It's All About Relationships

I recently read an article about ministry that stated "make sure ministry is all about relationships."  This aspect is so important in Youth Ministry when you think about students and their home lives or lack of one, the friendships they have or don't have, and so on. However, this is just as true in ministry as whole.

"They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." 

I heard this phrase growing up often in regards to forming a relationship with someone in hopes of sharing the gospel with them. This method dates all the way back to the First Century and the approach Jesus took in His ministry. It was built on relationships. Jesus invested in people. Don't believe me? Read each one of the Gospels and examine Jesus' approach to people. The woman at the well (John 4)? Feeding of thousands (Matthew 14, Mark 8)? Eating with sinners (Mark 2:13-17)? The numerous healing? The miracles? He didn't do anything of these things for His own glory but to gain trust in those who He was ministering. 

Being a Youth Minister, naturally I think of the students. They need solid adult influences in their lives. They need us to build relationships with them. Most importantly they need to know that we care. Remember, "They don't care how much you know until they know how much care." Be real with them! Share with them! Minister to them through your relationships. 

Consider the following list as you begin to build relationships with the students at your congregation or the students you are involved with. 

Fifteen Ways to Show Kids (Yours and Others') That You Care" from "The Sticky Faith Guide to Your Family" by Kara Powell:

1. Ask them about school.
2. Find out their extracurricular activity schedule and go to at least one game, recital, or show.
3. Call them and sing to them on their birthday.
4. Swing by their house with ice cream after they've had a spectacular day.
5. Swing by their house with ice cream after they've had a lousy day. 
6. Keep your promises! (no matter how small)
7. Text them and share your three favorite things about them. 
8. Find out their favorite candy and give it to them for no reason at all.
9. Give them your undivided attention.
10. Ask them how you can be praying for them. And then pray.
11. A week after you asked them how you can be praying for them, loop back and find out how they're doing.
12. Learn their top hobbies or interests and then connect them with someone you know who can teach them more about what's special to them,
13. Let them choose the music in the car, and learn why they lean toward that style.
14. Send them something - anything - in the mail.
15. Give them your phone number and let them know they can call you at any time, whether they need help or just to talk.

Is the Gospel for all?

"The Gospel is for All" - Do you remember singing this song during worship at some point in your life?

For me, this song has been stuck in my head for the last couple of weeks as I have pondered this question, Is the gospel truly for all? Let me explain...

In this song the last line of the chorus says, "Where sin has gone must go His grace: The Gospel is for all"

Where has sin gone? across the world

Where must God's grace go? across the world

How must it get there? through the teaching of the gospel

Sounds simple right? Yet, I still wonder - Is the gospel really for all?

In God's word we read that, as followers of Christ, we are to be spreading the gospel. 

Mark 16:15 - "Go into ALL the world..." and do what? "teach the Gospel to EVERY creature"

Matthew 28:19 - "Go and make disciples of ALL nations..."

Romans 1:16 - " For I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God who brings salvation to EVERYONE..."

What you don't notice in these verses is that the gospel is only for people who look like us, dress like us, share the same interests as us, has the same socio-economic status as us... No, it says that the gospel should be taught to ALL nations, to EVERY creature because salvation is for EVERYONE. 

We may say, "The Gospel is for All" but our words and actions say, "The Gospel is for a select few."

I've always found James 2 interesting. The idea of favoritism and partiality is not a new concept. James addresses in his letter. Unfortunately, I have seen this played out too many times in the church today. James uses the illustration of two people entering into a meeting - one dressed to the nines and one who is poor and filthy. 

Which one is most deserving to be taught the gospel? You read that question and immediately thought, "Both, of course." However, I submit to you that in some churches today if a person came to worship dressed to the nines many people would flock to them and go out of their way to speak with them but if one entered who was filthy and poor they may not even make it into the auditorium.

"If you really keep the law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers." James 2:8-9

I confess, I have been guilty of this. I am not proud of it and I want to create awareness of our actions whether intentional or unintentional. If we are not careful, we will push away opportunities to share the gospel because of our partiality. 

Readers, we do not get to be judge and jury. We do not get to decide who receives the gospel and who does not. We cannot justify our actions with deciding who can worship and who cannot. 

The fact of the matter remains: There are people in this world crying out for help. They are in need of a savior. We have something to offer them that can be life-changing but when we decide who gets to know about the gospel we become like a country-club with exclusive rights to membership. 

