Lesson 15. Find your weekly "release" and guard it against all else.

All working people need a release- something that allows them to get away from the frustrations and stresses of the work week and focus on something completely and totally different. A release gives every part of your body a break- your mind, your emotions, even your physical body. It also gives you something to look forward to, a "goal" that you "earn" each week after 5 days of the 9-5.

This is just as true for ministers, if not more sometimes. For ministers, our job spans multiple environments. When we're at the church, we're on the job. When we're at home we're on the job. When we're out with family or friends, or even just out by ourselves...sadly, we're "on call." There are jobs like this, too. My uncle Bobby was a claims adjuster for Union Pacific, and phone calls in the middle of the night were simply part of the job. Ministry is no different...even Youth Ministry. The flip side of really "being there" for your teenagers is that once they trust you enough, there is no time that they won't call you. And don't think I'm complaining...I'm not at all. I enjoy being there for my junior high kids, day and night. I really truly do. But you must be prepared to be on call 24/7.

THAT being said...ministers need a release each week. Some ministers I know go golfing...some fish...some simply work around the house. My release is a little different. It's a combination of two of my very favorite things: running and Seinfeld. I run each day after work, letting everything from the day work its way out of my mind. Then, each night, from 10-10:30, I set aside these special 30 minutes for the greatest TV show ever, Seinfeld. With these two things in place, I make it through my week.

Let nothing take away your release. You must guard it-pardon the pun-religiously. Your brain and your body truly need these releases to get away from the day to day trials. Let nothing, except emergencies where you are certainly needed, take these away. And if things come up that require your presence (funerals, hospital needs, etc) find time to make up for your release time. It really is that important.

When you enjoy your free time, you enjoy your job. :)

Lesson 14. Summer Camp

Greg’s Top 20 Things to Make a Great Youth Camp (after 14 years, 30+ weeks at 3 different camps, and holding every position imaginable)

1. Hand-picked staff, as opposed to a blanket sign-up sheet. Sign-up sheets are for campers, NOT staff
2. Meaningful worship times that are truly separate from the other activities (sports, crafts, etc)
3. Each director/leader/head counselor knows his or her role specifically and what they are responsible for
4. LOTS of prayer before and during camp!
5. Options during free time (pick-up sports, outdoor activities, crafts, cards and games, etc…otherwise kids will sleep or just sit in their bunks)
6. A very full schedule, but with enough time for each activity to be enjoyed and time allotted for transition between activities
7. Strong song leaders
8. Dynamic speakers (I’m available most weeks…haha, just kidding)
9. A consistently positive staff who are always pumped about camp every day (even when they’re dog tired) Tired and cranky staff bring about tired and cranky kids
10. Good weather…
11. A location that (after several years) becomes a part what camp is all about…familiar buildings, food, staff, etc. LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION…the kids will subconsciously associate location with everything about camp…smells, buildings, trails, etc. You move locations, you have start over…trust me I know
12. TRADITIONS…probably the MOST IMPORTANT…start them now. Songs, cheers…give everything a name. Familiarity gives kids something to look forward to each year. They come back to experience what they enjoyed the year before
13. ADVERTISING…posters, flyers, banners…getting the kids excited well in advance…and don’t disappoint
14. the more the merrier…we brought 184 kids and 50 staff from 10 different churches last year. Our church alone brings 75 kids
15. familiar people…give alumni and former campers-turned-counselors a chance to be at camp and talk about their memories
16. GOOD FOOD…we left our first camp in OK because the food was worse than the Harding cafeteria…kids and esp STAFF will always come back for good food. The place we’re at now has ham and cheese croissants, chicken enchiladas, and freshly grilled hamburgers (on a charcoal grill!)
17. DYNAMIC PRAISE…can’t say it enough. You MUST have strong song leaders and dynamic speakers who will leave an impact
18. Variety/Talent Show…always a plus for kids to show off their talents. But keep it clean, efficient, and select the acts before they go on
19. A leadership that gets along like old buddies…A leadership that LIKES each other will show in every aspect of camp, and the kids can tell, too
20. A camp SEPARATE FROM THE WORLD…take cell phones, mp# players, iPods, radios, computers…etc AWAY from kids for the whole week. They’ll kick and scream…too bad. Keep the worldly stuff out for a week and watch God go to work!

