I’m wired to lead.
I’m a Type A with a healthy dose
of “brash” with a dash of “bulldoze” mixed in. I like to make leadership
decisions when I see problems, and I’ll work my tail off to make certain things
happen. When I see issues or situations that involve or affect my ministry
context, I want to jump in and fix it.
The problem is doing so within
the boundaries of my given role.
Now I can go talk to my senior pastor
and pitch why and maybe how we need to address this issue. But what happens
when he don’t feel the same urgency I feel? And what about the issues that I
know I can handle on my own? I’ve got 11+ years of youth ministry experience to
draw from. Surely I can’t be completely off my rocker right?
When I bring up issues that don’t
get heard the way I think they should, I tend to walk away frustrated, and with
a fair amount of tension welling up in me. I get frustrated that my “leadership
voice” wasn’t valued or used. I attempt to try and have upwards influence. But
really how much can I expect to have? I’m just the youth guy, right?
But, over the years I have come
to view this a little differently. I’ve often
wondered how much energy have I expelled focusing on things that are outside my
ministry responsibility? How often have I become distracted because of issues I
want to solve that really don’t need solving by me? How many students
have I not been able to meet with because I was focused on issues out of my
control?
This isn’t a pitch to not care
about your church. But it is a serious challenge to
look at our job descriptions with eyes wide open. It is a challenge to apply a
key word for our jobs: submission.
I’ve seen several friends move
from youth ministry to a senior pastor role. Each one of them has echoed
the same thought, “If most youth pastors only knew half the stuff we have to
deal with.” Those friends whom I respect and trust know what they’re talking
about. What they need are people to stand by them and support them, not
second-guess them.
I know that my desires to lead
and to address the needs I see will always be there. But the best thing I can
do for my church is be the best youth pastor I can be. That means knowing my
role and doing it well. I need to be accountable to what’s in front of me and
not what I go looking for.
I believe in have upward
influence. I believe in being a team player. I believe in supporting the
leadership that has been placed above me. I support being proactive and not
reactive with ministry for people. I want to be a leader who is a catalyst for
change . . .
and nothing is keeping me from
doing any of this in the role I’ve been hired for.
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