If we deny people the opportunity of hearing the gospel and being a part of the church, they could very well die a spiritual death.

God established the church to be a family of people who share hurts together, who laugh together, cry together, who help those in need, who pray together... The church is for everyone. 

No matter how you look at scriptures - The Gospel is and always will be for all. For all nations, for all people regardless of what they look like, their socio-economic status, their dress, their hobbies and interests. 

Let's end favoritism and partiality when it comes to sharing the Gospel. It begins with you and it begins with me.

Our auditoriums may look different, that means we are reaching the lost! Let's reach some soul today.

"Where sin has gone must go His grace: The gospel is for all."

Andrew Thompson is the Youth Minister at Lebanon Road Church of Christ in Nashville, TN. Andrew is incredibly grateful to God for the opportunity to minister to families and students. He is supported by a wonderful wife, Joy (who is out of his league!) and a four year old son, Henderson (no relation to Freed-Hardeman). Graduating from the University of Alabama was a life-long dream while following in the footsteps of his parents. If you've ever been around Andrew, you know that he has a master's in sarcasm which leads to having a dry sense of humor. Remember: God is Good, All the Time!

Learning to be Content in Ministry

I've heard it said, "The Grass is Greener where you water it." As I have grown older and (hopefully) wiser, I have realized the truth of this statement. It holds more truth than the old saying, "The grass isn't always greener on the other side." The grass is not always greener, but it is certainly greener where you water it, cultivate it, and encourage growth. This has taken me years to understand. It all boils down to one word for me - contentment. Learning to be content in ministry and in the situation where I have been put. 

Early on in my ministry I was chasing the next big thing. I wanted the celebrity status as a Youth Minister. I wanted to be known for the work that I was doing. I wanted to be invited to speak at the big youth events. I wanted to brag about the events that I planned or was a part of via committees or board appointments. I wanted to the pats on the back. I wanted the recognition. I wanted to bring positive change to the youth ministry and the church. I lived for my glory. I would look at other Youth Ministers and think that I was not doing enough... In doing so, I worked tirelessly. The calendar was full. There were long days and long nights, often at the sacrifice of my family. The recognition didn't come. I worked for 3 congregations in 4 years. I was far from a celebrity and about two and half years ago I was humbled, I was brought low, and I was asked to resign. If you read the last paragraph, you noticed there was a lot of I and not enough God. I see so many ministers and youth ministers hustling to provide or plan the next big thing - I know that life - it's dangerous. Selfish ambition, the comparison game, and chasing the next big thing can lead to burnout and disappointment.

Contentment and the art of learning to be content has not been an easy road. In fact, I still find myself at times fighting the selfish desires versus what God is wanting from my life and ministry. Then, I read the book of Philippians and Paul hit me with some truth bombs. 

No matter who receives the recognition - Christ is being proclaimed (Philippians 1:12-18)

I had to accept that there are others who are more equipped than I to speak to young people at different events and that's okay - Christ is being proclaimed. That does not change the fact that I get to spend every week with the students who are sitting in front of me. I had to realize that the most important thing I could do was to provide to the students a study of God's word and help them to understand how life-changing the scriptures can be. I get to spend more time teaching God's word than the every now and then speaker at an event - I get to have a greater, deeper spiritual impact on these students. It is my prayer each time that God receives the glory, because I am nothing without God.

Be an Encourager (Philippians 1:3-11)

Could you imagine being an encourager while you are sitting under the watch of Roman guard? That's exactly what Paul does! He encourages the people of Philippi through his prayer of thanksgiving. He, also, takes a moment to encourage them to continue living for Christ while being pure and blameless, filled with the motivation to do the right thing. Now, could you imagine being an encourager when you don't agree with leadership or you are dealing with difficult people? That's exactly what you need to do. I am not always the best of this, but I try to make it my purpose to encourage others even when things might not be going my way. You know what happens? You receive encouragement through your encouragement. I feel uplifted when I have opportunities to encourage others. It's possible that you will receive encouragement from others because of your encouraging spirit. 

