There's No Such Thing as Part-Time

"Raise your hand if you're a part-time youth pastor or youth leader," said Kirby St. John. "You guys are my heroes."

What!? This was a little stunning to hear, and it was the first time I had heard it. Here's why he said it. As a part-time youth pastor, putting in time at another full-time job, we are putting in about 50-60 hours a week-- not with our families. That's on the verge of, if not firmly entrenched in, workaholicism (don't even get me started on how stupid of a word that is). We was admiring our dedication to God's call.

It was good to hear from someone who is in full-time ministry for so many reasons. The first? Self-loathing. If you are a part-time youth pastor or youth leader, you may have struggled with this as well. I've asked myself, "If I'm called to be a pastor, why don't I just quit my full-time job in faith that God will have a full-time pastor job for me?" The answer of self-loathing comes back as, "Because I must not have enough faith."

That's wrong for so many reasons, but I'll touch on one: Paul, the Apostle and evangelist, worked a full-time job making tents (the type you see setup at a farmers market). But, as far as we know, he didn't have his wife and kids suffering from his absenteeism. Those kinds of hours require some deliberate family maintenance. I came home from my 40-hour tent making job, only to immediately head to my home office to study and write a sermon. In the in between time, my 3-year-old welcomed me in, and asked, "Are you going to stay in my house now? Going to stay?" As opposed to go to the office. Or church. Or youth gathering. Or a meeting. "Yes, I'm going to stay... it's my house too," I replied. He repeated his question a few more times, just to make sure I understood. I understand all too well.

The second? Recognition of effort. Part-time pay and hours does not mean part-time ministry. Ministry is full-time. Whether you have a set number of office hours, or expectations of hours "put in" to your ministry job, there are countless other tasks and responsibilities of student ministry that add up. Putting in 10 hours each work could mean: 2 hours for youth gathering, 1 hour for worship team practice, 1 hour for setup/tear down, 4 hours for study/sermon prep, and a monthly meeting with leaders. What we don't add is the time spent thinking about our next fundraiser for missions.Praying for kids. Praying for the leaders. Praying for God to lead us and tell us what to do next. Replying to parents emails about great ideas (they are great). Carefully thinking about how to reply to those parents. Preparing for camp. Preparing for retreat.Planning group events. Keeping in touch with kids who have been AWOL for a few weeks.  Some of that is just part of life. But so much more is either self-imposed or God-imposed. What gets cut out must be those things that God doesn't prioritize.

This could easily become a rant about how much a part-time youth pastor must do, but that's not the point here, because any leader in a church must only do what God has called them to do, and what God is telling them to do right now. The point is, my own self-loathing and embarrassment that I wasn't full-time was annihilated by an encouraging word from a respected leader. Someone who didn't follow that statement up with, "but have you thought of doing XYZ? It would be great!" There was no catch. Just encouragement. Just a word from God through his obedient vessel.

Free video loop at TWOTP - Solitary Place

The Work of the People: Loops: A Solitary Place Loop

"I can't worship on Sunday mornings like I do [at youth gathering]! My mom is there!"

This statement is simultaneously hilarious, sad, and true. Over the last three years, my heart has been blessed by the progress made and depth of worship attained by the students at our youth gathering. The truth is, if there was some sort of meeting scheduled on Thursday night that had some sort of time machine (with or without flux capacitor, I don't want to get technical), that would take our students now back to then(three years ago), we would have quite the discussion afterward.  Granted, most of that discussion would be regarding how cool it was to time travel, and wondering why we didn't make bets on how great the Yankees would do in the World Series in 2009 (world champs), but eventually we would be able to really talk about the differences we noticed.

So what changed?  Hearts changed.  We elevated the Word of God, and more deliberately preached from scripture about what it means to worship.  I remember it well-- we preached a series on "Resisting The Devil," which included a message on the occult and a message on what it means to worship.  The frustrated worship leader had left for another congregation where he felt he be utilized more to God's purpose.  We practiced worshiping scripturally.  We exercised those muscles that caused us to kneel, lay prostrate, and raise our hands.  That month of May, three years ago, saw the first sparks of real Spirit-breathed life in worship from the community of believers who were gathered.

What else happened? There were some kids who attended so intermittently that when they showed up a few weeks later, they were stunned.  They were behind the curve, and they didn't understand what was happening.  Some of them immediately responded to the new, Spiritual and expressive dynamic, but some bucked against that.  They essentially said, "I don't know what's happening, and I don't want to know."  Three years later, and these students still have a chip on their shoulder around their peers.  It was a chip that was there before this watershed experience, but that has persisted, despite the attempts to reach out to them.

And now, so many years later, the younger kids (6th, 7th, 8th) are able to look at the examples of appropriate and passionate worship that the older students are living; examples that those older kids didn't have.  We're building on foundations, and it's exciting! What example are the older students setting at your student ministry? Are they bringing the younger ones up along side them? Are they belittling their efforts? Have they forgotten where they came from (Deut 5:15)?

Before	Now
Like pulling teeth to explain that worship is not just singing songs-- it's about attitude	Able to ignore outside distractions and focus on Jesus
Just singing songs, goofing around	Giving themselves to God in worship
No physical posture of worship	Laying prostrate, raising hands, kneeling
No response to God's revelation	Immediate and obedient responses to God's revelation and prompting
"Worship" meant "Christian Songs"	Worship means the heart and attitude we have when we approach God. Just because it's "Christian-themed" doesn't mean it's worship
Only worship when feeling like it	We worship because God commands it, and his revelation to us requires nothing less
Leaving the same as arrived	Allowing God to transform through worship. Leaving better than arrived.
Only singing songs that are good, or make me feel good, or that I like	Slowly incorporating hymns of our Christian heritage and songs that come from scripture and doctrine-- not just "feel good" songs that you might hear on pop radio.

But Sunday mornings, it's a different story.  The students sit in the front rows of the congregation, but they don't "enter in" to worship like I know they do.  They are oppressed by fear.  I challenged them about this, and the response that came back to me was, "I can't worship on Sunday mornings like I do [at youth gathering]!  My mom is there!"  I don't believe that they're afraid of their parents watching them worship-- I think it's more about the car ride home and the conversations that they are trying to avoid. They seem to want to worship God, but don't want to deal with the embarrassment of being noticed by their parents doing it!

This is the desire to remain anonymous; to avoid attention from parents. If only we could help them realize that most of their parents will be thrilled by seeing such dedication and passion. God would be pleased with their sacrifice and praise. And the example that they set in what they teach, the way they live, their love, their faith, and their purity will free others to worship God as freely (1 Tim 4:12).

Free Video: Robbie Seay Band - TWOTP

Free video from Robbie Seay Band at The Work of the People.

Awaken!