Cleaned out a closet and had a collision
Our HSM intern and I spent half the day moving in to our new student center this afternoon. We spent a lot time and effort prepping for Sunday. Clean out and setting up one of our closests. Its amazing what youth pastors hold on to… we a bunch of pack rats! I broke a sweat two times today, but as I worked I was very mindful of why we were working so hard.
There is so much we do as youth pastors behind the scenes. Cleaning closest. Setting up chairs so there are no bad seats in the house. We sit through countless student band practices wondering if they will ever “get it.” We stick around after the students have left to clean up so the church lady doesn’t yell at you. “Why cant you keep those teenagers under control.” And, we spend extra time browsing DYM to download the perfect sermon for next Wednesday night. (downloadyouthministry.com) Why? Because deep down we want to see students respond to Christ. Life change. But, being a youth pastor goes far beyond the stage.
I love Wednesday nights. It’s my opportunity to shepherd the flock. To share the truth God has given me. Admittedly, we have the big sound and lights. It’s real easy to fall in to the rock star, American idol, type of reality. But, I’m reminded every time I step on that stage… “He must increase and I must decrease.” We have a bunch of impressionable teenagers thinking you’re the coolest adult on the planet… But what they don’t know is you just walked on the stage with your fly down. So, how do I combat this temptation. I hang out with the interns and clean a closets.
Authentic collisions of faith happen when youth pastors humble themselves and recognize their place is to serve, teach, and connect students to the love of Christ. The big question is… Are your students admiring your dynamic personality or the reality of Christ in you?
Cross Service Collisions
Last wednesday night we had our annual Cross Service. It’s an event we put a lot of effort in to. The night is filled with stations students are led through. Shred your sins, Lord’s Supper Table, Prayer request wall, Art-deco experience, Feet washing, and the Passion of Christ video loop. We place a giant cross in the middle of our youth room and engage students with the reality of His Love for us. Our theme for this years Cross Service was, “His light in Me.”
There were so many collisions happening at one time. When students write out their sins, seek the Lord’s forgiveness and then place the card in a shredder… collision! When students have the opportunity to minister to each other by washing their feet… collision! As they begin to pray for each other, tears of joy fill their eyes… collision! It’s a night when real faith and real life collide!
I love engaging students around the cross. Hebrews 12:2 encourages us to “fix our eyes of Jesus” and we intentionally create moments for students to practically gaze their attention upon Jesus. I would love to hear how you engage students to fix their eyes on Jesus?
We love the Cross Service simply because of the many collisions that happen! I love youth ministry!!!
Broken Bottles. Serving our students the best way we know how.
Reading John 12 this morning. Mary broke out her best perfume and used it to wash Jesus’ feet. Everyone in the room was struggling to figure out why she would waste such a precious commodity on the feet of Jesus. Really, feet are nasty! Especially for those walking around with sandals every day. Mary spared no expense and didn’t think twice to give away her best to Jesus.
I’m reminded in this story of the youth pastor. Really?! Youth pastors get a bad rap sometimes for just “winging it” and not doing the work of ministry with excellence. We need to use our best gifts to serve those we have been called to serve. We don’t need to bring our second best effort… bring our best effort. All these years and many times I catch myself only bringing what is necessary to just get by. But, the moments when I and my team do our work with excellence, our very best, I believe God is very pleased.
Excellence is not just spending more money or finding the newest technology to make our ministries better but rather, its taking the best of what we have been given and making the most of it. Don’t plan last minute. Don’t wing it. Take time to think. At all cost, do it with excellence. Bring your best to the feet of Jesus. Your students will respond, the parents in your ministry give trust and your volunteers will sing your praises.
Our ministries need to make room for the work of the Holy Spirit. When we work hard, plan, think and give our best, I believe God honors it with His presence. There is nothing I enjoy more in ministry than to see a student respond to the presence of God in the moment, knowing that I gave my very best to plan and prepare. That’s a collision I want to be a part of.
Bring your best to the feet of Jesus. Serve your students with excellence.