Find the Positive (Philippians 2:14-18)

Paul is awaiting to hear if he will receive the death penalty. He is unsure of his fate; however, he knows where he will spend eternity. Either way is fine with Paul (Phil. 1:21). Paul continues to encourage the Philippians to "rejoice and be glad" with Paul. How can anyone find the positive in this situation? Maybe you have faced similar situations where you walked out of an Elder's meeting feeling completely defeated... how do we even find the positive? It's possible you have had conversations with very difficult people who would rather tear you down than build you up - do they even have any positives? To dwell on the negative can be very detrimental to your ministry. It can cause resentment and angry to build up while your mind begins to think that the grass maybe greener somewhere else. The church is the body of Christ which is made up of imperfect people. There will be no perfect situation. Every congregation has their problems. Let's take our blinders off and begin to look for the positives. In looking for the positives, you will see opportunities to help the church grow, as well. 

Be Christ-Like. Be Humble. (Philippians 2:3-11)

Want to understand humility? Examine the life of Christ. It's hard to believe that the Son of God willingly gave up His spot on the throne knowing that His fate would be sealed in a cruel fate upon a criminal's cross. Paul reminds the people of Philippi that in order to be like Christ, we must learn to be humble. We must learn to put other's interests above our own, to count others are more valuable than ourselves. You want to see your life turn towards God? Take yourself out of the equation. Me, Myself, and I was my main focus when my focus should have been on God, family, and the students that needed a minister. It's okay to admit when you are wrong. It's important to humble yourself and submit to your Elders, even if you disagree. It's important to humble yourself and be changed by God. The result of Jesus Christ humbling Himself? "God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2:9-11)

Find Strength in Christ (Philippians 4:11-13)

How can Paul endure the strife, the arrests, the difficult people, the trials and tribulations in his life that seemingly happened over and over again? (2 Cor. 11:23-28) His strength came from the Lord. Paul was able to be content "in whatever situation" because he allowed Christ to be the King of his life. This allowed Paul to have the strength to preach the gospel despite the possibility of persecution. In whatever situation, we must learn to be content knowing that our battle is God's battle. Strength will be provided to us in the midst of the battle. Due to the strength Paul had through Christ, it did not cause him to run when things got tough. Finding strength in Christ will allow us to tough it out when we want to give up, when we want to look for other opportunities, and when we are in a season of trials. Believe me, Satan wants us to run in those situations - those are often the times when ministers leave congregations in a blaze of glory and take out everyone in their path. I pray that you will take a step back, look at the bigger picture, and realize that you are in a momentary affliction. God is still good to you and will provide the strength you need.

Let me encourage you, find contentment in the work you are a part of. The church only thrives and grows when its members and ministers remain committed to the cause of Christ. The grass is truly greener where you water it - let's quit looking for greener pastures and focus on cultivating the one in front of us.

Andrew Thompson is the Youth Minister at Lebanon Road Church of Christ in Nashville, TN. Andrew is incredibly grateful to God for the opportunity to minister to families and students. He is supported by a wonderful wife, Joy (who is out of his league!) and a two year old son, Henderson (no relation to Freed-Hardeman). Graduating from the University of Alabama was a life-long dream while following in the footsteps of his parents. If you've ever been around Andrew, you know that he has a master's in sarcasm which leads to having a dry sense of humor. Remember: God is Good, All the Time!

The Church, Ministers, and Suicide

Can I be honest for a moment? I have struggled with how to even approach this topic. In fact, it has sat in my drafts folder since October, 2019. I believe it is even more pertinent as we spend time in isolation and ministers struggle to know if they are "doing enough"... I want to share something that has been on my heart for awhile. This comes from a place of love and concern, not of angry or pointing fingers. It is an article that I hope will help us to be people who take care and concern for our ministers within the church. 

It was June 28th. I was scrolling through facebook when I saw a post that shook me to the core. It was the news of an unexpected passing of a fellow servant in Christ. While I did not personally know Brian, we had crossed paths. I had heard him speak to youth, seen the magic shows, and watched his infectious personality take over the room. Any time I was around him it was easy to see his love for the Lord and the passion he had for sharing that with anyone who would listen. Later that day, my fears were confirmed - another minister lost to suicide. 

You see, this is not the first time this has happened to a minister or even a leader of the church. It seems that once a month or more I read news of another minister who has decided that this life on Earth is no longer worth living. I do not blame the church, but I do think we can do a better job of caring for our ministers. Some churches are great at this, but not all are. Ministers are burning out at an alarming rate and we, as members, must do what we can to encourage and care for our ministers. 

