the Pastor in all of us

Last spring I graduated from seminary with my Master of Divinity.  Among the many congratulatory remarks I heard from family and friends was the question, “So, does this mean you can be a ‘real’ pastor now?

Almost everyone thought that upon graduation I would quickly pursue a different role in ministry, now that I had the experience and knowledge necessary to be a “real pastor”.

To back up, let me give you a quick snapshot of my ministry. I felt called into ministry towards the end of high school and decided to go to a Christian school. I knew I wanted to do youth ministry and so got involved at a local church during my freshman year. I graduated from a Christian liberal arts college with a double major in Biblical Studies and Theology and Youth Ministry (but to be very honest, my experience and internships at the church taught me much more than my classes).

Upon graduation I moved out to NY to start my journey as the church’s first full-time youth pastor.  With a year I was licensed by my denomination as as official “pastor”, which pretty much meant I could marry and bury people.  Sadly, I did my first funeral before my first wedding and it was a student who tragically died in a car accident. I am happy to say that I have done more weddings than funerals now.

Each year as I served at my church, various opportunities arose that stretched my ministerial horizons.  I lead an adult mission trip, did some counseling with parents, intervened in some family crisis situations, baptized people, etc…  A few years into the ministry, I realized that I was asked (and called) to do far more than organize youth group games, plan skits, and teach 15 minute lessons.  I began the process of being ordained in my denomination as a “Reverend” and also enlisted full time in seminary.  I remained committed to the youth ministry while growing in my knowledge and experience.  Clearly I was being trained and prepared to be a “Pastor”.

Now here is where the story gets interesting!

What I realized about half way through this process was that God was not preparing me for some future reality/role in ministry. Rather, God wanted me to grow and be stretched in this way for my current ministry.  I was getting ordained and receiving theologically education for my youth ministry and to help me be the best youth “pastor” I could be.

While I rarely break out the Greek in my youth lessons, the last few years has benefited me in tremendous ways in my personal and professional life.  The youth ministry has become much deeper and healthier.  I see myself much more than just a director of events or guy who likes to hang out with students and tell them about Jesus.

I realize now what I should have realized when I first arrived years ago.

I am a Pastor.

I used to envision the day where I would have the opportunity to lead my own church, i.e. oversee and train a staff, lead the church in spiritual formation, counsel, preach, teach, cast vision and strategically plan for growth (numeric and spiritual), do church-wide fasting, expose the members to deeper worship and meaningful service, and so on.

But I can be, and should be doing these things right now.  If we are truly called to be Pastors then our responsibilities and roles should be the same as if we were pastoring a church. We should take our calling just as seriously and with as much zeal, commitment, and passion.

The only difference is that we are leading students and not adults (primarily).

Friends, this view has revolutionized my ministry; from my philosophy to my daily approach.

As youth pastors, we are called to lead our congregation (youth group) into relationships with Jesus and deeper spiritual formation.  We teach, preach, counsel, recruit, cast vision, implement strategy, study, read, fast, and much more. Truthfully, any kind of theological education or broader ministry experience we can receive will only benefit us as youth pastors.

Whether you are a volunteer, part-time, call yourself a youth “worker” or “director”, we must be their pastors.  That is what our students need; that is what they are longing for.  They need guidance and spiritual direction that a pastor can give. And you do not need to have the word “pastor” in your title or job description to serve as their pastor.

Now if that particular word has bad connotation, then so be it.

We can change the word to anything we want, but we must not change the definition and responsibility that goes with it.

My title is Pastor of Student Ministries. I did not pick that title, it was given to me when I was hired. But the sad truth is that I did not fully embrace or step into that title until a few years ago. It really was upon my ordination as “Reverend Dan Haugh” that my eyes were opened to the reality and implications of my calling.

I am a pastor.

I am not a pastor of ministries however.

I am a pastor of students.

My MDiv. did not prepare me better for some long-term “real” position as pastor somewhere else and sometime down the road.

On the contrary, it prepared and equipped me to do what I should have been doing all along.

Whether you decide to pursue another degree or not, don’t let the pressure to be a “real pastor” tempt you away from what you can be doing right now….being a very real pastor to very real students.

They are much more than tomorrow’s church.  They are today’s church and you and I have the privilege of being their pastors.

So, step into your calling.  Embrace the pastor in you.