Mission Trip Collision!
You would think the title of this post would freak out any youth pastor taking a group of students on a mission trip. It’s July and for most of us we are fixing to head out into the wild blue yonder! (or getting back from) I’m leaving this weekend, headed to Dominican Republic and I’m really excited about it. I LOVE taking students out of the country! Why? Because, I have seen my share of collisions! Collisions of faith!
When a students steps foot on the soil of a foreign country… everything changes! All bets are off! It’s an instant collision. Their perspectives change and their small bubble of reality explodes. Their hearts become so moldable! When faced with the reality that God works outside their bubble of Church and in a world filled with people who have never heard the gospel, or even the name of “Jesus,” everything changes!
The conversations I have with students sitting outside a mud-filled hut in the middle of a tropical rain storm is so FUN!! The wheels are turning and their hearts are bending with humility. God is at work wrecking their reality. What a beautiful collision.
Several years ago, we were prayer walking a remote village in the middle of Dominican Republic. We came upon a house with an elderly couple. Through a translator we learn that the husband was blind. As we sat and talked with them on their front porch (3ftx 8ft porch), we discovered that he was an amazing domino player! Yeah, WHAT?! Dominos! So, one of my students spontaneously challenged him to a game of dominos. His wife set the table, and I’m not kidding, within the first 8 moves, he won! He would use his hands to count the dots on each piece on the board, then count the dots on his dominos and place them on the board. After the first three dominos, he started smiling knowing he was going to win! After an hour long visit with them, they allowed us to pray for them and sharing a very simple encouragement. “God is with you.” It was an amazing moment… an amazing collision of faith for the students walking with us that day! They will remember that moment for the rest of their lives!
Some of the greatest questions to ask students on a mission trip to help them process this “collision” of faith…
- Out of all the things you’ve experienced on this trip, what was your favorite? Why?
- What is the point of coming here? Why would God bring you to this remote place?
- Why is it so shocking to you to be here and to experience a new culture?
- Whats the difference between this culture and your school?
- What do you think God is teaching you while on this trip?
- What is going to be the first thing out of your mouth when your friends back home ask you about this trip? (“awesome” doesn’t count!)
I love the conversations, the looks on faces and some times, the tears. There is a separation that happens in the heart of a student… their reality of life, and what they are experiencing. When I journey with students on trips like these, I try my best to listen more than talk. Many times I get “busy” managing the safety of the students on the trip (although that is very important), and forget to have intentional moments with students asking some of these questions. I believe every high school students needs to spend at least one-week on the soil of another country (not the bahamas laying on a beach).
I’m really looking forward to spending the next 7 days in a tropical rain forest with no cell phone coverage, cold showers, and exotic meals with 43 students & adults! Let the collisions begin.
I had a Collision this morning
Last week a high school student in our community passed away very tragically. Although he was not a member of our church, many of his friends were. Many of his friends were drawn to worship with us this morning. It is a tough situation for family and friends to navigate, but it was a beautiful collision of real life and faith.
After our service was over, we gathered all the students and parents effected by the tragedy to the altar for prayer. During our brief moment of prayer, we had the opportunity to give hope! Hope found only in Christ. In the middle of tears and painful guilt, the light of Christ was made known. The Lord divinely placed our church/ ministry in the middle of a beautiful collision of real life and faith. We had several conversations and prayed with many of these students right after we prayed as a group. Students were asking the hard questions, wrestling with their guilt, and looking for hope. Once again, ministry is happening in the midst of a collision of real life and faith. “Why would God allow this to happen?” “Why didn’t God answer my prayer?” “I should have said something!”
No one wants to lose a loved one or a dear friend… We grieve and hurt just as much as the students and family do. But even in the middle of the confusion, the hard questions and the deep hurt, there is a God who deeply desires to be in the middle of it all. Revealing His hope and peace. This is where God is calling us to be. A ray of hope in midst of despair, hurt and questions. We are the beacon of hope.