A minister can feel lonely at times as if they are on an island all by themselves. We offer help and encourage spiritual growth in others, but where do we turn for help? Who can we talk to about our struggles? What will the members think if I share my sins in an open forum? How will I be received if I respond to my own invitation of repentance? These are often questions that ministers have to face. I know you already know this, but Ministers are not perfect people and should not be treated as so. We DO mess up, because we are sinners (Romans 3:23). The gift of grace goes a long way. 

So, what can we do? How can we ease the mind's of ministers so that they know the church supports them? How can we reduce the feeling of loneliness that a minister may feel, especially in a new place? I don't have all the answers, but these are just a few of my suggestions. 

Pray Daily

If there is nothing else that you do, pray for your minister daily. Most ministers and their families feel very alone in the midst of their churches. They may not have close friends in the congregation to whom they can go with burdens. They may feel that they can’t share needs because they, of all people, should have everything running smoothly. In truth, the minister’s family is just like yours. They struggle with similar issues and problems.You may not know the struggles that your minister faces, but your prayer can be focused on strengthening your minister. Pray for his family. Pray that the minister will be shielded from the schemes of the devil. Pray that the church will be open to God's word that is presented through the ministry. Pray for your minister's growth, the church's growth, and opportunities for God to work. If you truly want to encourage your minister, let them know that you have prayed for them that day. Additionally, every time you pray for your minister - let them know. Ministers, ask specific people in your life to pray for you. This way you know that everyday you have someone praying for you. 

Positive Communication

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14

When we communicate with our minister, it needs to be as positive as it can be. Often times it is the negative criticism that speaks the loudest, hurts the hardest, and stings the longest. Negative feedback is rarely followed up with any positive encouragement. Therefore, negative thoughts begin to creep in - Am I being effective? Is there anything I do right? Would this church be better off without me? This allows thoughts of sadness, depression, loneliness to begin to take hold. In Deuteronomy 3, Moses was probably frustrated when he was not allowed to take the people of Israel into the promised land, but God told him he needed to "encourage and strengthen" Joshua as he would be the one to lead the people (v. 28-29). In order to encourage and strengthen the one charged with ministering the flock, we need to communicate in a positive way. The family of God is supposed to encourage and edify one another, including those who minister to the family of God. (1 Thess. 5:11)

Seek a Relationship

Recently a question was posed, "How welcoming are we as a church?" I sat and listened to the question, then pondered how I would answer. As a minister, we are welcomed with open arms, shown love, and even feast together. After awhile, the fellowship and invitations begin to be less and less. Often times as Ministers, in a new place, people are hesitant to build a relationship with the minister. If they do, we might see they are imperfect. We might see their shortcomings, their downfalls, their sin. However, ministers are just like you. Ministers thrive on relationships, but often find it hard to find true, intimate relationships with members of the congregation. I would encourage you to seek out a relationship with the Minister. They need someone who they spend time with and not talk about the work of the church. Ministers spend so much time pouring into people spiritually and trying to build relationships that it can become very exhausting and draining. Ministers need you to want a relationship with them and to seek that out. 

Be Willing to Listen

Have you ever asked a Minister who they go to when they are struggling? Often times the answer is "no one" or "family". Let me encourage you, when you seek out that relationship - build a trust where a Minister can share their thoughts and you just listen. Ministers spend time listening and counseling others, but do not have anyone to listen when they need it the most. This often can lead to a feeling of isolation and being overwhelmed. Can you imagine carry your burden's and everyone else's burdens while not unloading those burdens on anyone else? Yes, Ministers should communicate and be open with others. Is this realistic? At times, ministers may not think so because they are the ones who are supposed to be leading. It's hard to share struggles with one another, especially if you are a minister. Listen to them, pick up on cues, and offer them what they need. More often than not, they just need an ear that will listen. 

Get Involved

Do you want to help your minister? Get Involved! Ministers stand in front of their congregation and they preach about the importance of being involved in the church, being involved in the lives of others, and having an active role in ministry. At times it feels as if the message falls on deaf ears, which leads to feelings of being ineffective. Do you value the church and your minister? Get to work! Ministers become drained preaching the same message and offering opportunities for involvement only to have the same people to volunteer each time. I know there are some who want to be asked - ministers are not always good at asking. If you want to be involved, why not volunteer?  The next opportunity you have to use your talent, don't hesitate - get involved!

