5 False Indicators of Laziness in Youth Ministry

Most people who are in the ministry consider themselves to be hard workers.  I have been in Student Ministry for 16 years and I have found it to be one of those professions that offer one of the greatest range of worker motivation in all vocations.  Some of the hardest workers I have ever met have been Youth Pastors.  Unfortunately, some of the laziest people I have ever met have been Youth Pastors too.

Regrettably, the world (and often our leaders and church members) often lump all Youth Pastors into the lazy category in the way they perceive us.  In my time in the ministry, there have been seasons when I have been working nearly 60 hours per week and have still been questioned about my work ethic.  So, what is it about Youth Pastors (outside of truly being lazy) that causes those around us to misperceive our work ethic?

1.  “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” .  One reason why so many Youth Pastors are Mac users is that they very closely resemble the persona of the “I’m a Mac” character in Apple’s popular advertising.  In most church settings, youth pastors more closely resemble the laid back, casually dressed, unstressed “Mac,” whereas in many churches, the Senior Pastor, Head Deacon or the all powerful church custodian generally mirrors the uptight, formally dressed, business-minded, stressed out PC.  (It should be noted that my Senior Pastor is “a Mac!”)

While those of us look at the Mac vs. PC commercials and laugh at the nerdy, out of touch PC, those who resonate with the PC persona look at the Mac as a toy for someone who fools around and doesn’t take his job very seriously.  Unfortunately, those of us in student ministry often perpetuate this stereotype by appearing disorganized or too cool to do something as “PC” as filling out an expense report on time.

The Truth: Student Pastors are often drawn to student ministry because of its casual environment and its creative culture.  We will often spend hours and hours working on cool videos, creative sermon illustrations, or out of this world events while neglecting the boring paperwork that our PC counterparts value greatly.  It is not that Student Pastors are lazy, it is just that the things they work hard at and are passionate about are not highly valued by those of the PC persona, and conversely, the things that we often dismiss as “boring” or “busy work” are often the measuring tool of a solid “work ethic” by our PC supervisors.

2.  The Curse of a Flexible Schedule–  In many ministry settings, much of the Student Pastor’s ministry time is at night and on weekends.  It is not uncommon for a youth pastor to have a small group on Thursday evening, go to a High School football game Friday night, have a guys paintball outing on Saturday, and then be at church most of the day on Sunday.  Of course, when the youth pastor strolls into the office on Monday at 11am, it is perceived as though he is just lazy.  While the secretary or the office administrator may have been at home with family on Thursday night, Friday evening, and Saturday afternoon, he or she may often perceive that the youth pastor has just been up all night watching “the youtube.”

The Truth: Many times in these situations, the Student Pastor is taking his son to work, getting the oil changed in the car, or doing a variety of things that the 9-5 employee was getting done on Friday evening or Saturday afternoon.

3.  Window Shopping vs. Back Room Inventory–  Honestly, most of the people in our church really only “window shop” the student ministry.  They only see the display in the front of the store on their way to another destination.  The average church members sees the announcements for the laser tag night or pictures from the Slip n’ Slide MessFest and assume that this is the sum of the Student Ministry.  While they might kiddingly affirm that they could never “do what we do” with teenagers, the truth is that they really don’t know what we do with teenagers.  Much like most people don’t see the late nights employees spend doing product inventory in the back room, most people don’t understand all of the things that happen in student ministry behind closed doors.  The logistics involved in taking 50 teenagers for a ski weekend in the mountains involves much more than picking out the hippest toboggan.

The Truth:  Student Pastors work hard behind the scenes to make those up front, public and exciting events happen and run smoothly.  In addition, while people may recognize the student pastor for the things he has on the calendar, it is often the logistical planning, sermon preparation, counseling sessions with students and their families and meetings with adult volunteers that are necessary to the success of the ministry that go unnoticed.

4.  On the Clock vs. On Call–  Ask any Doctor and he or she will quickly inform you that there is a big difference between having an “on the Clock” job vs. an “on Call” one.  When you are “On the Clock,” you work your hours, go home and leave your work and responsibilities behind.  A Student Pastor may leave the office at 4:00pm on a Thursday afternoon to help his wife with a project but later that night get a phone call from a student who just found out his parents are getting a divorce.  Those who are still on the clock may find themselves struggling with contempt for the “slack” youth pastor who is leaving work early, without realizing that while he may be leaving the office, he is really still “on call.”

