How Do You Identify Yourself?

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— (Romans 1:1 NIV)

It is so easy to overlook these beginning statements that Paul places at the beginning of his letters. From New Testament courses it is obvious that this is an introduction and a place where Paul was sharing the author of the letter. My questions is whether there is more to it than that. There has to be since God wouldn't put it in the book otherwise.

First, of all Paul is a servant. Some translations say bond servant. He is a willing servant of Christ. No one is forcing him into service, but he is compelled by Christ to do such. As a fellow pastor of people, the question to ask is: Am I a willing servant of Christ?

Next, he was called by God, meaning he has been called out above and beyond that of the average believer in Christ. His duty to God runs deeper because God called him. He has been called to be an apostle, someone engaged in full time ministry, specifically a missionary or evangelist in his case. In either sense, God directed Paul into his vocation/ministry. All Paul has to do was be obedient.

Finally, Paul has been set apart. I believe this has some holiness overtones that Paul was filled with the Spirit and thus different that other people. He has been set apart for Gods purposes, and he has been obedient to that call.

In all, this is a picture of what a pastor should certainly be. A pastor should feel these things as a deep part of their identity. Paul certainly did since this was how he chose to introduce himself and identify himself.

• Are you a servant above all else?
• Are you 100% certain in your calling?
• Is you life set apart unto God?

How might you introduce yourself to others?

Stuff is NOT Enough

As I continue in my learning experience as a youth pastor, I have come across many of the usual stereotypes for youth pastors and youth ministries. The funny part about most of the youth pastor stereotypes is that they are usually true to some extent. Most youth pastors I know are a little crazy, extremely creative, and tend to struggle with organization and administration.

On the other hand, I usually hate most of the stereotypes of what youth ministries are, or at least what they are perceived to be. I want to rant a little about one of those stereotypes that irks me quite a bit. That stereotype is that as long as the youth ministry is doing "stuff" then students must be growing in their faith.

It truly pains me that the measure of a youth ministry to many is the amount of stuff that is put on the calendar. Don't get me wrong, we need to be having events, developing programs, and attempting to get students together; however, there needs to be more purpose behind everything than just to "hang out." For sixth graders, there are 7 years before they graduate and are off on their own. That's 364 weeks to disciple students to be lifelong followers of Jesus. We have a very limited amount of time to accomplish a monumental task.

Since there isn't any time to waste, we need to be strategic with what we do and how we use our time that we get together as a youth ministry. In the end, time spent hanging out can help to move students closer to Christ, but we need to be strategic in having our students invite friends. In the end, everything we do must have a purpose and a reason behind it that is Kingdom-driven.

So as you continue to work on programs and events for the Fall and beyond, ask yourself a few questions:

• Does everything on the calendar have a purpose behind it?
• How can I communicate the purpose to parents, church leaders, and my lead pastor for every event?
• Is there anything that needs to be changed in order for students to learn to follow Jesus better?

Seeing God in All Things

How often do you see God at work in your life? How often do you see God at work at your work? School? Free time? Family time? Ministry?

I fear that many of us see God all too seldom in our day-to-day comings and goings. Personally, I know that it is a temptation to go about living my life without really acknowledging God's involvment in hte many things that God is probably involved in throughout each day.

Yesterday, during Sunday School, I talked with the youth about what we believe that God can do in our lives. We often only seek after God when things get really bad or as a last resort once we have exhausted all of our other options. Seems interesting that we would go to the internet for answers when we have the Creator of the Universe on speed dial through prayer.

Let me ask you the same question I asked the youth: What do you really believe about God?What do you believe that God can do?

The answers to these questions will mold and shape our viewpoint of how we see God work in our lives. If we don't view God as personal and someone who cares about our lives, then we won't see God in the everyday parts of our lives. On the flip side, if we realize that God is with us always, then we will begin to see the many ways that God is at work in our lives each and every day.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:20, "For I am with you, even to the end of the age."

Don't forget those words as the work week begins again. God is with us all in our comings and our goings. Look for him, and you will find all the ways he is at work each and every day.

Youth Ministry Communication

One of the most difficult things about being a leader in any form or fashion is trying to make sure everyone has all necessary information. On the surface this seems like it should be an easy thing to do; however, anyone who has been in leadership for any period of time understands that communication is always a constant difficulty. In the end, I have found that some people will never be happy about the way you communicate and will always be out of the loop because they refuse to try to stay in the loop. With that being said, there are some very effective ways to get in touch with both youth and parents and communicate well with everyone. Here are my thoughts on a few common communication avenues:

1. Email

Email is a great tool for contacting parents and keeping them in the know. While students seldom have an email that they check on a regular basis, most parents are in the habit of checking email at least every couple days. 

2. Phone

Phone calls are great when time is short or inflection in voice is necessary. The downside to the phone is that it always seems to take up a large chunk of time. Maybe its just me, but I have trouble having short phone conversations. With that in mind, I only use the phone when I think its important that someone hear my voice. 

3. Text

This is my preferred communication avenue for contacting students. Most students have a smart phone with unlimited texting. This is their favorite avenue for communication, which makes it the best way to get in touch with many of them.

4. Social Media

Regular updates to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. are always helping in keeping everyone in the know. I tend to use Facebook the most since it is where most of my students are. In addition, many of their parents are also on Facebook so it helps keep them in the know as well.  Using pictures, video, or other media with posts significantly increases the chances someone will read it.

There are a ton of other forms of communication out there to use. What are some forms of communication you have had success with?