I know this is very rough, but I'm afraid we are indirectly doing things to create feelings of anxiety, depression, ineffectiveness, etc. When the issue is compounded, it leads to thoughts that the world would be better off with that person. That is simply not true. Find ways to encourage your ministers daily. These are just a few ways to do that - What suggestions do you have? 

What have you done to encourage your minister today?

If you are a minister and struggling, please reach out to me. I am available to you - (256) 566-5790 or andrewt519@gmail.com. If you are having suicidal thoughts, please seek professional help right away. I love you and appreciate the work that you are doing. You are in my prayers daily, even if I don't know you by name. God bless you and your work!

Today is a Good Day, and Here's Why...

It's been a while since I have written a blog post using my personal platform. I took a break from this for awhile to write for a website, Walking in His Footsteps. Writing has always been a passion of mine, but often times it gets pushed to the bottom of the to-do list. So, here we go - the re-launch of "A Youth Minister's Thoughts" with Andrew Thompson.

Over the last month, I have used my facebook feed as an opportunity to write short letters to myself explaining why today is going to be a good day. You may have seen them and wondered why I was writing them, maybe you thought it was weird, or it's possible you skimmed over it because YOU KNOW I am a weird/awkward dude. Nonetheless, it has a purpose and it here it is. 

About a month ago, my wife and I sat at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) to witness a production of "Dear Evan Hansen." Dear Evan Hansen is a show that follows a teenager who deals with social anxiety. Evan Hansen battles loneliness, not feeling good enough, thoughts of suicide, and the pitfalls of a broken home. He is encouraged to visit a therapist who asks Evan Hansen to write letters to himself to detail what will be good about each day. In the midst of this, Hansen's mom encourages him to make friends by asking people to sign his cast, which was earned during a failed suicide attempt when Evan Hansen jumped from a tree. Long story, short - a boy named Connor, an outcast, signs Hansen's cast, steals one of his letters, and commits suicide. Connor's parents believe Evan Hansen to be a friend of Connor's that they never knew about due to finding the letter. Hansen, instead of setting the record straight, begins to lie about his and Connor's relationship. The thought of being accepted and having a relationship with Connor's sister, Zoe, leads him to lie and cover up lies... When the truth finally comes out, it leads to healing with his mom realizing that neither of them are alone and that together they could survive through honesty with one another. Evan Hansen reconciles with Zoe and realizes that even though deception was the wrong way to go about honoring Connor's life - He was able to make an impact in the community and on a hurting family when the apple orchard is opened again in Connor's memory. This leads to Evan Hansen's final letter:

Dear Evan Hansen,​
Today is going to be a good day. And here's why: because today, today at least you're you and that's enough.​

WHOA! That is a lot to take in. Through the tears rolling down my face as I watched this show unfold, I realized how real the themes of this show are compared to the world we are living in. Everyday people are struggling with the same thing - loneliness, not feeling good enough, broken homes, lies/deceptions... we could go on. So, the next day I decided I would take this show and use my public social media platform as a way to create a positive space. It has challenged me to look at each day in a positive light, even if at face value it does not seem very positive. 

If you're reading this - I would encourage you to create letters to yourself and shed positive light in our dark world. Everyday is going to be a good day, if we look at it in a positive light. 

How will you choose to look at each day? Will you look for the positive in every situation or the negative? 

This is the beginning of a series of blog posts that will discuss themes that were found in that show, particularly suicide. I hope you will join me on this journey as we have a difficult conversation. 

Andrew Thompson is the Youth Minister at Lebanon Road Church of Christ in Nashville, TN. He is married to the beautiful Joy Thompson (who is way out of his league!) and have the BEST SON IN THE WORLD, Henderson. They enjoy sharing life together, ministering to teens and families, Alabama football (Roll Tide!), and musical theatre. Andrew is a proud supporter of sarcasm and dry sense of humors. Thank you for reading!

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Dear Rose Hill Family...

To my family at Rose Hill:

Today begins a new chapter for both us. It is a very bittersweet day for Joy and I as we look to the future but remember all the great times and memories we shared at Rose Hill. Over the last 3 years, we have learned a lot about ourselves and ministry. We have shared in many wonderful moments while also enduring struggles and hardships with one another as we all faced them together. The time that we have spent at Rose Hill is something that we would not want to change for anything in the world. You all have meant so much to our family. We have built relationships that will continue to last and memories that will never fade. Thank you is not enough for all that you have done for us.

