Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Recovering from the Seduction of Ministry Accolades

As a youth Pastor you have been a father figure, friend, pastor, caregiver, babysitter, homeboy, coach, cheerleader, event planner, hype man, concert promoter, preacher, teacher, parent, tech guy, staff member, audio tech, video tech, actor, worship leader, counselor, fire putter outer, fire starter (maybe even literally), administrator, web designer, set designer, stage coordinator, Sunday services production designer, Church picnic games man, any church event games man for that matter, general announcement clown, and general coordinator of all things fun in most churches. By no means is this an exhaustive list of hats you might wear in youth ministry and you might have a few extras to add to this list of responsibilities. I have definitely seen most job descriptions in youth ministry out there and seen those men and women try to faithfully fill those positions. Quite frankly Jesus couldn't accomplish most Youth Ministry Job descriptions. These hats that most youth ministers wear can lead to many many accolades. For whatever difficulties youth pastors do have in ministry, they can also be very loved and appreciated. They are typically wired for fun, the life of the party, and they are typically drawing a crowd. They are not typically the INTJ on the Myers Briggs Spectrum they are usually the TSAJ (Totally Self Absorbed Jerks). Just kidding you guys are all totally selfless, but you gotta laugh at yourself a little bit to be able move toward healing. This is not a bad thing it's just the typical youth pastor personality. That's usually how we are wired. Unfortunately there are a few pitfalls that come with that.
Fleeting spotlight of Self-Glory
1. Youth pastors love the spotlight and are usually front and center and typically on stage or very close to the stage.

2. Youth Pastors easily maneuver their way through high capacity job with high visibility.

3. Youth Pastors life "on the stage" of ministry can be appealing and seductive.

Maybe these or another of the seductive pitfalls of accolades have caught you in its deceitful snares. I know it has me. And even worse I hide behind the lie of false humility. Whether I deny the spotlight or cling to it with a kung-fu death grip, I usually present a facade of humility.
Kung-Fu Death Grip
Maybe you are a little bit like me. In the dark corners of the un-humble portions of my spirit I really want the accolades. Unfortunately I have in moments and periods of my ministry built things on the unsteady, shaky, crumbling foundation of the praise of people, have you? Then like me you need to recover from the incredible let down and pain that the lack of praise will bring. When those praises stop, or maybe on Monday that day I dub PMS day (Post Ministry Syndrome day) you feel empty, defeated, or not whole you may have given in to the lie that the enemy wants you to believe. "You are only as successful as the accolades and praise you receive." Our identity in Christ is only based on the merits and work of Christ on our behalf. In those moments where we are tempted to lean on our own merits in ministry, we must "look unto Christ the author and perfecter of our faith." This is the beginning of recovering from believing in our ministry accolades of numbers, students discipled, years in ministry, who hears our sermons, likes on Facebook, number of re-Tweets, or how many people praise you for your sermon on Sunday. Focusing the center of your ministry on Christ and not how much accolades we receive at any given time will never fail you because Christ is always faithful and His glory is never fleeting. Please give up the ministry of self-glory and rely once again on the ever-present all-sufficient Christ, and His worthy work to reach and disciple teenagers through you as a surrendered vessel. If you are one who has done this in the past and needs healing from this "stage" life learn once again to rely on the healing power of Christ who gives victory to the weak, and power to the broken. I came across this song recently and it has blessed my soul to know Christ is Healer. My prayer is that we as a youth ministry culture would once again lean on Christ to heal and run our ministries. He is enough! He is all we need, everything we could want is found in His love!

Monday, March 24, 2014

Necessity for Youth Pastor Recovery

I have been in youth ministry for nearly 20 years. I have served in 9 different churches in those years. Each one great in its own way! I am so blessed to have to worked in these diverse and unique congregations. I have in those ears also experienced youth ministry from my own perspective and other colleagues perspectives. Youth ministers are a rare breed. They are usually a little bit rebellious lets just be honest guys. And also we are honestly fighting for the good of our students and the advancement of our ministries in the eyes of our congregations. I am sure that most youth pastors are seeking to help their congregations make youth a priority in their churches. In those many years of listening to my colleagues, coupled with my own experiences in ministry I have noticed some troubling trends.