The Truth:  In Student Ministry, we are always “On Call.”  While there is certainly a place for boundaries and a time to get away and be with family, we cannot escape the fact that the demands, burdens, and concerns of Student Ministry stay with us long after we lock the doors to our office.  If you love your students, love your ministry and most importantly, you love the Lord, you cannot help but find yourself thinking about the needs of those you minister to and the responsibilities that you have.  Whether it be going to a Student’s piano recital, getting a late night phone call, or even stopping for 15 minutes outside of Walmart to talk with a prospective student and his Mom, all of these scenarios take an investment of both our time and emotions.  While others in your church or even on staff may have greater ability to “walk away” at 5pm, student ministry can often be the most demanding ministry after hours simply because young people are often experiencing the most emotional turmoil and have less discretion in regards to when or when not to call you, text you, or message you with their questions and issues.

Ultimately, we do not answer to man in our ministries and if we are not understood by man, we can trust that God knows how we have been faithful in ministry.  Take courage that if you are faithful to God, He will be faithful to lift you up in due time.  However, also take heed that a “man reaps what he sows,” and that “God cannot be mocked.”  Be sure that every day you give God your very best effort and work hard in all you do for Christ.

 

 

Where Rob Bell misses, Charlie Sheen is right,and Paul picks up the pieces.

Where Rob Bell misses, Charlie Sheen is right,and Paul picks up the pieces.
By Warren Mainard

Over the last few weeks, there has not been a more tantalizing, humorous, and jaw-droppingly bizarre trending topic than that of former television star, Charlie Sheen. Seemingly out of nowhere, Charlie Sheen’s outlandish claims, behavior and “rock star from mars” persona has been pushed into the spotlight in nearly every traditional and social media arena.

In similar fashion, in the Christian blogosphere and amongst evangelical social mediums, Rob Bell, the author of the newly released book Love Wins: A Book about Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived has captivated the attention of American Christian culture and ignited an unprecedented social media firestorm. The central crux to the controversy is Rob Bell’s attempt to answer the question, “Does a loving God really send people to hell for all eternity?” While other authors will do a much better job giving a critical review of the book, the essential message of the book is that the traditional understanding of hell as a real, spiritual realm of eternal torment and suffering does not exist… at least not as we understand it. In addition, the idea that while some may spend eternity in a real, spiritual realm called heaven, billions will spend eternity separated from God in a place of torment known as hell is a “misguided and toxic message that goes against Jesus’ message of love, peace and forgiveness.” Bell argues that hell has more to do with what we do to each other than it does an eternal destination. In fact, Bell would point to the sufferings in our current world as evidence that we are in fact surrounded by hell in the present. Eventually, the conclusion is made that a loving God would never send someone to hell and that in the end, Jesus will save everyone from hell, whether they ever call on His name for salvation or not.

Yet, despite this seemingly blatant departure from a traditional understanding of the Gospel, Rob Bell does not view this as a radical new teaching or something that is outside of the teachings of historic, orthodox Christianity. In fact, it is becoming clear that for Rob Bell that the concept of a literal hell is nothing more than the metaphorical “spring” in his trampoline approach to faith and doctrines that he discusses in his book “Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith.” In Velvet Elvis, Bell describes his faith to be like a trampoline that bends and flexes and moves. Each core doctrine, while important, has the flexibility to be altered and even removed without causing the whole faith to crumble. For those who believe that some core doctrines are essential to the foundation of Christianity, Bell describes their faith as a “wall of bricks-” “If you pull one out, the whole wall starts to crumble.”

