Please take what I am about to say with a grain of salt. These are feelings that I have chosen to put here because..
a) Twitter character count is too short
b) Facebook invites my friends, and other, to chime in to encourage me, counsel me, etc. which isn’t necessarily what I am looking for.
c) People will not likely comment here (have you seen the comment section on blogs lately? A desert.)
This is part of my journey with Jesus just like everything else. So, I share this in the hopes of having open expression without a lot of noise.
There are days where I feel like I have said everything I can say about youth ministry. There are days where I have nothing more to add to the conversation. I’m just done. And when I am done with something, I usually just walk away and do something else.
When I started in youth ministry in 1992, before the internet got really rolling, I read books, went to conferences, and went to the local Christian book store to see what was new. Today, youth pastors have a glut of information, almost too much to sort through. Youth ministry resources are ubiquitous and I am not sure I am different enough to compete; which then makes what I do a hobby.
I’m a simple guy in a complicated world. I am one man with an opinion, like everyone else, when it comes to ministry with teenagers. I have this blog, with close to 1,000 posts, a podcast with 75 episodes, and a YouTube channel with over 3,000 subs. I’m starting to think I’ve done enough.
When I started in 92′, I wanted to be a lifer, a life time youth pastor, and I’ve done it. Thirty years is a lifetime to me. I’ve met some personal goals such as adapting to the internet age when many of my contemporaries wanted nothing to do with it. I adapted and, in my opinion, thrived, but I may have reached a point where I think all I continue to do, may be redundant
I don’t know if I bring anything new to the table. This is not a “poor me” me post. This is a “wake up and smell the coffee” post. So, no pity allowed.
In this season I’m in, I have to look at my options of competing in a crowded market as a solo voice against larger ministries or do something else. That decision hasn’t been made. I would appreciate your prayers as I pray through this season of recalibrating.
Thanks.
Paul