I’m hurting today and will be journeying through these days of visitations and funerals hoping to be a source of hope for these students. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4
Are you committed to the journey too?
theCore – Part 2
Do you love Jesus with your whole heart? Can the people you shepherd see your passion for Christ? Is there an expectancy deep within for the Lord to move in power with every time you gather? Even at a parent meeting?
It never fails… when I have a God moment in my quiet time, it always comes out in my preaching or when I’m having a conversation with someone. I can’t imagine doing ministry without having a close encounter with the Savior weekly if not daily. Sadly many pastors and youth pastor give of their time out of a dry well. They seek the Lord publicly in their ministry but never seek Him privately. Today, I’d like to talk through some of the core disciplines within a minister that I believe are necessary if we desire for the people we serve to experience Christ in very real and tangible way.
The truths God teaches you privately reflect publicly.
So let’s establish some good habits now as we begin our ministry that will sustain us and carry us on. When I first started in ministry 20 years ago, my youth pastor and mentor, Bryan Hall gave me a book, Intimacy With the Almighty. by Charles Swindoll. Admittedly I didn’t just pick it up immediately and read it, but several months after he gave me the book I picked it up to read it. What an impact it made on my personal life! Swindoll shared his heart as a pastor of pastors and provides some really great insight for us about how our private moments reflect publicly. I would recommend anyone to pick up this book and allow the truths found within it to encourage you and light your fire!
Let’s talk through some of the points he makes in this book about how we can establish four disciplines of our private life.
- Simplicity. The pace of ministry is tough fast… many time too fast. And to be honest most of the time its our fault. The pressure to constant fill the calendar or provide more opportunities in ministry. How is the pace of your private life? What about the pace of your family? If you’re too busy in those areas of your life, we can pretty much guarantee this is the pace as which you will do ministry. Trust me, I’ve been there done that, and no one can sustain a feverish pace in ministry… you will burn out! No matter how many interns you have working with you. Our students need to understand we serve and love a God who is not in a rush! Slow down. Be intentional with your ministry opportunities. Allow some margin within your ministries for the Lord Almighty to do His greatest work. Remember, if it doesn’t begin within the heart of me, then it will not happen within our ministry.Action step: Look at your schedule for the week. How busy are you? You control your schedule. Make a commitment to slow down. Say No or postpone a couple of appointments.
theCore – Part 1
I remember talking to a athletic trainer several years ago and one of the things he said was, “You have to establish your core before you can bulk up.” As young pastors we have grand visions of the future… big ministries… big churches… 1000s of people falling on their faces in repentance! But the reality of it all is there is no way we will ever experience these hopes until we establish a good core.
What do you believe are 4 essential CORE values for any young minister? How do you think these 4 CORE values can shape your future ministry? Here’s my stab at answering these questions.
C – Called… Not Convinced. When God called you into ministry he didn’t commit you to the funny farm. Although we might think at times, “God what are you doing!?” His call on your life is not a burden. Never treat it as such. What an honor.
Have you heard Gods call for ministry on your life? What was that like? How does a call defer from having to be convinced? Why does this matter?
There is a strong difference being called by God and being convinced. Being convinced is rooted in selfish motives. Whether we are convinced by the glitz and glamour of the rockstar minister or if one of your friend/ family members said you would be a great minister… either way someone convinced you. We need to be confident in His calling upon our lives because without this calling we would never be able to sustain this life long journey.
Don’t be a Pharisee!
This morning I was reading in John 8 about the woman the Pharisee’s brought to Jesus. They were trying to catch Jesus in breaking one of the religious rules. Have you ever wondered what Jesus was writing in the sand at the feet of the woman? I have too!!! Here’s my opinion. I believe He was writing her sin. “Adultery.” As Jesus rose to His feet, He pronounced to the Pharisee’s and to this woman her sins forgiven. He wiped the “sand written” sin away.
Pharisee’s were known for their judgmental and condescending attitudes. They were always on the prowl looking for someone to mess up. As a youth pastor, is this you? When a student messes up are you quick to point out and judge their sin. Oh, you probably wouldn’t do it to their face, but you would in your heart and with others. Teenage girls get pregnant out of wed lock. Your “rock solid” student confesses to drug use. The one girl you felt like had it all together, confesses to suicide attempts. These are moments when a youth pastor can stand in judgment.
