Time off

I have enjoyed the last two weeks at a slower pace. It has allowed me to do some more reading, enjoy the holidays with my family and get in front of the planning for this spring at work. But I would be lying if I said it hasn't been hard to resist working on the days that I have had space.

My office has been running on a bare bones schedule for the holidays, which means that I still get a weekly day off and have had and have a ton of time that isn't "work" related.

But knowing how busy everything else will be for this spring, I am appreciating the slower pace. The workload and return to the set schedule will return soon enough...and I think I will be ready.

Principles

What are the principles that you run your Youth Ministry by? What are the wins that you are looking for at the various stages? How do you adapt structures that we read about to your contexts?

Just a few questions from work today...

Christmas Gift

My family has gone through some revamping for the Christmas holiday in regards to how we give gifts. I got involved with the Advent Conspiracy a few years ago and it helped me re-evaluate how I looked at both giving and getting gifts. We used to get everyone in our family a gift (which at six gifts a person is big challenge) and the morning would be filled with unwrapping fun. Well, as a result of AC, we switched over to a lottery system and now pick one name to get a gift for. It is great! I feel like I am able to get one really great gift and also give one really quality gift as well.

This year I picked my little sister, who is a camp director at Kidder Creek Camp, which is a division of Mt. Hermon, and she needed some new gear to help brave the winter. I was gladly able to provide a ponytail beanie (which are surprisingly rare) and a Leatherman Kick, both items which I knew would get good use.

As for me? Well I got the most excited for my new ESV Study Bible that has my name engraved on it...must mean I am a Bible nerd or something...

This Christmas has been great, lots of family, lots of fun and plenty of time to spend with my new wife together on our first Christmas...but more on that later...

Mentors

I just want to pause and take a moment to thank those people around me who take the time to listen to me ramble and bounce what sometimes feel like "world on my shoulders" type questions.

Kevin Boer- You are an amazing man who is blessed with wisdom and patience. Thanks for the long talks, great advice and for believing in me as a young Youth Worker.

Brian Aaby- Thanks for speaking my language and for telling me how it is. By far some of the best ministry advice I have gotten thus far in my not so long career.

Angela Hall- You just get me and allow for me to grow into the answers that are waiting for me out there. Thanks for your honesty and ability to let me answer some of my own questions.

If you currently don't have some one who mentors you or who walks beside you in your context, I highly encourage you to find some one. It is one of the best tools that has ever been demonstrated to me...

Some Thoughts

So,

I am in the process of reading through several books dealing with structures of ministry and how we are to apply them into our various contexts. As a Youth Director at a Presbyterian Church, I am finding that some of the staff that is out there fits our context really well and others require a bit of stretching. Here are the big questions that I have going through my head as a result of these readings:

Is Youth Ministry becoming more about equipping and partnering with parents? Should the Youth Pastor title be changed to "Pastor to Parents and Students?

What role does Campus Ministry play in the everyday and big picture planning aspect of Youth Ministry? Students are on campus far more than they are with us in church, so should we be going to them consistently?

What does multicultural ministry look like for small denominational churches?

Can networked/community Youth Groups work? Are we witnessing the end of the denominational church in Youth Ministry?

As you can see, these questions are not exactly small and are not going to be answered right away, but I hope we make headway on some of them soon. Feel free to jump in and add your thoughts...

Youth Ministry People I respect and why

So,

As a first year youth pastor, I have come to find that I need guidance. I am constantly looking for material to go off of, consume and learn more about. I really want to be good at my craft and I wouldn't be doing it if it weren't for a few ministry heroes. So, those same people I respect are now the people I am turning to for advice:

Nate Rice: Jr. High Director, Forest Home- has probably helped shape me the most in my preparation for ministry. Mad respect for Nate and all the wisdom he has passed down.

Heather Flies- Jr. High Pastor, Wooddale Church- She was the woman that started it all. If it hadn't been for Heather and her ministry to me in Jr. High, I probably wouldn't be in ministry today.

Jordan Frye- Musician- Demonstrated a life of love that truly pursued the passion of Christ while we worked together at Forest Home. One of the most influential people in my life.

Dan Kimball- Pastor- Vintage Faith Church- His books have helped me land theologically and practically in my desire to work in a church, and to navigate the road of Emergence. Thanks Dan for your voice.

Angie Horn-Andreu- Program Director, Forest Home- Angie gave me the recommendation that gave me my first shot at Youth Ministry at Forest Home. She has not been as hands on, but she has helped shaped me more than she knows.

Steve Osborne- High School Pastor, Desert Springs Church- Best friend and partner in ministry. We shall walk this road together. It is always good to have someone to banter with. Not sure if I could do it with out you.

