point, or have been let go. The sad part is that most of the time this has nothing do with their youth ministry itself. Most of them are doing a great job, they are seeing numerical and spiritual growth. However, they have quit or are close to quitting, because they are being treated poorly by the leadership of the church. Too often there are unwritten and unspoken expectations of youth pastors that they get hassled about. Many times people in leadership don't have their youth pastor's back.

I can tell you from experience, that their job is stressful enough with out that kind of crap. It's truly heart breaking how many of my friends in youth ministry have struggles with their church leadership.

If you are reading this and have a youth pastor at your church (especially if you are a parent with kids in the youth ministry) please treat them well. If you can help them please do, they need it! Support them, care for them, and pray for them, encourage your church leadership to do the same.

If you are a pastor/ elder/ church leader and happen to read this, remember that your youth pastor also needs to be pastored, mentored, loved, and cared for, just like anyone else in your church. Remember that God calls us to be faithful to Him first, our families second, and everything else (including our job/ ministry/ role on church staff) after that.

We really need to treat youth pastors better in the church, and then more of them would stick around long term which is better for them, your church, and the Kingdom! Think about it...

Thanks for reading. May God bless you as you seek to do His will!

Sabbath!

Today is an interesting day for me. If you know me or read my previous blog post, you know that I recently resigned from a youth ministry position I had for five years, without a job to go to. I have been gainfully employed for around 15 years. The last ten years of that I have been in full-time ministry. So, today for the first time in nearly 10 years, I slept in on a Sunday, that I wasn't on PTO/ Vacation. We chose to attend a church last night with some good family friends.

It does feel weird that I was not at church this morning, and that I didn't "have" to be there, because I work there. Here are a few things that I did not miss about being in church today:

1. Getting up really early on a Sunday morning. I wish there was a Levitical Law that Jesus quoted in the Sermon on The Mount forbidding being at a church building before 9:00 AM. Tony is NOT a morning person.

2. Having to be nice and smiley no matter how crappy I may feel. Pastors are people too, they get sick, sore, tired, upset, have bad things happen to them, etc. How about we cut our pastors some slack, and not always expect them to smile just, because we said hi.

3. Being distracted during worship services. I am usually thinking about what students, adults volunteers, other staff members, etc. that I need to talk to that Saturday or Sunday, or what I need to get done for upcoming events. I realize this is my fault, but ministry is consuming. Although, I also get distracted by people who talk to me, throw things at me, or text me during services.

4. Getting blamed for rowdy Middle & High School Students who run the hallways or are obnoxious during church services. Grow some courage, and go talk to those kids and/ or their parents, not your youth pastor. If you don't know who their parents are ask that question or follow them, but not in a stalker/ creeper way!

5. Getting asked questions that could easily be answered if people (usually the same ones from week to week & month to month) would check & read any one of the following items first; the bulletin, the newsletter, the various bulletin boards around the church, the e-newsletter, the website, or the facebook group page. Come on people, put in your due diligence.

I'm not trying to be cynical. I love the church, being in church, and being in ministry. There is nothing more rewarding than helping others connect with their Savior. I am merely pointing out for me, how glorious it is to be able to Worship & Sabbath! So today, and maybe several Sunday's to come I'm looking forward to a true day of Sabbath with Sarah and the kids!

If you took the time to read my thoughts in this blog, I pray that you find rest and peace in the arms of our Heavenly Father. May you find time to Sabbath and be renewed by God's Holy Spirit! I also pray God's richest blessings for you and your family!