Just a week ago I had a student tell me what she thought I got paid to do. I asked her if she’d like to call everyone in for the meeting. I was half joking. I wanted to give her a shot at ownership and leadership. Granted the task may have been outside her personality comfort zone but her reply was “Isn’t that your job? ” The student meant no disrespect, she just had the mindset of pretty much every church member ever.
Another time, I was closing a meeting with a drama group from when I worked at another church. I said, “Who’d like to close in prayer?” I waited, and waited, and waited. I like awkward pauses and silence. It get’s people thinking. Then, a girl spoke up and said, “Isn’t that your job? “. I kindly replied, “No dear, it isn’t. My job is to teach you how to pray.” She never came back after that. Win some, lose some.
If you’re a youth pastor you’ve heard the question, “So what do you do all day?” I jokingly reply that I sit around watching Youtube videos, eating pizza, and playing video games, Pretty much what you do. But all joking aside I finally broke down my job description for them and this is what I read
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. Ephesians 4:11-16
I told them this is my job
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ
This is why I do it
until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
This is why it’s important that I do it well
we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;
This is the result of doing my job right
but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
It doesn’t matter the piece of paper a Pastor has handed me with a list of activities, meeting times, and responsibilities because that is not my job description. It’s too small a dream. My goals and God’s expectations are much higher than any church’s written job description.
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Youth Pastor’s, Why Isn’t This Our Job Description
Your Turn
What is your job description?
Is that really your job description?
How do you know if you’re doing it well?
What will be the fruit when you are done?
How will changing your mindset about your job description change the way you feel about your job?