So, what is a good first response in handling these collisions faith & real life? React at Jesus would. Bow your heart, wipe away the condemnation in your heart, and stand with grace-filled eyes and forgive. Guide these students with grace. Seek to come alongside them with love. Yes, they messed up. I did. You did. Don’t be a Pharisee in these moments. You have been called to these moments, and commit to the journey of restoration. After all, the woman caught in adultery became a follower for the rest of her life because Jesus showed grace. Pretty sure her life was never the same.
One of the greatest joy’s in ministry is when we see a life restored through the grace-filled ministry of Jesus.
Stability in the midst of instability
Teenagers struggle through hard times. They seemingly wander through it hoping they are making the right decisions. For them, every heartache is the end of the world. Every disappointment is a disturbance in the force. So, how can the youth pastor be a pillar of stability that stands the test of time and storms?
1. Their crisis is not your crisis. I’ve heard this said all throughout my ministry from wise people, but never really understood what it meant. I have this tendency to leave my cell phone on 24 hours a day (yeah, it yours tendency too? wow.) There is always a crisis at 2am. Really? For many teenagers a good night sleep can cure a lot of hurt. But, the fact that a friend is mistreating them is not really a crisis at 2am. Have healthy boundaries with your cell phone… I have found the “do not disturb” setting so freeing! It’s not that we don’t care about what’s happening in their lives, we need to be wise in how effective we are in ministering in the middle of the crisis.
2. When in crisis be around. Now when a teenager is struggling through a long hospital stay… be there. One of my students had both his lung collapse and he nearly died. He was in the hospital for 8 weeks… yep, I was there 3-4 times a week. Every time I met with him, I looked him in the eye and told him I would see him later. Stability can be found in your faithfulness.
3. Make your programing consistent. Now, I believe in changing things up every now and then, but when we run a ministry built on faithfulness and consistency students begin to know you (your ministry) can be trusted. Students long for consistency in their lives and our ministries ought to be structured to be a sense of stability. Do your students know that every time you gather, someone is there ready to minister, pray and encourage them?
4. Be faithful. You have probably heard this question from one of your students…”Can you come to my band concert?” As you answer this question, be ready to follow up. If you say yes, be there (unless absolute emergency). If no, tell them why. But, our faithfulness and attendance builds stability and more importantly… trust.
Students need stability. Are you and your ministry set and ready to provide what they need? If you know me, I’m a very structured person and I’ve found in ministry students appreciate that about me. Parents of my students love it too! It’s stability.
Now, I’m off to an Eagle Scout Ceremony. I made a commitment to a student that I intend to keep.
BOOM!!
So excited to be able to begin this new journey! I’m not much of a writer but the Lord has been pressing me for far too long… so here it goes! Completely walking in faith and obedience. My hope with this blog is to share 20 years of youth ministry wisdom. Trust me, I’ve had my fair share of mistakes, heartaches and plenty of smiles along the way!
Why “Collision of Faith?” That sounds tragic. I firmly believe youth ministry is a series of collisions. Where events of life and faith come together. Teenagers are trying to figure out where faith and real life come together. They’re asking questions through every life experience they encounter. “Where is God?” “I don’t understand why God would allow ______________.” I know the Lord has called me to serve students right in the middle of these COLLISIONS! As they journey through life, how does faith fit in? I want to be there to help guide them, cry with them, and share the love of Christ as they are working out their faith. Helping them discover a loving, caring God who desires to be in the middle of their lives. It’s a collision… and I want to be there at the point of impact to lead them to a deeper understanding of their faith and a loving God.
So, this blogging journey begins. Let’s share life together. Let’s wrestle with youth ministry, and discover together how we can glorify the Lord with every moment.
Husband, Dad, Youth Pastor, Writer
Fresh Calling: Ministry Coaching and Consulting 
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