Lesson 13. Seeing the inner workings of a church on a daily basis can be frustrating, eye-opening, and just downright scary.

Most people see their church with rose-tinted glasses. Everyone gets along, we're growing in numbers, the youth group is baptizing teens left and right, the money is good, the preaching is good, we're set for the future...that's how most people see the church they attend. And for the most part, that's a good thing. I'm good with that. The inner workings and "behind the scenes" should not worry or concern them. We pay people to worry about all of the stresses and crises and to attend frustrating meetings and see the true state of the church and wear a smile on Sunday.

They're called ministers.

Now, before I go on, let me say the above is a little blunt and stretched on purpose. Let me also say that I still love going to work (almost) every day; I love my church, my congregation, my fellow ministers all very much. (and this post has a happy ending, too) It's just that, let's face it, when you work FOR a church, instead of simply attending a church, you get to see all the scary details behind the happy=g0-lucky exterior. Kind of like seeing someone without their make-up on for the first time.

Yeesh.

There a lot of things at any church that are in need of repair, of fixing, of being thrown out and started over. You can never fix them all, but if you're going to grow, like my church is currently doing at a blessedly rapid rate, you need to have some good solid systems in place to accomodate that. Let's just say...

We need some work. As does any church. I guess today it just really came to my attention all the pressing and urgent needs of our congregation that MUST be addressed if we want to continue to grow successfully.

I say all of that to say this...one of the biggest lessons you will learn (and you hear it in class all the time but you MUST realize you can't really prepare for it) is that you need to GET READY to see a side of your church you didn't know existed. And no, I don't mean that everyone is a two-faced evil monster and the church is really out to steal and plunder...I simply mean that the "business" and "day to day" side of a church is never as pretty as what everyone sees on Sundays. Churches deal with people...and that means it can't be pretty and happy all the time. There are hurts and wants and needs and finances and budgets and compromises and meetings and tough decisions and hurt feelings and the realities of God's Kingdom in a world that must still pay taxes, pay a mortgage, water and electricity bills, and all of the eccentrities that come with it.

But when it's all said and done...what really matters most, more than buildings or meetings or budgets or frustrating office work...is PEOPLE. God's people. And when you're a minister...you get to work with and for God's people, every day.

You share in their struggles and rejoice in their successes. You're there for weddings, funerals, birthdays, youth events, births, life-changing events...everything that really MATTERS, you are privileged to be present. To stand up and proclaim the Word of God to His people. To sing songs with young people every Sunday night as you minister to them by simply being their for them. To go on trip after trip in the summer and make an impact on others as well as yourself. That's what you get to do, as a job, a career...

Because God has called you to it. And there's no better job in the world than to be a minister.

One minister's opinion, anyway :-)

Lesson 12. There are those days...and then there are those other days.

Maybe it was because I had coffee at my breakfast meeting that morning. Maybe it was because I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. Whatever it was, Wednesday morning in the office was, for me, incredibly slow. I couldn't seem to focus on anything, my hands were shaky, my mind (and probably my heart) were racing...I was fidgety, couldn't sit still, and I could only see negatives. My office wasn't organized, other churches had better websites, we need more ministry staff, and I wasn't getting enough people-interaction in my job. I love being around people and interacting, talking with them...but here I was, day after day, sitting in my office, doing...busy work? Had I chosen the right job? Should I be a teacher? Was I stuck here?

Thankfully, a sandwich from Quizno's calmed me down and I actually got some work done that afternoon, before meeting with one of our teenagers who had some relationship issues on his mind, grabbing a bite to eat, and then facing twenty-something 7th and 8th graders to discuss "Where did evil come from?" in our Wednesday night discussion class (which is probably the best part of my week). The difference before lunch and after lunch in terms of my demeanor is staggering.

I say all that to say this: Just because you have days where you think you've completely chosen the wrong job...doesn't mean you've completely chosen the wrong job. In fact, it means you're probably pretty normal. There are part of all jobs you won't like...even in ministry. No job is perfect, every day has its ups and downs, and there will always, ALWAYS be experiences that snap you out of it and remind you why you answered God's call to ministry in the first place. Trust me. And when those things happen...it's really good. :)

So, for goodness sake...don't drink coffee on an empty stomach in the morning, go to bed at a reasonable hour, and if all else fails...grab a Chicken Carbonara sandwich from Quizno's. They're pretty much fantastic.