So, the questions we are left with is… “are there essential beliefs and understandings about Christianity that if removed, denied, or disproved would indeed cause the Christian faith to crumble or no longer be able to be called the Christian faith?” “Is the reality of hell as an eternal destination of torment for those that reject Christ one of these ‘essential beliefs?’” “Does Charlie Sheen really have ‘Tiger Blood?’”
OK, so maybe that last question is not necessary, but if hell is not a real destination, than perhaps Charlie Sheen was right when he said, “One day I will die and that will be the end of me, so I might as well get every possible pleasure while I can.” If there is no hell, if in the end, love wins and everyone gets to go to heaven, then why wouldn’t everyone adopt Charlie Sheen’s philosophy of narcissism and party in such a way that we all make “Sinatra, Flynn, Jagger, and Richards look like droopy-eyed armless children?”
Thankfully, Paul is here to pick up the pieces for us in 1 Corinthians 15. Here, Paul argues for the essential, core doctrine of the Resurrection. If there is no eternal life, no hope after this current world, than what good is the Christian faith?

“Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, bec

ause we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” (v. 12-17)
Paul is very clear in his teaching that to remove the Resurrection from the faith is to make our faith futile, our preaching pointless, and our sins unforgiven. For Paul, what happens after this life is a “brick” upon which our entire faith stands or falls.

“If in Christ we have hopet in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” (v. 19)
If we are to remove this brick from our faith, or other essential doctrines, we become “fools” and “trolls,” to quote Sheen. So, it seems that Paul and Sheen agree on one thing, if there is nothing after this life, than there is nothing better to do than to “party like a rock star from Mars!”

If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” (v. 32)
Ultimately, there are some key doctrines, Hell being one of which is absolutely critical to the validity and power of the Gospel and Christianity. To deny the existence of a real hell is to ultimately deny the necessity of Christ’s work on the Cross. To deny that Christ is the only path to heaven is to trample upon His words in John 14:6- “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” To say that people may be able to get to heaven through Jesus without calling upon His name is to dismiss Acts 4:11-12- “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

My prayer for Rob Bell is that someone will lovingly hold him to a higher standard of faith and help him to understand that there are some necessary “bricks” that we must stand upon as believers. I pray that Charlie Sheen might discover that this life is not all that there is, and that there is a God that loves him so much that He sent His only Son to save Charlie Sheen from his self destructive sinful nature and an eternity of torment and separation from Him in a real place called hell. For those of us that have a faith relationship with Christ and have experienced the abundant life He promises, we can truly say like Sheen, “I’m bi-winning. I win here (in this life), I win there (in eternity).”

The Kind of Faith That I Need

Faith in God to do the IMPOSSIBLE!  (Matthew 17:20)

A faith that believes he has received it before it has even occurred.  (Mark 11:23-24)

A saving faith that ignites a living faith.  (Romans 1:17)

A faith that results in Assurance and Conviction that the unseen promises of God will be fulfilled!  (Hebrews 11:1)

A Tested and Genuiness of faith that is LEGIT!  A faith worth more than $ (or lack of it).  A faith that gives glory, praise and honor to Jesus Christ.  A faith that results in SALVATIONS!  (1 Peter 1:7-9)

 

SOAP: Acts 9&10

Acts 9 & 10

S-  “What God has made clean, do not call common.”  Acts 10:15

O-  Peter had a vision about all of the foods (meats, etc) that were considered unclean by the Jewish people.  The vision was showing Peter that those foods were no longer to be considered unclean, but in actuality, they were to be enjoyed by the Jewish people.  But there was more to the vision than just a new meal plan.  He was also teaching Peter that the Gospel was not just for Jews, but for EVERYONE!  What I love about this passage is that God says what He has made “clean” (those who have been saved and forgiven) we should not be called “Common” (ordinary, boring, not special, not acceptable.) While you may look in the mirror and see yourself as average, God sees you as special.

A-  I should never think of myself as average, common, or boring because if God has made them clean, than they should not be treated as common.  In fact, we should treat each other with great respect.

P-  Lord, help me to see each person as special and extraordinary and important because of what YOU have done in their life.

 

SOAP: Acts 7&8

Acts 7&8

S-  “And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my Spirit.’  And falling to his knees he cried out, with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’” Acts 7:59-60

O-  It amazes me that in the middle of being stoned, being murdered, that Stephen would pray for the people trying to kill him.  He did not even pray for God to save him!  He prayed that God would forgive them!  I have no doubt that this act and the picture that it left in the minds of those present was both a source of sorrow and hope for Saul (Paul) and affected his entire ministry, especially as he was punished and beaten for the faith.

