10 years: One Place

I'm really celebrating 2 different sides to 10 years. There's 10 years in full-time occupational minsitry, and 10 years at the same place. A while back, Andrew Whitehead asked me to do a post on how I've been able to stay at the same place for so long... here's a re-post of that.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Tenure... A Response to Andrew

Get ready, this one is long...
Former NMC student, new dad and all-around cool guy Andrew Whitehead made a request on his blog for some specific posts from several individuals in blogland.

His Topic for me... Why I've been able to stay in the same ministry for so many years when many youth pastors only last a couple

Well, Andrew, I didn't didn't go with that as my title (mainly because it could be the longest title ever), but here's my answer to Why...

I'm currently in my 10th year on staff as a pastor at NMC. Three years prior to that, I served as an intern. With the national turnaround in youth ministry world, youth pastor years kind of seem like dog years (1 human year=7 dog years).
As much as it would be nice to give you the one thing I've done to see this happen, I can't. The reality is that there are several key ingredients (some personal choices, some environmental) that have allowed me an incredible opportunity to invest in one church body for a length of time.

Here's 10 of them (I'm not sure if their in a particular order or not):

1. A Healthy Church. It would be a lot harder to stay if I were a part of a church that wasn't serious about living out the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. NMC is about making fully committed disciples, locally, globally, and regionally.
   
   
2. The tenure of my teammates. Consider the following...
   Dave Engbrecht (Sr Pastor) - approaching his 30th year
   Don Rohrer (Worship and Missions Pastor) - 24 years
   Joe Focht (Senior Associate) - 22 years
   Marvin Engbrecht (Associate, Care Pastor) - 18 years
   Terry Bley (Life Development Pastor) - 16 years
   Norm Reimer (Associate, Care Pastor) - 10 years
   Justin Lamason (Family Life Pastor) - 10 years
   There is a culture of long term commitment to the body here. That brings a stability that is not present at many churches. This has been key to my ability to stick here long term.
   
   
3. Team. Personalities are varied. We will disagree. We get frustrated with each other. Yet, we are all in this together. I'm even more blessed that I am a part of a team that is focused in on Student Ministries. I'm convinced ministry with others has been essential.
   
   
4. The "People Group." I believe that God has given me a specific burden and calling for what I'd call the "religious lost." It's those who have grown up in the church, know all the right answers, but don't know the life-transforming Jesus that this "religion" is all about. The region my church ministers in is full of these stories. It's been a perfect fit.
   
   
   
5. Navigating Significant Transitional Moments. There have been several moments and events (building transitions, job offers, key students graduating, etc.) along the journey where "moving on" felt like a good option. Wise counsel, an awesome wife, and seeking the heart of God over my own feelings and flesh have helped me go larger than the moment. I could write post after post on those significant moments (maybe I will some time)
   
   
6. Vacations: Janelle and I have made it a point to regularly get away.
   
   
7. Freedom to engage with the Church Globally: NMC has, with guidelines and accountability, allowed me to speak at outside engagements, connect and partner with parachurch organizations, and given me opportunities around the world (India, Peru, Ecuador, Mexico, Dominican, and maybe Africa soon).
   
   
8. Continued Challenges. Every year there are new opportunities. New hills to be climbed. Because some of those hills have been climbed, I'm now at mountains. It goes back to the church and team I'm a part of, and it just hasn't come close to getting boring yet!
   
   
9. Not buying the lie. I think it's a lie that caused more casualties than anything else. It's that little thought that says, "I am the key to this." Whether it's a specific program, the entire youth ministry, or the spiritual well-being of a student, I am convinced is the number one killer of youth ministers is the Messiah Complex. Who am I kidding? At times, I'm pretty sure a chimpanzee could come in and run this thing because of the quality of teammates, parents, and most importantly BY FAR the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. HE is KEY. Often, the times I have nearly burnt out is where I have thought I was the one changing or not changing lives, or I was the one the success of failure of this ministry was dependent on.
   
   
10. Janelle. Sorry to be sappy, but my eyes got a little teary as I wrote her name down. Ministry can beat the crud out of you. I know far too many spouses of ministers that have allowed the bride of Christ to make them bitter toward Christ himself. When we were married, Janelle embraced her own calling into this thing. She is a rock and prayer warrior. She stands strong for me and stands strong with me. It hasn't just been me. WE'VE battled through the questions and heartbreak together. WE'VE rejoiced and celebrated God's goodness together. Without Janelle, would I still be at NMC? No way. I'd take it a step further and say I probably wouldn't be in ministry without Janelle!