While it has been a short 3 years, a lot took place during our time together. I would like to take a moment to highlight some of the positives that came over the last 3 years. These could only be accomplished with God and Him alone. Without Him, none of this would have been possible. I take no credit for these items but I give all the due to an almighty and powerful God who blesses us so richly.

• 15 young people put on Christ in baptism during the last 3 years.
• The students chose to identify as Fusion Student Ministry and take on the mentality of being a family and using our many different talents to glorify God as one group. 
• We adopted the Peacock as our youth group mascot - Funny story... check out The Peacock Way for more details.
• Fusion Student Ministry expanded into Fusion Student Ministries to bring focus to our younger age children by adding Fusion Minis (K and under) and Fusion Kids (1st-5th Grades).
• Two ministry teams were formed - A youth ministry team and a children's ministry team.
• We became involved with the Lads to Leaders program and saw great success from all participants in our first year. The coolest part? The number of adults who participated. You guys rock! Keep being an example for our kids.
• A young adult ministry was started which includes a class on Sunday mornings for this group.
• We saw the revitalization of the First Saturday Club which was met with success and will continue in the fall.
• I was pied in the face one time (or 25 times) because our kids met the challenge of having 25 in the youth class at VBS every night. 
• VBS had continued success and growth each year - It is now a premiere event in our community. Thanks VBS team!
• I am not going to take credit for this - However, our Trunk or Treat has exploded over the last 2 years. Hundreds of people have come through our parking lot to be a part of our Trunk or Treat. Thank you Julie Hill and the Trunk or Treat team!
• 5th Sunday night youth worship was always a highlight. What an awesome training tool for our young men. It was great to see growth every time they participated.
• The youth group participated in 2 domestic mission trips to Orlando, FL. For many of them, this was their first time doing mission work. 
• Impact Workcamp was born. We saw the successful completion of 2 workcamps in Columbus, GA and Ellijay, GA. Lord willing a third one will take place in Augusta, GA next summer.
• A group of students and adults wanted to focus on making sure that relationships were being built and time was being invested in everyone, that no one felt left out. So, the Lunch Ladies ministry was born!
• Outreach and service became a focal point of all that we did.
• We centered our calendar around these 3 concepts: Seek God. Serve Others. Go into the World.
• Bring a Friend Night was established which evolved into Fwednesday. Can't be a free meal and fun with friends. Our largest Bring a Friend Night had 50 students in attendance.
• The yearly Senior Citizen's Appreciation Banquet continued to grow each year with superb parental involvement. We always had a pretty awesome wait staff, if I do say so myself!
• Most importantly, our youth group grew to be spiritually minded students who understood the need to take care of one another while serving God. Who knew! You can have fun together while doing all of that!
• and much, much more..... with more to come!

This is really just the tip of the iceberg of all the positives that have happened over the last 3 years. God is not finished and there is more to come. We have an awesome set of parents, adults who will step up to the plate with the guidance of a fantastic leader in Fred Carnes, the youth deacon, to continue with the progress that has already been made and is being made. If I were to write down every single good that has come our way, I would be writing for days... God is truly amazing and has blessed us all so richly. We could not do it without Him and give Him all the glory.

We will miss all of you. Our prayer is that God sends a fantastic couple that will step into the role as Youth Minister and lead you for the next several years. God will do that - in His own time. Our paths will cross again one day, but until then - This is not a "goodbye" but rather a "see you soon!" Always remember Romans 8:28!

Much Love,

Andrew and Joy.

Three Years of Leather

On March 3rd I reached the third anniversary of full-time ministry at Rose Hill Church of Christ. I was expecting an abundance of leather to come my way to celebrate. Leather shoes, leather fabric, leather jacket, leather bible, leather chaps... anything leather... By the way, I am still waiting..

During the last 3 years, God has richly blessed me with a youth group and parents that I love and enjoy being around. The fellowship we have is like nothing else. Someone once described it as a "Fusion Family" and that is truly what we are and what we have worked towards the past 3 years. It has not been easy to stay the course and trust in God's plan. It has been a little bit easier when we have a vision and purpose for what we are wanting to accomplish, so we can pinpoint activities and events that we want to be a part of that will further our vision and purpose.

