Welcome to my 200th post!! I never thought I would get here. I was lazy, uninspired, and, well, lazy. But, since January, I made the commitment to write five days a week. Five days straight, Monday through Friday. To celebrate this land mark event, I am giving aways free music. You could win an album ($9.99 or less),, of your choice, from iTunes for leaving a comment on any of my 200 posts. I will randomly draw a name and Tada! you may win. The more comments you make, the more times I enter your name in the drawing. You could
– share why you like a certain post
– share why you disagree with a certain post
-share and add value to the conversation
– share how you are implementing something I said
-share a fresh idea you have about a topic
– share a question you may have about the topic
Now, get to commenting and I will choose a winner over the weekend and announce it on Monday.
Now to the meat of the day
Bruce Springsteen once said,
Getting an audience is hard. Sustaining an audience is hard. It demands a consistency of thought, of purpose, and of action over a long period of time.
Bruce is an artist. He makes music, does concerts, and has built a career of being consistently himself. He has never said, “I am going to keep up with the times and do a rap album.” Bruce’s career would have been over if had tried that.
Our students want and desire consistency. I am at a youth ministry now who had 3-4 youth pastors over five years. It took me being consistent in a few areas, to get them to believe God wanted them to something more with their group, and with them individually.
I had to be consistent with my message and tone
I preach every week, whether I want to or not, because I want our kids to hear a consistency of message and tone. I can’t preach out of love and kindness one week and out of anger and bitterness the next. “Trust is built with consistency”. Lincoln Chafee
I had to be consistent with our program and style
It takes me about a year to figure out a groups culture and what there limits are, but once I figure it out, I settle on a program style and I don’t do any wholesale changing unless God directs. I can’t be a “purpose driven” youth ministry one week and “simple youth ministry” the next. This type of knee-jerk programming will only confuse our kids. I believe in students doing ministry and students owning their program. I am consistent in programming opportunities for them to pray, serve, and dream. Work your plan until the plan works.
I had to be consistent in faith and doctrine
Bob Dylan sang, “the times they are a changing” but God does not change . I do not have the luxury of making up my own doctrines about God. I have a book, the Bible, that tells me who God is character and nature. I must tell the whole story about God. I must speak of his love as well as his judgement. I must speak of his mercy as well as his discipline. I must say it all in loving way, with passion, consistently.
I want to build trust with my youth group so I stay consistent on all these areas.
I want to build trust with you, my readers, so I try to be consistent in all these areas as well.
I recently upped my consistency by making a video every Tuesday called The Tuesday Panic, for youth workers who may be struggling on what to do Wednesday night. it takes work and effort but the trust I create makes it worth it.
How about you?
Where are you most consistent? Where are you least consistent? Where do you need to be more consistent in your youth ministry? Your spiritual life? Your relationships?
Thanks for reading and here’s to 200 more posts.