Rethinking and Redefining our roles as Youth Workers

I realize that the hot trend today is to call ourselves “youth workers”.  It seems to be a safer word than “pastor” in this day and age.  Using that word also helps us get credibility and find commonality with other youth ‘workers” such as teachers, coaches, and counselors.  We are all on the same team…that sort of thing.  I do believe that we must work closely with other adults and organizations interested in the well being of students, and I really do believe in the importance of a holistic approach to student development, growth, and maturation.

In the past, youth pastors have tended to focus solely on the “spiritual” aspect of the teenager, while often ignoring or avoiding the other aspects of their life. Somewhere along the way, their “soul” became much more important than their mind, body, and spirit (emotions).  We failed to see just how interconnected they are and failure to address these areas is a failure to address to true and full spiritual development of teens.

But at the same time, I have also seen the opposite take place.  Youth “workers” whether in churches or secular institutions work tremendously hard to bring mental, social, physical, emotional, and intellectual wholeness to teenagers. Yet, at the end of the day (or the end of their invested time with a particular student), nothing is ever said regarding their soul.  Now the problem arises when someone believes that a person’s “soul” or “spiritual” life is composed of all the above mentioned areas:

mind+body+spirit= soul

or

intellect+physical+emotional+social= spiritual

Again, I do believe that is correct to an extent, but I have found this model to be lacking in real transformation.

So, while it is all well and good for us to pursue health in those areas, we are called to more!

Whether you chose to define yourself as a youth “worker”, “leader”, “director”, or something else the bottom line is that we are all pastors.  This implies a radical new understanding of our roles and responsibilities.

We are not called simply to  direct activities and programs for students.  Clubs and after school programs do that.  We are called to the spiritual formation of students.

Whether you work at a church, club, organization, or school, we are all in youth work.  Yet, if we believe that God has called us towards this ministry, than our “work” takes on another added dimension. (more on this in a later post)

Now, in order to bring this kind of spiritual transformation and life change to teenagers, we must be willing to think creatively about our roles outside of the church and traditional parameters.

I do agree with much out there today about changing the spheres of influence and rethinking tradition roles.

Clearly a coach, teacher, or tutor will have much more interaction and time spent with students than a traditional youth pastor. In my area in New York, I am not even allowed to eat lunch with the students or be with them at flagpoles. (So I became a baseball coach and now have full access to the school!)

Also true is that students no longer flock to youth buildings or programs at churches (even if you have a sweet Rock Band set up).  Youth workers must be willing to go where the students are.

Hanging out at a local Starbucks, movie theater, or mall is a good start. That kind of exposure will help, but exposure with influence is much better. Volunteering as a coach, serving as a tutor, actually working at a local Starbucks…these are the kind of creative ‘out of the box’ roles and jobs that emerging youth workers will intentionally pursue.

Besides, some extra cash always helps as well!

However, emerging youth workers will gladly welcome and embrace any opportunity to serve the local community, not out of financial necessity but because of the unleashed potential.

I recently met with a church planter (former youth pastor of course!) who wanted to pick my brain about finding someone to work with the teens in his community. His church was around 100 people with only a small handful of students. They had no church building, no offices, and no meeting space for the youth.  His heart was to see the teens in his community not come to their church, but rather to be exposed to the love of Jesus on their turf.

So, his informal job description had this youth worker hanging out at football games, playing pool and paintball,  and spending time in arcades.  Even more astonishing was that rather than renting out the local Boys and Girls club some Friday evening for a “Youth Group event” (which probably would draw like 5 students), he envisioned the youth worker volunteering there and simply getting to know these students and building trusting relationships over time. In his mind, ministry would be the natural outflow of true friendships and relationships built over shared interests and activities over time.  Now there is a great model!

But for that particular community, I guarantee that approach will be far more effective and reaching than your typical youth outreach or youth “pastor” role. More students will be exposed to Jesus (through conversation and friendship) than if invited by the youth pastor to some event (because they would never go!)

But, the purpose behind this role is not to help students improve their basketball game and be more polite and respectable citizens. The hope is for them to meet and embrace the person and presence of Jesus and allow Him to transform their lives and futures.

I do believe that more than ever, youth leaders will not take on traditional roles in churches.

For one reason, with the economy the way it is, churches will be less likely to pursue full time youth pastors. A few collegues of mine recently have been demoted to part-time status because of the economy and have been forced to be bi-vocational.

