it's not often that i flat out quote an entire post from one blog to the other, but i feel compelled to do it today for a couple reason. 1) i think it's really good writing and i'm not entirely sure i want to stay up even later tonight to write some more, and i don't think it'd be as great of writing if i did. 2) i know there is some overlap in the readership of both blogs but in case you're not one of them i thought it was appropriate for both audiences. 3) i really wanted to write something on this blog tonight because it didn't seem that my ordeal with blogger publishing frustration was good 'comment fodder'.
so without further ado:
get to know your pastor - family ministry
i love being involved with YOU - the student's of reallife.MINISTRIES. i enjoy getting together each week, hearing your successes, failures, fears, hopes. i love 'just chatting' with you either online or "unplugged" face to face. and i hope and pray that i'm making a difference in your lives in some way or another. (btw, i'm not fishing for compliments) (oh and in case you don't know btw stands for By The Way)
but let me tell you something that i struggle with . . .
you see, if you ask me what is most important to me, i'd tell you hands down that it is my family. in fact this point was reinforced in my mind/soul when i recently listened to a message by dr. voddie baucham. you can listen to this two part message here: day 1 & day 2.
my family is the most important ministry i have. i will have the greatest impact on this earth by investing in, providing for, protecting, and otherwise ministering to my own family. (you really do have to listen to the messages to get the full impact of what i'm saying) i can do no greater thing than to love and influence my family towards God.
like i said i love being involved with you guys, but 'when push comes to shove'; youth ministry isn't as important to me as my family ministry. to put it even more plainly: you are not as important as my family.
so here's the struggle . . . youth ministry is easy by comparison to family ministry. youth ministry is more or less centered around events. we have youth services, outings, camps, missions trips, conventions, movie nights, parties, etc. and so as a youth minister i can focus on the next event. planning, preparing, promoting. and when it's finally come and gone and all the youth have gone home, i can have this nice story of how the "youth ministry was successful" and "lives were changed".
family ministry, on the other hand, is day in and day out, minute by minute, every moment of the day i have little eyes watching my every move. how i react to people, how i behave when other's aren't around, if treat their mother the same at home as in public. as deut. 6.7-9 says it's all the time, in every way!
in addition to that, i sometimes spend more time involved with youth ministry activities than i do in direct family involvement. so although my heart and head say one thing (family ministry is of utmost importance to me), my actions and energies say another (ah your family will be around tomorrow, you've really got to finish this task NOW for effective youth ministry to happen).
so what am i trying to say with all this . . . i don't know. but as the title of the post suggests, i think you've '[gotten] to know your pastor' a little more.
comments or suggestions welcome.
1 comment:
Good writing indeed.
It's just a bunch of talk if we can't back up what we say with our actions.
Remember when Sarah & I quit youth pastoring and moved away from Wa? It was because the church wouldn't make it my full time job, therefore forcing me to work another full time job, while putting in full time hours at the church. (Youth Pastoring IS a full time job, and IMO... It is unfair for a church not to make it a full time position) I just couldn't be there for my family the way I needed to be with that kind of schedule.
So... Abe, I understand (I think) how you are feeling. I'll pray for you that you find that balance you are looking for, and that even with being pulled in many directions, you will be able to place your family in that number one position.
You inspired me to re-post what I wrote about being a father and husband. I think it's good to remind ourselves of our priorities.
God Bless - Tim
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