Angela Hall- Bethel University- Demonstrated to me that Youth Ministry is a way of life, even if you aren't a Youth Pastor. Thanks for the many conversations and for the priceless advice that you so freely give.

My Future Wife, Mars- For being the support I need. I love you.

And the many students, pastors, staff members that I have worked with. You are too numerous to name, but have still played a large role in my story and I am grateful to have had you as a part of my life.

Going to the Chapel...

After a busy weekend, my fiance and I have finally landed on a date and location to get married. It is now the time when it all sets in and feels really real, and slightly daunting. I will probably write about a few steps of the process in coming weeks...

formspring.me

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/Thecomebackkid7

Me and My Liberal Ways

I have been labeled a liberal in many cases through out my life. The tattoos, the style of dress, my politics and especially the way I approach the way the church runs. In my current position as a church Youth Director I am definitely seen as the young, mostly immature, liberal just out of college mind that still has to embrace the reality of the "real world". My boss even quoted to me that most conservatives are "liberals who have been punched in the gut by reality", meaning that give it time Wes, you will realize that with a family, kids especially, that it suites you better to play it safer and therefore be a conservative.

I am not sure how I feel about that. And actually don't know how super left that I really am. Over coffee yesterday, my best friend was able to point out that he doesn't believe that I am that liberal, at least not from a theological stand point. Instead, I am some one who rebels from the system and most of my growing up years was experiencing how the "system" was flawed. Church structure, government, the education system, cultural expectations are all things that I think twice about and sometimes will fight against just because I don't want to conform. I think that puts me in Driscoll's first lane of Emergence...the one that still uses the scripture as my base, but wants to see Church and therefore life gone about in a different way.

I have to ask myself, was Jesus a liberal? Was he a rebel? The bigger question to those however, is why? Why would he be considered liberal? Why would he be considered a rebel? And I believe that the reality of those statements is that Jesus knew that He had a better way, something greater than the system that was in place. So, where do I go from here?

A Sobering Reality

So,

Yesterday I took a trip. My best friend was in town and we needed to see the sights of San Diego and do some research for an upcoming wedding and possible seminary education. We ate good hamburgers (you know, the kind that you still remember 6 hours later because they sit like a brick in your belly) and drank a lot of coffee (well he drank a lot of coffee, I tend to get the shakes if I drink too much).

The most memorable element of my adventures yesterday though was the visit to seminary. The reason it was so important is the wake up call that is was to me. Here I am, 23, working in my career profession, getting married, living on my own, basically doing all of the "growing up" things that I was told would happen after college. I am sure that it is slightly premature because I am still 8 units away from "after college", but when life hits, you carpe diem. And those 8 units play a part in why I came to a sobering realization yesterday at the seminary.

I am not ready to go back to school. I don't even really like school to begin with, and seeing a classroom again sent chills up my spine. Those were chills because I knew at some point I was going to have to go back...but my visit had been premature. I have a lot on my plate right now (refer to the "growing up" section) and I just need to focus on those things.

So what about you pastors and grad students out there? What was your story about going back to school. Were you ever "ready" to go back? What is some conventional wisdom you can send to the youngin'?

Technology is not Dead

So,

I know that I am behind the curve, but I have found that the technological advances in our world have crept into my life. I have been a long time Facebook user, almost since the beginning, utilize blog reading as a source of "research", have a smart phone that organizes and helps make my life easier and now I am starting my own blog. Even in these times, I feel that I am pretty balanced in my approach and that they don't run my life. If they ever got to the point where they did run my life, Marla would not allow me to be like that for long. She already is telling me that I can't be "the guy who is on my phone all the time" and tells me that I update my status too much. So, we keep it in the moderate category of use.

But, I have to say that these advances really have helped me in my job as a Youth Director. The ability to look things up when I get lost or a planned event goes wrong and have move on the fly, or just texting students for event announcements. All of those things have become normal and expected, and I like it. There has been a lot of discussion at my church going around about how much technology is hurting our students and that their communication skills are being hindered, and I have to ask myself, is that truth or is it because the people saying those thing are behind the technological curve and don't know how to keep up.

Despite these new techies norms, I still find that my favorite way to communicate is face to face and make the most time in my schedule for interpersonal communication. I am the guy who still gets out of my office and walk down the hall to ask a question rather than just emailing it or using the intercom on the phone system. I guess that is another way that I stay balanced with my tech use.

So, what do we think? Is technology meant to be used in a balanced way or should we really invest more time and energy in keeping up because it is the future of what we say, do and even think? How does it affect what job your in, whether ministry, education, so on?