Lesson 11. The hardest and most out-of-nowhere calls will always come when you are the only one in the office!

Somehow, everyone in the office conspired to be gone at the same one-hour block of time today...just so I could take an unexpected phone call. I think it was a planned event. Our secretary was buying office supplies, our Senior Minister was picking up his parents, and our other Associate Minister was out to lunch. Which left...me...to answer the phone and hear a very pleasant but frazzled lady explain that she needed someone to babysit for her and her husband. They both work 2:30-11:30 M-W, she as a 911 Dispatcher and he as a Sheriff's Deputy. Public servants, indeed! They had visited our church before, and her parents were members of a church of Christ in a nearby city.

What do I say? I certainly wasn'y going to say "No, can't help you. Feel free to come by anytime on Sunday for one of our worship services..." yeah right. That would be blatant hypocrisy! I told her I'd see what I could do and get back to her. I plan to bring it before our elders at our meeting tomorrow night to see what their recommendations are. I really want this opportunity to reach out to this woman and her family...but I'm not sure exactly how to go about doing that. I realized instantly that I was the first voice she heard from this church...I was the frontman, the first line...I was, in essence, Jesus answering the phone. Her impressions and views of our church all hung in the balance starting the instant I picked up that phone.

Looking back, I'm a little overwhelmed. I pray God will guide me, and our ministry staff, as we try to help this woman. I wish I knew more of what to say, more ways to answer her question without having to "get back to her"...because I'm sure she gets that a lot. I just pray our church can be a help to her burdens.

So remember...when everyone leaves, be prepared to answer that phone!

Lesson 10. THY, not my, will be done...and especially on Sunday!

This past Sunday was a frustrating day for me...and I truly brought it upon myself. It was sort of the first Sunday that really felt like a "work day" instead of "the Lord's Day." Those of you involved in full-time ministry work can probably relate to this. I slept in a little too late that morning and stayed out a little too late the night before. Thus, I arrived to church a little later than I like. I didn't as much prep time in before teaching the class that morning, and I felt rushed and stressed during worship. What should have been time devoted solely and completely to God was spent, instead, going over all the things I still had to do that afternoon. Meetings, things to type, people to call...and, namely, the youth-led worship service for that evening we still had yet to plan, including my half of the sermon!

I spent most of Sunday fretting, feverishly putting together a rather sloppy lesson outline discussing how children should honor their parents (like they've never heard that before), and thinking mean thoughts about our young men who were helping with the evening service as the clock ticked past 6:00 pm and they had yet to show up. All in all, I did a pretty lousy job of being not just a minister, but a Christian...and on the Lord's Day of all days!

Instead, the worrisome day I had envisioned in my mind turned out to be wonderful in terms of what was done on God's behalf. While I was worried about things being done the way I wanted them and on my schedule, God was busy helping our young men lead our congregation in a beautiful evening worship service filled with songs, prayer, and Scripture. My hastily-compiled lesson (while I never condone under-preparedness...after all, God loves a prepared speaker) went smoothly and easily (so it was obviously not me doing the talking!), and at the end of the day I looked back on a day that, in essence, sums up what is probably a normal day for most of us Christians out there:

While we're busy worrying, fretting, stressing, and ____-ing (you fill in the blank), God is busy in the background, forming things to His blessed will, and quite frankly not really paying attention to what we're worrying about...which is probably a good thing. If only we could learn from the Master, think how much more we could accomplish for Him on a daily basis!

So, lesson this Sunday...let go, and let God.

Lesson 9. Elders' Meetings are intense, encouraging, funny, and long...all at the same time.

I attended my first elders' meeting last night as a minister. I've sat in on parts of other meetings, but this was the first one I stayed in for the whole time...over 3 hours! It was a time of fellowship, encouragement, prayer and intense discussion. After listening to the things going on within our church family (hurts, praises, concerns, sickness, etc) I felt better informed and empowered as a minister to encourage and really do the ACT of "ministry" to our congregation. I'm blessed with my job position to work not just with the Junior High, but with the church as a whole really, through Involvement and Children's Ministries as well.

