I’ve learned a lot of things the hard way. These “secrets” I am sharing with you were secrets to me at the time I discovered them and required a generous amount of butt kicking for me to embrace them.
Somehow I got it in my head that my job was to be just the Youth Pastor. I told myself that I have a limited amount of responsibilities and if something that came around that was not in my portfolio I could ignore it. Maybe I felt this way because I had heard stories from friends or at conferences about how their time was being abused. They were being asked to do things that, they felt, were not a part of their job description. In any case, I hunkered in and found ways to be busy when tasks were at hand that did not directly involve youth ministry. One day I heard a story that changed the way I thought about my role.
I worked with a lady named Barb at the camp I received Christ at, Life For Youth Camp. She was a feisty lady. The camp had a small staff and no one could hide from their responsibilities. After someone on our staff once said, “it’s not mu job” Barb shared a story about her time working at American Express. “Many of my fellow workers seemed to have the attitude of “It’s not my job” and voiced it frequently. The company must have noticed because they implemented name badges for employees that said ” It is my job”. No longer could an employee say, “It’s not my job.””
Age, experience, failure, and host of other factors, including the above story, impacted my change heart. Every person in our church is worthy of my time. From children to seniors and everyone in between. So, every day, I mentally put on my little badge and say “it’s my job”
It’s my job:
- To do hospital visits because it’s an opportunity to grow.
- If kids ministry need my help, I’m there
- I volunteer to go to Senior Luncheons and take picture and post them on Facebook.
- To unplug a toilet.
I still focus on my main duties of youth pastor and I guard agains those who would abuse my time, but I am content with showing up every day and saying, “This is my job” even if it’s not in my job description. I believe, and have experienced, that if I invest in the whole church and not just in my area, God will see that the youth ministry I am over will be successful.
What is your biggest struggle in stepping out of the Youth Ministry Zone to help the rest of the church?
What has been your greatest reward for stepping out of your “normal responsibilities” to help in ministries other than your own?
You can start from the beginning of this series by clicking HERE
Head over to Secret #6 Experiment Often