sides
Journal of Student Ministries published an article on event vs. relationship driven ministry. Here’s the first bit of it.
Stick around student ministry long enough and somebody will ask you something like this: Are you an event pastor or a relationship pastor?
Most of the time the question is asked in a way that lets you know which kind of pastor you ought to be. If you’ve ever interviewed with a church, someone will ask the question thinking it’s a great question.
I even used to think it was a great question. But in actuality, it’s a ridiculously poor question. It unnecessarily polarizes people. But more importantly, it misses a much larger picture of ministry.
You can get the rest of the article here. And yes, I did write it. So go ahead and critique away…I think my fragile ego can take it. 
7 responses so far ↓
1 Heath // Sep 5, 2007 at 3:36 pm
megachuch? you write with a lisp?
2 jill // Sep 6, 2007 at 8:33 am
Hey man…I really enjoyed your article. It’s nice to see a youth pastor doing something good…especially through the eyes of someone who grew up in youth groups and going to youth camps.
3 loren k // Sep 6, 2007 at 9:12 am
“that should be the aim of every youth worker - to turn events into spiritual markers.”
that’s some good stuff brah. i guess, being new to the ministry hadn’t looked at events as such, with that purpose, although i’d say that it many times just happens this way. but to have a little more intent behind events is good stuff. thanks for the insight.
4 wayne // Sep 6, 2007 at 5:37 pm
hmmm, nice self promo here
A published man, I’m impressed…but not really…I know you too well
Love ya like a sis!
5 MarkE // Sep 7, 2007 at 7:27 pm
Congratulations on the publication. Keep it up! Did you email them the idea for the article first or send them the finished article?
6 MarkE // Sep 7, 2007 at 8:12 pm
Great article. I have lots of thoughts about this topic. Here are a few:
- We know that novel events are much more interesting and exciting than things we do week in and week out (like most of life). How can we avoid the mistake of equating the experience of novelty with a genuine spiritual experience? I worry that novelty is behind much of the experience of short term cross-cultural experiences. Dallas Willard is fond of saying that you cannot experience God on-the-spot if you cannot experience Him off-the-spot.
Along a different line:
- maybe relational and event driven ministries are both flawed. I would tend to equate both of these to traditional ways of doing youth. The numbers of how many youth continue with any form of spirituality after they leave youth programs are not good. Maybe both of these ways of doing youth should be canned, and a whole new model be adopted.
A recent article called youth programs “a holding tank with pizza.” Will parents tolerate something different if it is not fun enough to attract and keep those youth who really are not interested in following Jesus? Yeah it is good if you do discipleship, just keep the holding tank - it keeps them out of trouble.
I could go on, but that would be abusing you blog! Maybe would could take this to email if you are inclined.
7 Grant // Sep 7, 2007 at 11:04 pm
Mark - great thoughts and I agree with your concerns of novelty.
I would hope that our short missions/cross cultural experiences are more than that. I hope they are the seedlings of lifetime of Kingdom work and involvement.
I hope they are markers of stretching and molding. I know they’re not always but I’ll keep taking the risks there.
You can abuse my blog anytime!
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