I'm blessed to work under a terrific eldership, men who care deeply about our church family, reaching the lost, and abiding by God's Word. Praise God!

Lesson 8. Sharing the load isn't a sign of defeat; on the contrary, it's Biblical!

Our second new minister started this week. He will be overseeing our High School youth ministry, as well as various other aspects. Already I can tell we're going to be a great team- we think along the same lines, have the same goals and changes we'd like to bring to the group, and are about the same age, too. The elders have stressed over and over how much they labored over their hiring decisions to make sure they hired two people who would work well together as a team.

I'm thrilled to have our new minister here. However, it means sharing the load and making decisions, for the most part, as 2 people instead of 1. When I think about the idea of sharing responsiblity when it was needed most, I think back to Moses and the advice his father-in-law, Jethro, gave him during the wilderness wanderings. Jethro could tell Moses had too much on his plate as the leader of over a million Israelites. Moses had no one to delegate to, and se everything-from the tiniest squabble to the biggest pickle- came before him for his decision. After all, he was God's man, let him handle it! Upon seeing this, Jethro took Moses aside to give him some advice I think all of us, including me, need to hear. He told him he had taken on too much, and gave him a system to meat out the responsibility. Judges over various groups and levels and the Israelites were put in place, and from then on only the largest and most pressing issues came before Moses.

Surprisingly, this gave Moses more of what he wanted- the ability to really LEAD God's people, instead of constantly making decisions and listening to arguments. Leading isn't about making every decision. Leading well is about good delegating, knowing who is better suited for a task when you aren't, and knowing your limits. Our new minister has a head for sports and athletics that I don't, and so I know he'll bring a whole new level of fun and leadership to our youth program.

Sharing the load isn't a sign of defeat- in fact, the success is much more obvious and complete when 2 people put their heads together! I pray God will give all of us the eyes to see when we need help, and for Him to bring those people into our lives. Ministry isn't a one-man show...ever.

Lesson 7. Take it one day at a time, and don't get ahead of yourself.

I have a very frequent and somewhat frustrating tendency to get ahead of myself in my work. It's always good to "see the big picture," but only once in a while. I have big plans and goals, but I'm looking so far down the road that I can't focus on the here and now. Ironically, if you don't focus on the present, the future will never become what you envision for it! There will always be lessons to write, people to visit, programs to map out, rooms to rearrange, blogs to write on, people to call, and so on and so forth...so don't sweat it if things aren't exactly the way you want them right now.

Teens, and adults too, don't, and won't, care all that much about what your "vision for the youth ministry" is if you can't do the day-to-day things well. Map out your day with what needs to be done today, in order of importance. Make that call, send that newsletter for the week, write your lesson for Sunday, and reserve that retreat site. Get the little things done today...so later on, the big things will fall into place. Big things are really just lots of little things with something in common. It starts small. A retreat starts with transportation and campsite reservations, not a one-day work-a-thon to plan the whole thing and wear yourself out.

So, take it one day at a time. Get the things done that need to be done today, and then start looking long-range again. The future won't be what you envision it to be if you can't see what's right in front of you.

Lesson 6. When you love your job, getting the credit doesn't matter...it's simply an added bonus.

Today being Tuesday, I sent out Vol. 1, Issue 3 of our "Junior High Wi-Fi" e-newsletter, which goes out to most to our Junior High youth and their families. I gotta be honest, I'm pretty proud of it. It keeps our parents and teens up to date on everything going on in our new JH Ministry program.

I'm a person who likes to see the things I'm in charge of go well. If I feel like it's a success, honestly, I don't need anybody to tell me it was a good job or thank me. Really- I don't. It's hard to please myself, so when I do, having others tell me "good job" or "well done" is simply, like the title says, an added bonus.