But additionally, pastors simply do not have access to the places where students are…at least not here in the North East. As previously mentioned, I cannot simply show up during lunch with pizza to hang out with my students.

You may never get a student to step foot inside your church building, but if you can gain access and trust on their turf..than that’s a different story.

Youth leaders and workers need to be in the schools as teachers and counselors, on the athletic fields as coaches and serving in other capacities such as instructors and tutors.

Running after school programs, running a recreation league, volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club, working at Starbucks..these are where emerging youth leaders must be found…that is truly where the greatest impact will happen.

But we must always remember the reasons why we are there.  To love, serve, and introduce them to the person of Jesus Christ.

Why Youth Pastors make the best Senior Pastors

Here is what I personally think.

Youth pastors make the best senior pastors. ( I know I am bias!)

As youth pastors, we spend our time doing a host of things that spam the gamut of ministry.

We are constantly meeting with students and parents, counseling, talking, listening, praying, and mentoring.

Youth pastors are about relational ministry.

We also spend time actively involved in our local communities, finding creative ways to bless our area and make a difference. From community blood drives, free car washes, serving at food pantries, or park clean ups…

youth pastors are about engaging our communities

We spend time preparing lessons, teaching bible studies, and preaching. We try very hard to make the Word of God relevant, understandable, and practical to our students. We desire not only for them to learn more (obtain more knowledge) but to live more (follow Jesus).

Youth pastors are about the proclamation of God’s word in real, relevant, experiential ways

We spend time assembling volunteer teams to help our students grow spiritually. We find people to complement us and fill the voids where we are weak.  We see the value and need for shared leadership and accountability and utilizing others gifts, passion, and callings for the blessing of all.

Youth pastors are about team building and shared leadership.

We spend time trying to connect with other youth pastors, going on retreats and mission trips with other youth groups,and trying to get our students to see they are part of a much bigger family than simply our group. We (hopefully) don’t compete with other youth groups, nor try to monopolize a certain area or demographic. We partner and join together with youth groups of all denominations, seeing both strength in number and the rich value of diversity.

Youth pastors are about networking and kingdom building across denominational lines.

We spend time in God’s word and in prayer with others, because we realize we have no clue what we are doing, and realize the enormous task which we are called to. We never fully “arrive’ as youth pastors and are always looking for new ideas, casting vision, and finding creative ways to increase the effectiveness of our ministry.

Youth pastors are dependent on God’s strength for everything we do, and are not ashamed to be life-long learners.

We often get criticized and reprimanded for speaking our mind, pushing the envelope, and asking tough questions that ruffle feathers (usually of the old birds!). However, we do so because God is stirring us to think differently, think of those who do not yet know Jesus, and because we are attempting to discern where God is leading the church in the future.

Youth pastors think big picture and are not afraid to rock the boat.

As Mike Yacconeli advocated, youth pastors are not afraid to get fired for the glory of God!

But things seem to change when the title “senior” pastor gets slapped on someone.

Of course, none of us are perfect youth pastors. I continually fail and fall flat on my face in many of these areas. But as I continue to meet and dialog with youth leaders around the world, I see these things resonating and permeating our ministries.

Please, don’t let time or a change in role or title change your passions and callings.

I have seen it too many times. There should be a TV series called “Youth pastors gone bad”, documenting the unfortunate changes so often accompanied with transitions into lead pastors.

Now, for many of us, youth ministry will be our career. But for some, God may be preparing you for an eventual transition to lead pastor. But don’t be alarmed or afraid, because I do believe that youth pastors can be the best lead pastors.  The emphasis of course is on the word can.

My hope and prayer is that the things we strive for now will remain consistent over the years. May the worries and stress of “big church’ and ever increasing demands of adults not squelch the fire the burns within us.

I hope that this generation of youth pastors (future “Senior” pastors) will work together to redefine those roles and break apart some, if not all of those stereotypes.  For those who will eventually make this transition (and possibly the number will decrease with each new generation), make the transition with hope, courage, and faith.

And even if twenty years from now, we are wearing loafers and don’t understand the newest technologies, may we still be about the things we are about today.!

the next generation of {youth} pastors

A few months back I attended two ministry conferences, and what a difference I saw between them!

One was the Youth Specialties NYWC convention and the other was my denomination’s district prayer conference.

Besides the enormous contrast in ages,  I noticed a great deal of differences between the two conferences and the “ministers” who attended.

