Читать книгу B.R.M. (Bathroom Reading Material) for Youth Workers - Jeremy Halstead - Страница 20

Regardless if you are a full time, part time or volunteer youth leader, commit to stay at least one generation of students; which is six to seven years, depending on if sixth graders are a part of your ministry or not.

When I was in college I was taught that the average stay of a youth pastor, across denominational lines, was eighteen months; and I believed it. So when I hit eighteen months at my first ministry I was very proud. At the three year mark I thought I had accomplished something because I had stayed twice as long as the national average. As I worked my way towards five years, and then eight years, I began looking around and asking other youth pastors how long their tenures had been. What I discovered was that everyone I talked to was staying well over eighteen months, but not enough of them were staying for a generation.

Fourteen years into youth ministry, and half way through my master’s degree, I had a professor share with me that he and some collogues had done a study and found that the national average was not eighteen months, but closer to three years; which is still only half of a generation of students.

I left my first ministry after eight and half years, and when I was in the interview process of the church I am currently serving, I entered into a covenant with the church leaders where I would not talk to, nor interview with, any other churches, and they agreed that they would not talk to, nor interview, any other candidates until God had revealed His will concerning our situation. After I was hired I prayed that God would protect me and my ministry by not allowing the temptation of another church or ministry to enter into my life. During my ten year tenure here I have only had one job offer; and it was easy to turn down. This is God’s confirmation in my life and my ministry that this is where He wants me to be: serving the church and my students for more than a generation.

Best friends Megan and Molly had just entered the youth group as new seventh graders shortly before I arrived in Eaton. Together, we journeyed through their junior high and high school years. They were highly involved in my ministry and in the life of the church, and I, in turn, was highly involved in their lives. I cheered Molly on as she played soccer, basketball and softball, and Megan as she played volleyball; and watched them both on Friday nights as they were both in the marching band. The three of us shared many dinner tables together. I was a guest in both of their homes and they were always welcome in mine. I was in the bleachers the day they walked across the football field, and across the make shift stage of their high school graduation; an event I would not have celebrated with them had I not stayed for a generation. Four years later Rhonda and I traveled to the University of Toledo to see Molly graduate with her bachelor’s, and a week later we were at Anderson University to watch Megan graduate with hers; again, events I would not have not attended had I not stayed longer than a generation.