They tell you that when you go into ministry of any kind that you shouldn't do it for the money or the fame...it's true..you shouldn't...ministry...youth ministry in particular is hard stuff. A good friend once told us that if you can see youself doing ANYTHING else to do that...b/c ministry is just that taxing...you really need to be called....
Over the years we have found that to be true...Youth Ministry (YMIN) is not a money maker and hasn't made me famous...and it's been hard...we've been run out of town, I've been told my calling doesn't count and isn't really from God, I've been ditched by my sending organization and ever told, we've been led in circles, we've been misunderstood, we've had to defend ourselves to parents and pastors alike that having a standard is really a good thing...we've had to be blunt and bold...we've had to be humble and quiet...we've had to do it all...
YMIN isn't a job that you EVER expect to be reconized...it's the kind of job that everyone takes for granted and ignores unless something is going wrong...or something got destroyed! So when you do get a nice complement you cherish it...I can live on a good complement from a parent for a good 6 months!!! Like I said...YMIN won't make me famous..that's not why I signed on!
This past weekend a wonderful thing happend to us...a card appeared in our mail box...it was a wonderful "THANK YOU" card...it said how great a job we are doing and that others in the church are noticing that the youth ministry is really impacting the lives of the youth and the church...and how they just wanted to let us know that we were loved and appreciated!!!!! WOW!!! Included was a gift certificate to a really really really nice resturant in town (enough to cover both our meals and dessert!!!)
The card was from the Sr. Pastor and his wife!!!!
We know with out a shadow of a doubt that we are CALLED into YMIN...we've tried to get out of it many times...and God always slams the door and says NO! We also know that for this time in our lives, however long it may be, that we have been CALLED to this town, this church and these familes!!! So, it was so wonderful of God to prompt our pastor to choose this time to affirm us... to let us know that God was right (he always is...but sometimes we question that!!) and that he did bring us here to bloom and grow and we get to watch HIM work in these kids lives!!!!
I'm good for awhile...Thank you Steve and Vickie!!! Dinner was wonderful!!!
Well deserved! God blesses the person who heeds His call!!
Momm
Posted by: Momm | April 27, 2009 at 07:58 PM