Tonight I got an email from the dad of one of my Junior High teens. He was wanting his wife's email address added to my list for the newsletter, yet he also took the time to simply put "Thanks for all you do" in the email. Nothing fancy, just a simple, one-sentence bit of encouragement. But, for reasons I can't quite explain except to say I'm finally in a full-time job and seeing the fruits of my labor, it meant so much to me. I'm so glad I got to read it before I went to bed. It feels so GOOD knowing that even just one person took the time to thank me for what I do in our church ministries...I certainly didn't need it or ask for it, which makes it even better, really. To know that one of our dads is pleased with my new work with his kids...means an awful lot. An awful lot.

So, today's lesson...when you love what you do each day, compliments like these simply mean that much more.

Leson 5. The best memories sometimes come from the littlest things

Tonight was our 2nd night of VBS at the church. Just like last night, it was fantastic. The kids were excited, the classes went well, the Drama Team really got into the story of John the Baptist...everything went smoothly. But to be honest, my favorite part of tonight was not in the hustle and bustle of all the kids and events going on, but, instead, I found great fulfillment and true "ministry" when I spent an extra hour at the building, after everything was over, with 3 special moms getting crafts ready for tomorrow night.

Each of these ladies has kids in our youth group; all of them have busy jobs and other children, as well as spouses, waiting at home for them; yet each of them still stay late to make sure everything is ready to go for the next day's VBS craft. It was so much fun sitting and talking with them about all sorts of things...summer camps, memories with their kids, proper parenting. 2 husbands called within 3 minutes of each other to find out where they were, that gave us all a laugh.

It felt so great, though, to get out of my office and my "associate minister"-ness and just sit and talk with these 3 moms about all the things going in their lives and in society that influence our young people. I gained great perspective and helped solidify good, strong relationships with these parents of kids with whom I will be working for the next 2 or 3 years.

Sometimes the best memories and learning experiences come not in the rush of crowds and programs, but in the little, behind the scenes moments spent with just a few.

Lesson 4. Kids make the job worth it.

This one doesn't need much elaboration. The last 4 weeks have been a flurry of VBS preparation, with meetings, shopping trips, scouring online catalogs, and decorating the building both Saturday and Sunday afternoon. It's been pretty crazy putting together a VBS in just under 1 month, but to see all the kids last night enjoying their snacks while learning Bible stories from our Drama Team, playing in relay races outside, laughing and yelling at Opening and Closing Assemblies in our auditorium, and wearing their new foam visors and "God's Team" pennants as they were picked up by parents made every minute totally worth it.

I also walked into my office this morning to find a popsicle stick with "VBS Rox!" and "UR Cool" in green marker written on it. It's the little thinks that make it all so very worth it :)

ON a random note, I was very excited to see this article today: DeLoreans Make A Comeback.

Lesson 3. Volunteers are really angels in disguise.

Today was Prep Day at the building for our Vacation Bible School that starts tomorrow night. After helping at a volunteer event in the morning, I arrived at our building around 12:30 PM, worried that there may have been many volunteers waiting impatiently since I figured I would be the only one who could let them in. Instead, I arrived to several families already hard at work inside on their classrooms and in the Teacher Workroom. Streamers, pennants, posters, and inflatable decorations were already being put up all over the place. I was blown away...they had taken matters completely into their own hands...and it was terrific! By the time we left, 5 hours later, the Auditorium and the classrooms we will be using looked terrific.

I had worried about low turnout, little help, and trying to put everything up on my own. Never underestimate the work ethic of volunteers. They really will come through for you. I learned that today.

It's going to be a great VBS!

Lesson 2. There's no such thing as an "organized ministry"...deal with it.

Our church is in the midst of a lot of transitions right now. Right now, we are:

1. Seeing our Youth Minister of 5 years retire and hand off the baton.

2. Adding on 2 new ministers, one coming in fresh out of college (yours truly) and one coming in after 3 years of previous youth work in Oklahoma. Neither of our job descriptions is quite settled or official yet. We started a month and a half apart from each other, with me starting in July and Blake starting the first Sunday of September.

3. Continuing to grow, as we have the last 2 years, from a church of 300 four years ago to one of over 700 today. This brings with it all the usual transition joys and challenges of more people to keep track of, care for, 2 services, more deacons, and less transportation for our increasingly bigger youth group. (We took 91 on our Fall Retreat last December and 75 to our summer camp this year.)