A-  This scripture challenges me in that whatever persecution I may face in America, it will likely never compare to what Stephen went through.  So, when I do get persecuted, I should also pray for the people persecuting me.  I must be honest… this is very difficult for me!

P-  “Heavenly Father, please help me to obey Jesus and follow the example that Jesus set and Stephen modeled by praying for the people that persecute me, do me wrong, or hurt me.

 

SOAP: Acts 5&6

Acts 5&6

S- “For if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail, but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them.  You might even be found opposing God.”  Acts 5:38-39

O-  Basically it is saying that if the Christian Movement were not truly of God, it would have faded away years ago.  Instead, it has grown stronger and stronger!  It also means that whatever plan or undertaking you might set out to do, you can know that if it is of God, it will be successful and nothing can overcome it.

A-  The key to being successful in my plans and undertakings is seeking out God’s will.  If what I am attempting is indeed God’s will, than it will be successful.  Most importantly, I know that no matter what, the church and Christianity will never crumble.  God has proven that He is with us, and if He is with us, nothing that stands against us will defeat us.

P-  “God, please help me to make sure that my plans are your plans and your plans are my plans.  I know if you are in it, NOTHING can stop it!”

 

SOAP: Acts 3&4

Acts 3&4

S- “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven, given among men by which we must be saved.”  Acts 4:12

O-  All throughout the chapter, Peter emphasizes the NAME of Jesus.  The name of Jesus is what healed the lame man and there is no one or nothing else that can heal or save.  It is true also today, Jesus is the ONLY way unto salvation and the only one who can bring us to eternity with God in heaven.

A-  I can only be saved through faith in Christ.  None of my friends, family, or neighbors will ever be saved without an understanding of the person and work of Jesus Christ.  Even though it may be comfortable referring to God in  more generic, “user friendly” terms, I must continually point people to the only name under heaven by which man can be saved.

P-  God, help me to speak with boldness and clarity the name of Jesus Christ so that the world will know salvation!

 

Rest for a Reason

Psalm 23:2-3

“He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters.  He restores my soul, He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

The reason God makes me lie down is that many of us have trouble stopping, slowing down, and being still, but that is exactly what we must do as His sheep.  God wants me to find time to rest, be still, and be fed (green pasture) in God’s presence.  A sheep can’t be on the move/going all the time.  Neither can we, to stay healthy, fed and fresh, we must rest in God’s presence.  The still waters are those places for me when God restores my soul.  I often find myself depressed, anxious, stressed, overwhelmed, or just down and my soul, like an overloaded and overworked computer needs to be restored to the manufacturer’s setting.  That’s what God does when He leads us beside still waters.  It is a non-hectic, peaceful, quiet time to drink in God’s truth, God’s peace, in the protection and loving watch of God.  When I allow God to have these times in my life, that is when God restores my ability to dream, He renews my capacity to experience and share passion, and reignites my desire to run and love for Him.  I can fully trust that my shepherd will not lead me down a path that is not designed for the development of my personal righteousness.  He will never guide me to sin or against His word, but the path of righteousness may come with a measure of trial and testing (thus the need for green pastures and still waters).  The paths may include amazing spiritual highs on the mountain tops, but they may also lead me into the “shadow of the valley of death.”  No matter where that path leads me, I can have full trust that it will result in my righteousness and His glory for His name’s sake.

I must be obedient to God by allowing myself (disciplining myself may be a better word) to stop and rest in His presence, in His Word, and in communication and prayer.  I must allow Him to feed my Spirit and restore my soul.  I must do this because if I don’t I will not be ready for the paths of righteousness that He will lead me on.  When I find myself in moments of amazing highs I must be sure to account that to my personal development of righteousness and as an opportunity to give God glory for His name sake.  In the valleys of death, I must also look for how God is developing my righteousness and I must persevere in praise for His name’s sake.

“God, feed and restore me in my times of quiet with You and strengthen me to live for righteousness in the valleys and on the mountaintops for the glory of your name’s sake.