First youth ministers, in my experience and in fact are underpaid which makes them feel undervalued (2012 Youth Ministry Salary Survey).
This is a difficult thing because most churches are working with not very large budgets. As a result most youth pastors do not feel like their work is seen as valuable in the eyes of the congregation, staff, elder board, council, deacons, or other governing bodies of churches. I have come across so many youth pastors struggling to stay in youth ministry because they cannot afford to. Their time is stretched so thin from the demands of attending events for their students, event planning, midweek flagship program preparations, Sunday school preparations, campus ministry, not to mention leader training, discipleship, and many church related ministry requirements just because they are on a church staff. I bring the salary issue up for three reasons. First I write to you youth pastor to let you know you are not crazy or diluted in thinking that you do not make enough money.  You are right, you don't make enough money. If you managed a business the same size and programming as your youth ministry you would make two times what you make. You are not alone, other youth pastors are facing the same thing with poor compensation packages. Secondly, I also write this to challenge churches to see this imbalance and to act accordingly. Please seek to adjust your compensation packages fairly. Look at the High School teachers in your area and pay youth pastors according to that standard, not according to the national youth pastor standard which is woefully inadequate. Please be fair according to the work your youth pastor is doing, and his level of education and experience. Lastly, I write this for youth pastors to take an honest look at your salary package, and seek to renegotiate if necessary. A colleague of mine wrote on this topic recently and I found it very helpful, maybe you will too (How Much Money Are You Worth By: Benjamin Kerns). Church, please consider and reconsider 1 Timothy 5:18 which says, "For Scripture says, "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain," and "The worker deserves his wages." Are you 'muzzling' your youth pastor by paying him too little for him to survive?

Second, Youth pastors are many times disillusioned, burnt out, overworked, struggling, and jaded from their experiences in Youth Ministry.
I often talk to colleagues that are very hurt from their church experiences. I know a youth pastor who every time he met with his pastor, the pastor would talk about numbers. How many students were attending, and the youth pastor was actually growing the student ministry. They had moved the student ministry and kids ministry from 300 regularly attending to over 500 in weekly meetings of a church with 3000 in regular attendance which is great! usually a church with 10% of its regular attendance being student ministry is considered successful. But there was a constant pressure on this guy to succeed by having bigger attendance numbers. It was too much for him, and so he resigned. Unfortunately, I wish this was an isolated incident, but sadly over the 20 years that I have been involved in youth ministry that has been pretty common; guys feeling that pressure to have higher and higher attendance. Again I write this so that youth pastors know and feel that they are not alone. Most youth pastors have that pressure to "attract" more students. So they seek to do a bigger and better outreach program, or add a much slicker attractional aspect to their regular program. This is a slippery slope away from the core of discipling students. I am not saying I have many answers. I just first of all want you to know that you are not alone in your frustrations. Admitting that there is a problem is the first step toward recovery.

I am however so encouraged at the resiliency of so many of my colleagues in ministry. My greatest hope in this blog/ministry is that Youth Pastors and Youth Ministry professionals are encouraged, strengthened and given hope to move forward. My prayer for you is that whatever you have been through, you will lean on the grace and healing comfort of the Lord Jesus, and that wherever you are, you will move forward in faith that the Lord will sustain you in whatever he is calling you to, and my hope is that it will still be youth ministry.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Praying about how to best help struggling youth pastors

Thanks for traveling to my site. I am curently thinking and praying about how best to help struggling youth pastors. I have over the years come across many hurting, struggling, depressed, burned out, and even jaded youth pastors. My desire with this site is to...

1. Help guys by listening and hearing what they have gone through
2. Being compassionate to youth pastors as they process their pain and struggle
3. Loving the church for them and for Christ's sake
4. Helping pastors not walk away from Christ or ministry.
5. Helping pastors believe once again in Christ's church

I just want this site/ministry to be faithful to a calling to help youth pastors heal and continue to walk with God. I am praying about a direction and vision for what God is going to do with this. Thanks for visiting.