I did some reflecting this past weekend of the time I spent in youth ministry…and the success and failures that I experienced. I have come up with the following list of things that I believe all youth pastors wish they could tell their senior pastor–here we go…
#1 – Pray for Me…And Tell Me That You Are Doing So!
There is something about a senior pastor that will pray over the area of youth ministry in the church that he serves. And there is something INCREDIBLE when a youth pastor is told by the pastor that he is being prayed for. I admit that I do not do this nearly enough…but that is changing after this week…Alden, Sandy–I GOT YOU!
#2 – Ask Me How Things Are Going!
I fear that all too often the senior pastor hires someone to do youth ministry…and then views that as the monkey off his back–when in fact I have rarely ever seen a successful youth ministry that didn’t have the support of the senior pastor. I try my best to make it around to Alden and Sandy every week to ask them how things are going–and NOT because I feel like I have to–but because I CARE. The pastor I served under before coming here, Bill Rigsby, modeled this for me in an incredible way!
#3 – Support the Ministry (and Me) from the Pulpit!
The pastor is the lead communicator and vision caster in the church…and if he is not speaking about youth ministry and modeling a desire to reach teenagers, then the church will think it is not important. I told our church this morning that our 2,500-seat sanctuary will one day be our youth building because these teens are so fired up that they are going to turn this entire county upside down for Jesus Christ. You should have seen the expression of the people–they were FIRED UP…along with our teens!
And let me say this–support the actual youth pastor from the pulpit–in many churches, this dude simply serves as “announcement boy” and various other activities…and is rarely recognized–this, once again, was modeled by my former pastor beautifully.
One more thing–I understand well that MANY youth pastors seem to be gifted with stupidity. They do really dumb things at times…I KNOW I DID! It seems like I was ALWAYS in trouble. But Bill always supported me…he never–EVER–lectured me from the pulpit and never talked bad about me when I messed up. He WOULD talk to me in private, behind closed doors–but NEVER did he EVER tear me down in order to appease a ticked off parent. He had my back!
#4 – Don’t Make Me Do Fundraisers!
I have NEVER–EVER–met a youth pastor that ENJOYS raising money–EVER! I have done it all: car washes, bake sales, t-shirt sales, youth auctions…you name it! And we would go out and work our tails off for $300–when there were several people in our church that could have written that check…had the senior pastor simply asked.
I know, I know, I hear the senior pastor’s argument, “Well, if they work for it–they appreciate it more.” Can I just say that if that is your attitude, then you are full of crap! They appreciate it more when a church believes in them enough to invest in them–period!
And my question is this–why is it that the senior pastor will make the youth group do fundraisers…but won’t ask the senior adults to do the same when they desire to go to the mountains and pick apples? And please don’t hand me, “Well–they pay the bills around here” crap–if they pay the bills and have a heart for missions, then they should realize that this world is not about them and that the largest mission field in America is teenagers!
So what do we do when a kid can’t afford to go? Simple–the church covers the cost–period. And don’t think that we can do that because we are a big church–I remember when we had 200 people coming, and I stood in front of our church and asked people to step up and write a check so that the kids could go to camp. As long as I am pastor–we WILL invest in kids and WILL NOT make them do fundraisers.
#5 – Pay Me Well!
I think I just heard a youth pastor shout, “Amen!”
Let’s be honest–you don’t go into youth ministry to make money–BUT youth ministers should NOT have to take a vow of poverty.
My first full time job in youth ministry, I made $16,000 a year…it’s hard to live on that. However, as I look at the national averages youth pastors, just aren’t making enough money–and it needs to be kept in mind that they need to be able to do things…such as eat and have a place to live.
Pastors–a good youth minister is worth the money! He, through an awesome ministry, will attract more than enough tithing families who will give enough to pay his salary and support the ministry he is called to do. Paying youth pastors well is the job of the senior pastor–step up and make sure these people are being taken care of…because if you don’t have an effective youth ministry–then you do not have an effective church.
To our parents and church members, let me say this–our entire youth staff is paid well–they are taken care of…and will always be–the leadership of this church will always make sure of that.
Let me also say to the parents of this church that awesome things are heading our way in regard to the youth AND children’s ministry–keep your eyes and ears open…and put your seatbelts on! It’s going to be awesome!
