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!

Feeling Blessed

Have you ever gone though a period of life where you where felt kind of lost, confused, or uncertain, while at the same time you still wanted to trust God? This could sum up my last two years. Over the past two years I have struggled with my purpose, my value, my career choice, I was uncertain about a lot of things. The hardest part of this was also knowing that I was doing what I am passionate about and feel called by God to do, serve as a youth pastor at a church.

Over the last few months of 2010, I found myself feeling more and more empty, and more uncertain about what I was doing and why. I didn't know it at the time, but as I look back now I can see the journey that God was taking me on and the things He was teaching me. Through all the struggles and uncertainty I did my best to stay faithful to God and I believe that He has rewarded that.

As I left the job I had been at for five years at the end of 2010, I had no idea what the future would hold for me. I spent almost three months trying to find a job and getting nowhere. Even though it was beginning to get hard on me, I felt like I was following God's leading, and I trusted that God would provide something for me. Then in mid-March, a job came to me that I wasn't even searching for, and it landed me doing the thing I know best, youth ministry.

I started this new adventure this last week and I feel so blessed by God. I'm really enjoying life and living it to the fullest. I share all of this to try to encourage any of you who might be going through a similar situation. In the struggle I thought a lot about Jesus words in Matthew 6:25-34. Jesus tells us not to worry, but to live each day in the moment, making the most of it. The reality of that passage in Matthew 6, is that Jesus is saying He loves us, He will take care of us, and provide for us. Living and embracing this truth is what helped persevere through the uncertainty.

Whether things are going great or you're struggling, know that Jesus loves you unconditionally, and will provide for you if you seek first His kingdom and righteousness! If you took the time to read this blog, thanks. I pray that God blesses you and your family more than you can even imagine!