Bitter Sweet
Just got back from whistler with some of our youth staff for the last retreat we will ever go on as this youth staff. I gotta say it was super relaxing. We had no schedules sessions at all and we just rolled with the punches. The guys kinda got roped into watch the Ultimate Fighter Finale (and some of the marathon all day long). It got us a little wound up but we made it through the day without beating each other to death - although I almost got a one punch from Dave.
It's been a good 5 years. I feel like I've grown as a leader in a lot of ways and I also see that I have soooo much growing to still do. I made some good moves and I made some bad ones. I wish I could say I'm walking away from a youth ministry that is huge and healthy but I'm not sure I can. It's been a hard go. It's been this way for at least 10 years. But I know that I'm passing the torch onto the best guy that I could imagine.
Eric Interned with me for the last two years and from day one I knew I wanted to bring him on staff as another youth pastor. We grew up together and he was my best friends kid brother. I never suspected that we would one day work together. Over the last two years I've seen him grow and mature into a leader of leaders. I took a risk in mentoring him without really knowing what I was doing and I think it may have worked a little bit. I know that Eric is going to take this youth ministry to new places and into new adventures and things are gonna happen.
It's kind of a bitter sweet ending to the saga. I've been in youth ministry for 7 years and it's been kind of a safe place. I've always had someone to back me up. Someone to take the punches when I almost got my head knocked off by some angry parents. But now I step out into the unknown. Quite honestly I don't know how to be a lead pastor. That could end up working out to my advantage as I get to forge my own path. But at the same time, it's a little unnerving. I like the comfortable, but I feel the adventure pulling me. I hear lies in my head everyday and it takes everything in me to push forward with the understanding and remembrance that I've been called to this. I have to do this. I'm meant to be in this place, in this time. I know that I can't do this. That's why every day I'm so thankful that this is God's church. I'm gonna give it all I've got and let God empower me to do supernatural things I never thought possible. It's gonna be a ride...right now it just feels like we're moving our way up the first incline.
It's been a good 5 years. I feel like I've grown as a leader in a lot of ways and I also see that I have soooo much growing to still do. I made some good moves and I made some bad ones. I wish I could say I'm walking away from a youth ministry that is huge and healthy but I'm not sure I can. It's been a hard go. It's been this way for at least 10 years. But I know that I'm passing the torch onto the best guy that I could imagine.
Eric Interned with me for the last two years and from day one I knew I wanted to bring him on staff as another youth pastor. We grew up together and he was my best friends kid brother. I never suspected that we would one day work together. Over the last two years I've seen him grow and mature into a leader of leaders. I took a risk in mentoring him without really knowing what I was doing and I think it may have worked a little bit. I know that Eric is going to take this youth ministry to new places and into new adventures and things are gonna happen.
It's kind of a bitter sweet ending to the saga. I've been in youth ministry for 7 years and it's been kind of a safe place. I've always had someone to back me up. Someone to take the punches when I almost got my head knocked off by some angry parents. But now I step out into the unknown. Quite honestly I don't know how to be a lead pastor. That could end up working out to my advantage as I get to forge my own path. But at the same time, it's a little unnerving. I like the comfortable, but I feel the adventure pulling me. I hear lies in my head everyday and it takes everything in me to push forward with the understanding and remembrance that I've been called to this. I have to do this. I'm meant to be in this place, in this time. I know that I can't do this. That's why every day I'm so thankful that this is God's church. I'm gonna give it all I've got and let God empower me to do supernatural things I never thought possible. It's gonna be a ride...right now it just feels like we're moving our way up the first incline.