However, the thing that I have enjoyed most about the last 3 years is all the ways that God has humbled me to learn many things along the journey and to understand that it's not all about me. Youth Ministry is about God and building disciples of Christ. It's about the students and parents. If it ever becomes about you, then you have a recipe for disaster.

Here are a few things that I have learned in my first 3 years of full-time ministry:

1. It's not about numbers. It's about souls.

This has probably been the hardest lesson to learn. In youth ministry, everyone looks at the numbers. "How many were on the retreat? How many were in class? How many did you take to Exposure?" The idea of numbers is driven home by each question that starts with "How many...". It's natural because we live in a results oriented society. It's hard not to be disappointed when you have put so much time and effort into an event/class/bible study and then a handful of students show up. It's especially hard when those who do show up are disappointed because of the lack of participation. It's not always easy to put a smile on your face and keep going despite the disappointment. At some point we have to realize that souls are more important than numbers.

What if our number oriented results turned into soul oriented results? Those few people who came to that particular event may have needed that personal time with you. They may have needed to hear the bible study or devotional that you have prepared. They may have benefited from it more than you realize because of the intimacy of the group. We read in the bible where 3,000 souls were added to the Lord's church (Acts 2:41) and we think that we need to do something special to reach 3,000 souls. In reality, we need to reach one person at a time, one soul at a time. What if Andrew had never reached out to Peter and introduced him to Christ (John 1:40-42)? We might not have had the sermon on the Day of Pentecost that reached 3,000 souls. You never know who that one person you might reach that could be the next Peter. However, we overlook them when we focus on numbers and not souls.

2. Everyday is not a bed of roses.

 Contrary to popular belief, ministry is not a bed of roses everyday. When I first began full-time ministry, I was excited. I looked forward to waking up everyday knowing that I was serving the greater good and changing lives. Youth Ministry is full of planning, studying, and building relationships and all of those things, I love. However, Satan goes around like a roaring lion trying to tear everything apart that you have worked so hard on (1 Peter 5:8).

Those relationships you built - torn apart. That event you planned - fell apart. There's at times a sense of failure due to personal expectations. There's situations you aren't prepared for that you didn't learn in school. What do you do when a member of your youth group is arrested? What about when someone openly practices homosexuality? What policy do you turn to for trips and events? What about the time you offended someone and didn't know about it? The personality conflicts, working with a multi-person staff, and the expectations of others can cause frustrating days.

Frustrations can build up because circumstances and plans aren't going the way that you would like them to go. Then you remember that God is good and He will take care of all that I need if I turn it over to Him. If I can remember that there God turns all things into a bed of roses, then on the worst of days I can know that God is my creator and Christ is my Savior. What can man or Satan do to me? (Psalm 118:6)

PS - I LOVE WHAT I DO! It's not always easy but it is a very rewarding work!

3. Patience. Patience, Patience.

Repeat after me. Positive changes do not happen overnight. It was egotistical and naive for me to think that I could walk in and within the first year shape the youth ministry into the way I wanted it with no regards to the current students or what the previous Youth Minister had done. 

Looking back, I wish I had done things differently. Instead of making some big changes within the first year, I wish that I had stuck with what was in place and slowly begin to implement some changes that I wanted to see. Even in that process, there is a certain amount of patience that one would need to have in understanding that positive changes will not happen overnight. 

In being patient, I have learned that I may never see the fruits of my labor because things may not begin to click until a student is in college or an adult. Some may come back and explain how I impacted their life, but most will not. I am in the watering business with the parents being the seed planters (I Cor. 3:6-9). Most of all, I understand that God gives the increase in His own due time. 

Also be patient in seeing events all the way through. There will be some things that you try that you know right off hand that it is not a fit for your group. However, there are times where circumstances effected what you had planned. You will have to spend some time in prayer and thoughts to figure out if this is something that might work in the future. Be diligent to see it all the way through, give it a chance, and be patient to try it again. It's easy to scrap something after one time. Someone who is patient will try it multiple times to have a larger sample size to see if it is a fit for your group or not.

These are 3 things that I learned, but I could go on. I could talk about being a team player, handling conflict, understanding different personalities you work with and worship with, making sure parents are involved, and on and on. However, I will save those for a later post when I can go in to more detail about each one because those are important, as well. Time does not allow for me to discuss these things in this post, but look for it in the future!

Find our more about our ministry at www.rosehillyouth.com.