4. Preparing to really access the resources available to us through a giant software program for big churches, and attempting to get our members and ministry leaders caught up and on board with this shift.

5. Preparing to launch into Phase 2 of our building program in the next 2 years, and all of the effort that comes with that.

6. Making 2 Youth Programs where only 1 has existed in the past.

7. Moving all of our students up in grade levels in less than a month.

8. Saying goodbye to one of the most involved and terrific Senior classes we've ever had.

9. And to top it all off, the Budget cycle restarts in October for the next year.

I had a long conversation with our Preaching Minister today about ideas for the future, budget considerations, and utilizing our new software program. There's a lot to be done, and yet I'm still settling in, getting my office how I want it, learning names, waiting for necessary items (like a hard key to the building for example), learning how things work and who does what, and teaching myself patience as I realize the slower pace that churches work at. Right now I'm simply praying to get through our VBS next week, my first big "project" as a new minister here.

What I'm realizing is this- for me, a very detail-oriented but big idea person who is highly organized and slightly OCD, ministry is not always easy...at all. It takes enormous patience, time management, and facing the fact that nothing will ever really be perfect, and it's OK to let things "simmer" on the back burner while you address more pressing issues. I compare getting on board with a large church in ministry like learning to swim by getting thrown into a raging river. You may have read books on how to swim, but the real thing is much different. Much different...but also much better and more rewarding.

But with all the changes coming up and going on, I also see the enormous resources and blessings we have as a congregation- wonderful Godly elders who care deeply for the church and with whom I have a terrific relationship, fellow ministers who love what they do and see the need for change to adapt to our growing church, and church members who love to volunteer and enjoy being together in fellowship.

All in all, I've learned this- ministry is never as organized or as neat and tidy as you would like it. So deal with it, and plow through.

Lesson 1. In ministry, you don't "replace," you can only "follow."

Today was a very special day for my congregation. It marked the last day in the office for our Youth Minister of the past 5 years. He was technically part-time, in that he taught in public schools full-time and spent Sunday afternoons and Wednesday evenings at the church office. But to look at the youth program today, you'd never know he held down 2 jobs. In 5 years and in the midst of major church transition (namely, "small church" to "big church"), he has established a vibrant, healthy, sound youth ministry for over 130 kids. He's directed our older kids camp for 2 years, led retreats every fall to Jan-Kay, and been heavily involved in LTC, Iron Springs, NETSYS, and a host of other youth ministry programs.

In short, he's done what most Youth Ministers can do in 5 years full-time...in "part-time" mode. Impressive.

I first met Keith 4 years ago, during the summer before I went off to college. He and his crew came to both of our summer sessions at Iron Springs Christian Camp. I got to know Keith and some of their teenagers. We got along well and I enjoyed getting to know him and his wife, Vickie. At the end of our second week of camp together in that busy summer of 2003, Keith offered me an internship with his church and the youth group for the following summer. I eagerly accepted, and after completing my freshman year at Harding University, I began my first internship with the Rockwall-Lakeside church of Christ (now Eastridge church of Christ) in Rockwall, TX. This fantastic summer quickly led into a second term in the summer of 2005, where I also took on the duties of a preaching internship. Summer 2006 found me filling the role of a Summer YM for a congregation nearby but still in close contact with the Rockwall church.

To make a long story short, there are 2 of us joining the staff here at Eastridge...not to "replace" Keith in anyway...no one can be replaced, especially not this man. No, we're here simply to follow...to take the next steps in the life of this church and its youth. A congregation is a living organism, and ours is simply in the next stage of development. Several fellow Youth Ministers whom I consider valuable mentors and role models told me one night at our camp this summer that there is no "replacing"... only "following." Don't try to replace, they told me; only follow and do your best to both carry on and add to what has been before.

So, for my first post (finally!) on this blog about ministry, I dedicate it to what has been before, and to what will be. I dedicate it to a very dear friend, colleague, and brother in Christ, who has done much to further the Christian walks of so many young people; who will still be there every Sunday, only in a different role; and who has impacted my life almost more than anyone I've ever met.

Keith Thomason, this one's for you. I pray that you know you can never, and will never, be replaced...we can only follow in the grand footsteps you've left behind.