the    sides

Tim asks the question is Youth ministry biblical? Should we pay youth pastors?

It reminded me of this letter I wrote back in 2005. I guess I’m still a little torqued because it erupted a ton of emotive responses from my soul that I’m not sure I can print here.

I know a couple of people who are desperately trying to get into full-time ministry. My first question to them was “Why on earth would you want my job?”

Here’s how it normally goes - I love studying the Bible, I love teaching, I love [insert focus of ministry position] and oh yeah…I hate my current job.

I’ve got to be honest with you - there aren’t words to describe that kind of stupidity and shortsightedness.

Are you called to this? Who in your circle is confirming that calling? Are you equipped (or willing to be) to do this? If you’re not called to this - you’ll be dead in the water in less than a year. Oh, you might be able to stay employed longer than that. Most churches are incredibly gracious in that area. But your soul will be damaged and dried up. It’s hard enough for those of us who are called, confirmed, and equipped.

Secondly, the patterns of discipleship and reproduction of leaders you had OUTSIDE of paid ministry - those will be your patterns INSIDE. If you haven’t reproduced a spiritual leader as “laity”, you’re probably not going to do it as a “paid guy (gal).” The myth that you’ll have more time to be “spiritual” is exactly that - a myth. Trust me - you don’t really have any more TIME as a paid pastor as a lay guy working in the warehouse. You still have to MAKE time for that which is truly important.

Besides that, no one questions the validity of pay or position for doctors, teachers, plumbers, postal workers, truck drivers or lawyers (okay, maybe lawyers). Pastors - what do they “do” the other 6 days? Is it right for us to even pay them for doing such a grand and noble thing as teaching the Word of God? Most people couldn’t handle having their profession/vocation questioned as much as pastors do. Most people can’t handle the junk we hear and read from people.

Especially STUDENT MINISTRY. Do you realize that student ministry is the only ministry where the potential exists for you to get blasted from both sides of the shore? Think about it. Students rarely make it home with 50% of what you said. So as a leader you are constantly being misquoted and misunderstood with little to no chance of correcting it.

Challenge a student to grow up spiritually, take a risk for the Kingdom, or change a belief and you’ve a 1 in 3 chance in that going positive.

Option 1: Student blows you off, ignores you - calls church, you, student ministry “boring”
Option 2: Parent gets upset because now kid wants to spend life in Lebanon planting a church instead of working the family business.
Option 3: Both get it and actually jumps in the journey.

Now mix in either a defensive or weak Senior Pastor or Elder/Deacon Board who is more concerned with butts in seats and checks in plates and you’ve got a real minefield to walk through.

For the record: my current senior Pastor and elder board are neither of those things. I’m not just saying that. If they were, I wouldn’t have said anything. One of things I learning from Ray is how to be a strong leader, keep focus on reproducing leaders and serving the community in a way that is loving but uncompromising. It’s possible. We’re early in the journey but the groundwork is getting put in place.

Are those circumstances unique to pastoring? In one sense, yes they are. Just like there are a unique set of circumstances for a doctor, teacher, plumber, counselor, postal worker…whatever.

I’m okay with that. I can’t fix a car to save my life. I can’t fix leaky pipes either. That’s why I’m not a mechanic or a plumber.

But I am a pastor and I do know a lot about the care of a soul.

I guess I’m not as over it as I thought I was. Back to the healing place….