 

Overcoming Your People Pleaser Tendencies

Colossians 3:22-24

“Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.  Whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord and not for men, knowing htat from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.  You are serving the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Slaves (which might also include- Employees, students, or anyone who is under the authority of others) are instructed to “obey in everything.”  You don’t get to pick and choose what you like or don’t like to do.  We do it, not for the people to like us or be impressed by our work, not just doing a job that looks good, but is not really good, and not just to avoid getting in trouble, but to honor the Lord.  We do all we do with sincerity of heart, because God calls us to be genuine, and passionate people.  While the world does not understand that, they often reward this kind of work greatly (for example, Joseph in the book of Genesis), when we work out of a passion and genuine spirit to please the Lord. “Not by way of eye service.”  Whatever you do, do not do it to be seen or noticed, but also, do not just only do the part of the job that people will see, while neglecting the part of the job that others may not see but is still necessary and crucial. Don’t just clean the top of the toilet, clean behind it too!  Don’t just do the upfront work, but do the behind the scenes work as well.  You are, not working to be seen by man, but by God and God sees what we do in public and in secret.  “As people pleasers.”  My greatest personal struggle is reverting to my default position of being a people pleaser.  No matter how much I try to justify it, pleasing people is idolatry, the height of pride and clearly sin.  Not only that, but it leads to stress, depression, and emptiness because you can’t keep everyone happy all the time and you will never be satisfied unless you are seeking to please God alone.  I believe that if I do the job and live in such a way to please God alone, God will take care of the other details.  However, I must continually check my motives in this area to be sure that I am not reverting back to my people pleasing tendencies.  “But with sincerity of heart”  Only God and I can truly know my heart, but I think that this means that when I set out to do my job, live my life to please God, that I am in the continual process of aligning my heart into the will and desire of the Lord.  The moment my motives change is the moment my heart loses sincerity.  “Fearing the Lord” This is in direct contrast to fearing man (boss, teacher, authority).  In my life I need to live as if God is BIG and man is small.  When I reverse that equation everything else gets out of whack.  Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom because if you live your life knowing that if you do the things that God commands then there is nothing else that can hurt us.  When I try to do things differently out of fear of consequences from man, I immediately put myself back on the path of foolishness.  “Whatever you do”  This is applicable to all of us no matter our age, vocation, or circumstance.  “Work heartlily”  Be a hard worker, but also be a passionate and enthusiastic worker too.  “For the Lord and not unto men”  We’ve already covered this, but we are reminded that while man may sign our paycheck, our true boss is the Lord.  “Receive the inheritance”  The hardest thing for us to do is maintain a kingdom-minded, eternal focus when we live in a selfish, instant-gratification world.  It is hard to focus on the eternal rewards and inheritance that the Lord has in store for those who seek to please Him alone.  What God has in store for us in heaven is infinitely greater and more valuable than any rewards or treasures we can earn in heaven.  “You are serving the Lord Jesus Christ.”  Once again we are reminded of who our ultimate master, boss authority and king is.  I may not like my boss or teacher but I love my Savior and for Him I will give my all.”

Ultimately, I need to…

• Obey those in authority.
• Please God, not man, Fear God, not man.
• Work hard with passion and enthusiasm.
• Trust in God’s eternal rewards, not temporary gains.

Heavenly Father, please forgive me for my pride and desire to please others above YOU.  Let me live this day with passion and enthusiasm as I seek to please you alone.  I will not fear man today, but I will live in reverence to Your commands.  Thank you for the eternal treasure You are storing up for me as I seek to serve Your SON, Jesus Christ.”

SOAP: Acts 1&2

Acts 1 & 2

S- “And all who believed were together and had all things in common.  And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.”  Acts 2: 44-45

O-  Everyone who believed (who was a Christian) got together with other Christians in a spirit of unity and cooperation.  They did not focus on what their differences were, but the focused on what they had in common.  Because the realized that this life on earth is not the most important thing, they were willing to sell everything in order to help those who did not have anything.  This was a big reason why the church grew so quickly, because it was so different and selfless.

A-  I need to truly enjoy being with all Christians (not just those who are like me) and I need to focus on what brings us together, not what makes us different.  I have to be willing to sacrifice financially and materially so that others needs can be met.

P-  God please grow me to the point that I focus on the positives in people and what we have in common and help me to be generous and giving to those in need.