I Just Want To Minister

Where has ministery gone to? I remember when I first got into youth ministry I swore it would always be about bringing the kids to seeing God in all that we did. It would be fun. It would be a place that they would want to hang out and have their friends come hang out.
But somewhere along the line all that got changed. Politics and Satan got involved.

I want to be able to serve in a capacity where a Head Pastor is secure in who he is and isn't afraid of another staff member being more "popular" with the congregation than he is. I want my house to be a safe house where teenagers can come at any time and just drop in for some "lovin' on", advice, prayer, laughter or just hang out cause they don't want to go home yet. I want to be able to have a Friday night party at my house for the kids to hang out at and get "stupid", laugh til they cry, eat, be able to spill pop on the carpet that hasn't been donated, and not have someone Sunday morning ask why we would spend church money for kids to just goof off at the youth pastor's house. (Can you think of a better place for teenagers to be on a Friday night?!) I want to be able to have a ministry that is more relationship focused than program focused.
I want to have a staff that is tight. A staff that prays together and holds each other accountable in a Christ like manner. A staff that takes a staff retreat at least once a year and focuses on what God would have them do in the coming year(s). I would like a pastor who supports his staff fully and only behind closed doors disagrees with them and their ministry decisions not publicy humiliates them.

I just want to minister.

I want to be able to just love on teenagers and church members. To do the ministry that I was called to do. To go to the hospital and pray with the sick and those scared of the upcoming surgery. To hold the hand of a wife whose husband has just died, and pray over her. Not have to worry about "getting back to the office". I want to be where the people are. Be in the schools with the kids, at the games where they play, the spots they hang out and not have to hear why didn't I put in enough "office hours".

I just want to minister.

I want a pastor who truly knows my family and tells me to "go home and spend time with them". I don't want my son to hate ministry because it took his daddy from him.
Somewhere we started to treat ministry like 9-5 professionals. Our ministry is one that is called. It means never being "off". It means we do not have "office hours" like you do. We should be there when you need us. But also be there for our family, for they need us.
I don't know when it was that we as ministers started letting the ceo's dictate how we should minister, because they sure wouldn't let us dictate to them how to run their business, but somewhere along the line, we have failed you Lord.
Are there pastors out there who just want to minister?

Because I just want to minister...


Pastor J

It Just Doesn't Add Up

God, I have been doing some figuring on my calculator and I have come to the conclusion that ministry just doesn't add up. I have been doing this for over a decade and I have to say, it seems that Your people are getting worse. I now know why you called them a "stiff necked people".
Why would someone want to give up a 9-5 Monday- Friday job to do ministry? No matter what the day is, you are really never "off". Don't get me wrong I love doing what you have called me to do, it's just that the numbers are starting to weigh heavily on the side of more negative than posivite. Let me show you what I mean...
Now, before You jump in here, let me show you my figures, cause as we all know, figures don't lie.

1. Everybody in the church thinks they are your boss
2. You have nere one "True friend" in your congregation (always having to keep a little distance, for job security)
3. You are disposable and replaceable at any time
4. Your family is uprooted and in constant state of never "settling down"
5. People wonder when you are getting a "real job"
6. Jealousy in your pastorial staff
7. Your wife starts to "hate" ministry because of all she has seen go on behind the scenes, from staff members
8. Ministering now is measured by the "Numbers Game" ("how many are you running now??")
9. Deaons meetings....need I say more?
10. People who have no idea what "Ministry" is are on the personel committee looking for pastors.

So as You can see Lord, it is getting pretty stacked up in there. I just don't no if it is worth it anymore. I wonder if the young ministers in seminary are told these things to look out for when they get into ministry? How many are getting taught to deal with a pushy deacons, members who think check books make them the king in the church, and parents who say you aren't spending enough time with their teenager? You see, it just doesn't add up.

Oh, Lord, I thought I would share this with you also. I got an IM the other day from one of my teenagers from a past youth ministry and we were talking about how they were doing. He says that he is still in Your Word and growing. In fact, he is inviting his friends to church. He wanted to thank me for all that I had taught him and for believing in him when no one else would....

As I think back on that conversation I start to wonder...

Maybe it does add up.

Thank You, Lord!

Pastor J