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What Youth Ministers Wish Their Senior Pastors Knew

Orginally published on Friday, November 04, 2005 at 9:27 AM
by Todd Rhoades

A while back, there was quite a storm about the post about "Six Things Worship Pastors Would like to Tell their Senior Pastors"… now "Pastor J" has a sequel for Youth Pastors… see what you think… (props to Rachel for this link)...Pastor J writes…

After having been in youth ministry for over 10 years, I have had my share of great and not so great pastors to work with and be around. I have talked with many a youth pastor and shared over a table at Taco Bell (the ultimate YM hangout) the frustrations and laughs of pastors. Many just don?t ?get? youth ministry and end up fighting us along the way. I have my top 10 of what Every Youth Pastor Wished Their Pastor Knew About Youth Ministry:

1. YM is not Adult Ministry ? don?t expect it to act like it. YM is unpredictable as we deal with so many variables from teenagers, adults and school schedules.
2. YM is not about the numbers ? true YM is about discipling and seeing teenagers lives changed for Christ. This is something that may not be seen sometimes for years to come. It is not about ?How many we have??
3. Because we are not in the office does not mean we are ?taking time off?. We are out there in the trenches where the teenagers are.
4. YM is not the dumping ground for what the church doesn?t want to do ? Please don?t give us the chores that the adults don?t want to do around the church. If only I had a nickel for every meeting I was in that the phrase, ?that sounds like a good project for the YM?, was used.
5. We are more than ?babysitters? in the church ? we are ministers called and equipped to lead.
6. Include us in the Ministry of the Church ? Communication is key to unity. Information reduces anxiety. Keeping each other informed out our ministries only helps us.
7. Please allow us to fail ? let us try new ministry approaches. Remember what is now ?tradition? was once ?new and cutting edge?. Also, when we fail, love us back to where we were. Don?t belittle us in front of church or it?s members. Praise us publicly for taking risks in the name of Christ.
8. Mentor us ? Make sure we are getting fed. Let us go to conferences, pray with us, hold us accountable, challenge us and teach us from your wisdom.
9. Be teachable ? Please be teachable yourself. Don?t assume that you know more than us. We just might have something intelligent to add
10. We also need a sabbatical. YM is a tiring and rewarding ministry. But we also need our time to be refreshed, renewed and time to be with our family.

That is my top ten list. Have I missed something? Let me know.
What do you wish your Pastor knew or understood about youth ministry?


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 TRACKBACKS: (0) There are 32 Comments:

  • Posted by
    Wednesday, November 09, 2005 at 1:56 PM

    Pjlr,
    Ok I printed off your original statements and my Senior Pastor read them.  He said it was not what you said but how you said it that made you seem like a micro manager. 
    He also had this to add on the subject:
    The S.P. does not cast the vision for the youth group in the church.  The y.p. does, but it must fall within the church’s vision.  Which He said the Y.P. has a hand in making.  In his mind and mine, the staff which includes me sets the vision of the church.  The board then checks the vision and speaks the will of the people in the church.
    I asked him about the freedom to disagree as well.  He said we can disagree, but if there is a stand off, obvioulsy we will go his route.  (Unless his route is immoral).
    As for the comments we both have been making, I would say they were not immature, but unimformed.  Do you agree?
    We both assumed things.  I am sorry I started the assuming however, but that was why I asked you to share your heart.  Oh well.  I accept your apology, I hope you accept my own.
    In Christ

  • Posted by pjlr
    Wednesday, November 09, 2005 at 2:38 PM

    Jade, Sounds like you have a great Pastor to work with and for.
    I don’t do a lot of blogging.  I only occasionally post a comment.  It is difficult to communicate when you don’t hear a persons inflection of their voice, facial expressions and other body language.

    I have a feeling we’ll both embrace in the kingdom.  Rescue the perishing brother, that is what we’re both trying to do.

    Peace

  • Posted by RevSteven
    Monday, November 28, 2005 at 9:44 AM

    Dear Jade and PJLR,

    Who is more important to the kingdom, Paul or Apollos? The one who plants or the one who waters?

    God is the one who makes things grow and work for HIS purpose.

    I think your blogs back and forth to each other proved the message of the original article....ministers on the same staff don’t understand or appreciate each other when one thinks “their” ministry is more important or “called” or “ordained” than the other’s ministry.

    God has called and equipped you both. Quit belittling each other. Its childish.The “senior” pastor, who’s title is found NOWHERE in scripture, is no more called or ordained than the associate or youth pastor, who’s “title” is also found NOWHERE in scripture.

    Paul settled this question a long time ago.

    Neither of you are “more” called by God to be “calling” the shots. Its HIS job alone. We are HIS “servants”, not dictators, manipulators or powerbrokers.

  • Posted by
    Monday, November 28, 2005 at 12:39 PM

    I agree.  I have had only one really bad experience with the pastors I have worked for.  I would like to add a few to your top ten:

    1. Communicate, communicate and communicate!  Communication is key in any working relationship.  Jesus communicated with His disciples, do the same with YM.  It doesn’t even have to be about ministry, talk to me about the game.....Just talk to us, Man!

    2. Practice Agreeing to Disagree!  I will fall under a pastor’s authority and be a team player, but allow me to speak freely.  You never know, the Lord may give us some better ways of doing things from time to time.  It doesn’t mean we don’t respect you or your position.

  • Posted by
    Tuesday, December 06, 2005 at 3:31 PM

    Just curious about the guy that said youth pastors are immmature…
    Do you really consider a youth pastor to be immature simply because they are the “youth” pastor? WOW. That’s all I have to say. WOW. For all you know, some of these guys/ladies may have once worked in the senior pastor/wife role, and felt God calling them out of that to minister to teens.
    As the wife of a youth pastor who manages about a hundred teens every week, I am offended that you have such a view of those who work with the next generation. My husband and I deal with ministry pressures also, just of a different kind than a senior pastor. Thankfully, we have worked under two pastors in my husband’s 6.5 years in youth ministry who supported him, gave him the freedom to pursue new things that he felt God calling him to do ministry wise, and allowed him to think outside the box, and even preach during the regular Sunday service.
    I am not basing my opinion of you on that one statement, but because I am married to a yp, and many of my husband’s friends are also yp’s, that statement hurts, and has no merit.

  • Posted by
    Tuesday, December 06, 2005 at 3:36 PM

    My mistake, you used the word “inexperienced,” not “immature.” Sorry for the confusion.

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