I really am against over generalizations and stereotyping, yet….

At the district conference, the pastors carried their Bibles, did not laugh at certain jokes, only seemed to talk about theology and church ministry, prayed long and doctrinally soaked prayers, and to be brutally honest, just did not seem to have fun or enjoy their time (in my opinion)

There were other noticeable differences that probably just come with age. The preferred style of worship music and lack of understanding new technology were just two. Can you imagine that some pastors there didn’t even know what a blog was!

I thought to myself “Self, if that is what my future in ministry is going to look like, then I am out”

Also, I wondered if that was what I needed to become in order to fit in and be a “real pastor” one day.

And when do I start wearing loafers and sweaters over cotton shirts?

I like my shorts, baseball hat,  zip up sweatshirts and iphone!

________________________________________________________________________

OK, now that you think I am bashing pastors, I will admit that when I got to know these men, I learned a great deal from them and found myself challenged and inspired in faith and ministry.

These are wonderful men of God who, although very different from me, have a genuine love for God and love for his Church. This I respect and admire greatly.

Clearly I am not writing about fashion statements, but I do wonder what the next 10-30 years of ministry will look like as the current generation of youth pastors transition out and a new generation phases in.

What will this new generation be like?  They are probably the kids with ADHD in your Jr. high group right now. Scary, right?

What roles and expectations will we put on them and what will they think of us when attending a prayer conference in the year 2020?

It is kind of scary to think that we are the next generation of pastors!  What will we be like 20 years from now as “Senior pastors”.

Will our humor change?

Will we wear loafers?

Will our youth pastors look at us and think the same things we often think now about our senior pastors?

Obviously, with age comes cultural differences.  If we try to act like our high school students or buy certain clothes or trends to fit in, then something is amiss.  So, I don’t think our senior pastors need to necessarily like David Crowder, blog, or wear clothes from the GAP.

But I do think there is a need for them to understand where we are coming from, what makes us tick, to give us certain freedom in our ministries, and to understand the importance of mentoring and relational ministry.

20 years from now, we will be old (at least in the eyes of young youth pastors).  On the outside, we will probably not fit in or look cool.  But youth pastors should feel comfortable in our presence, eager to learn from us, and knowing that we fully support them in whatever God is doing (as crazy as some of their ideas may be!)

Stay tuned for Part 2: Youth Pastors make the best senior pastors.

Reaction to ‘reprioritizing your youth ministry’ blog

I received some great emails in regards to my last article.  If you get a chance, read some of the thoughtful comments that came from youth pastors around the nation. I posted a few that I received.

Here are some final concluding thoughts and remarks

1)  Yes, administration will always be a major aspect of youth ministry (especially if you work at a church).  We cannot avoid it, but should not allow ourselves to get overwhelmed by it.

2)  If administration is not a strong point or passion for you…get over it and do it, lest you get fired!

No seriously, you can try to find someone at church who loves that stuff and then delegate a large portion of it to him or her. It has worked for some friends of mine and could work for you.

3) Some of you mentioned the reality of equipping leaders to do the actual “ministry” to students while the youth pastor tackles the office work.  Clearly this can work in certain contexts and might be a necessity.

However, I still hold that youth pastors/leaders are called, trained, and equipped to spend time with teenagers, not to sort through stacks of paper.

So, if that is what you spend the majority of your time doing (let’s say over 50%) I would really advise taking a mini-retreat and pray about your priorities and what you are really called to do and passionate about doing.  I know this from first hand experience. Probably 4-5 years back I found myself guilty of just that,  and I needed to get away and have a real good heart to heart (with myself and God)

Additionally, if the paperwork forces others to step up in their ministry and leadership, then that can be a good thing. But…don’t wait until a lack of time dictates finding and equipping more leaders.  We should be doing that now!  That way it is us plus a handful of dedicated leaders working together towards an even great impact.  We need to by paving the way and leading by example.

4) Also, I really appreciate one comment about trying to find creative ways to minimize the amount of paperwork needed and exchanged.

In this struggling economy, our youth ministry is intentionally scaling way back on events, trips, etc..that cost money and require paperwork.

Lunch meetings, small groups, and other forms of relational ministry should not require much administration and will often return far deeper results and more life transformation.

So, perhaps our transition away from program-driven youth ministry may free up more clutter from our desks, and allow us more time away from our offices to actually spend time with students.  Imagine that!