Another Book I'm Reading

So, in addition to, "If You Do This" (from yesterday), I'm also reading, "Deep Ministry In A Shallow World" by Chap Clark (note - one of my "mentors")and Kara Powell. Dad got me this one for Christmas, and I'm finally managing to have time to read it.

I have been wanting to blog about what I'm reading here for some time, but haven't had time. Even now, I'm not going to be able to mention all I'm getting out of it. They start by covering a thought process of how to think through what needs to change, and how to change it, in the youth ministry in order to take students deeper. Then they go into 10 different areas of youth ministry that we as youth pastors need to work on going deeper in. I love these, because my experience meshes with their experience and research as to what's important: mentoring, worship, communicating change, working with parents as partners rather than necessary evils, etc.

Here are some quotes from Chap's chapter on discipleship.

Regarding why discipleship (i.e. making disciples) is more difficult than it used to be:

"[Students] are in the midst of a difficult, long process of discovering who they are. They're convinced that few adults truly care about what they feel or need. And they are convinced that our interest in them is not about them, but about us."

(That "our" and "us" there is talking about any adults in the church, but especially adult youth workers, volunteer or paid.)

Chap also created diagram that shows a how we need to rethink not just how we do discipleship, but our philosophy and theology behind it. The bottom line - We shouldn't disciple to make Super Christians out of them before they leave our ministry, but we should disciple with the big picture in mind of their walk with God over their lifetime. This translates into helping them see themselves as a part of the whole Body of Christ - local to global - not just teenagers in the youth ministry. For example:

Thinking NOW: "Students have each other to help them carry the burdens of life."
Thinking NEW: "Students have several adults who help them carry life's burdens."

Thinking NOW: "Students use their gifts in serving each other."
Thinking NEW: "Students use their gifts in serving the entire Body of Christ."

This is an area that LCC had a great start on, and I was excited about some of the ways they have embraced and encouraged the high schoolers to see themselves as part of the larger body.

Another quote I really resonated with:

"The process of discipleship... is a lifelong process of learning what it means to conform ourselves to the purposes of God and His Kingdom. At the very least, a deep youth ministry goal has to recognize that in our relatively brief time with students we are only part of the lifelong process of making disciples of Jesus Christ." (emphasis mine)

A principle Shari and I learned from a story told by Duffy Robbins at a YS training a few years back is this: A student's story is never over, no matter how bad things are looking.

Here's a closing quote the Chap uses:

"'Why isn't discipleship working like it used to?' Perhaps because we have been firing away at the wrong target. Instead of being concerned primarily about students' attendance and knowledge, we would be better off if we centered our attention on the essence of discipling adolescents for the long haul - in a world that has abandoned them, the church is their home."

So, those are some thoughts from only one chapter. I also got a lot out of the chapters on communicating change (I could have done a few things better than I did when I moved to Lolo), mentoring, and involving parents. I'll try and comment on those, but if I don't, I would encourage the reader to pick up the book and read it for themselves, whether you're a youth pastor, a youth volunteer, a parent, a senior pastor, a teacher, or just an observer of all that's going on amongst teens. It's a great tool for learning how to better serve Christ in reaching people in general for Him.

What's happening in my life

Currently I have been jobless for less than a month, and Shari's already convinced that when I retire, I'm going to drive her nuts. I guess that means I'm currently driving her nuts. At least she's not trying to teach, too.

Here's a run down of what's happened during the past month.
1) We moved all our stuff to my folks' house over a period of 5 days, making two trips because all our stuff wouldn't fit into a 24 ft. moving van, a 5x8 trailer, and a 12 passenger van. Wow.
2) We signed our half of the paperwork to sell our house on June 26. We were assured that the buyers would sign there half by the following Friday at the latest.
3) We were given a good-bye party on Sunday, July 28 because everybody knew that few people would be at church over the Independence Day weekend.
4) On July 3, we were assured they would sign the following week.
5) We officially became unemployed on July 6. The board of the church decided to bless us with a 3-month severance package, despite the fact that we resigned, not they laid us off. We praise God for the tremendous blessing. We said goodbye to everybody on July 5.
6) Also on July 6, we said goodbye to two of our best friends, whose house we had been living in for 10 days, and we headed to my folks' 3 bedroom house to live with them.
7) On July 10, we were assured the buyers would sign first thing on Monday... then by the 17th. Their mortgage company is on my bad list, but I also wonder why they switched mortgage companies half-way through the house buying process.
8) We have spent the month of July sending out more resumes. Since April, I have sent out a total of 12 resumes. If only I enjoyed living in the south or midwest, I'd have a lot more choices.
9) Our real estate agent, also a Godly, Christian man, reminded Shari and I that we need to forgive and not grow bitter. In fact, we need to offer amazing grace like we've been given by God, even if we never get an apology. He's right, so we did. That was hard, but we know that God is bigger than all of this.
10) On July 22 the buyers were finally able to sign the paperwork, almost a month late, but, praise God, they were able to be funded and sign. We are now not only officially unemployed (Does that make us a statistic?), but also homeless. (I know that makes us a statistic.)
11) On July 27, my baby sister left for Emery-Riddle University, taking my mom along for company on the drive. It was great to have her around for a short time, anyway. On July 28, I took over her job with my dad. Basically I'm a gopher and grunt worker, doing the type of construction tasks that don't take a lot of experience. It's some extra income while we're waiting for a full-time position; it's a way that God continues to provide.

We continue to network, check youth pastor job posting sites, and pray, asking God to help us connect with the church that He wants for us, that holds the values He's given us. We continue to look for a church in the Pacific Northwest, or the Rockies. God will provide.

A Follow Up Thought

After being off-line on my blog for over a month, it's funny that the first thing I want to write about is what I "just" wrote about.

I recently purchased a copy of Tony Jones' book, "If You Do This." It's a book of 12 leadership qualities Jones believes every youth pastor needs in order to be effective. I read the chapter on the first quality today: "Leaders Chase After Mentors." The key word there is "chase." Jones contrasts this with the youth pastor who simply desires a mentor, or hopes one pursue him (me?). He listed three levels of mentors:

1) Influential Mentors - Those who speak into our lives strictly through books, audio, pulpits, etc. We really don't have a relationship with these folks, but they speak into our lives, none-the-less

2) Instructional Mentors - These are people who speak into our lives through the occasional meeting. We're not real close, but we actually do have a relationship of some sort.

3) Investment Mentors - These are people we allow close into our lives. We give them permission to speak into our lives, even the hard stuff, and we choose not to back away or ignore what they have to say simply because it's hard to hear or it takes too much effort.

So, this got me thinking. Who are mentors I actively have in my life? Who are ones I'd like to have? Which mentors are at which levels. Here are some initial names that I came up with.

Level 1 - Jonathan McKee, Mark Ostreicher, Doug Fields, Chap Clark, and Gordon McDonald (via Leadership Journal's weekly newsletter).
There are other authors and speakers that I listen to, but these are the men that I'm currently chasing after. Actually, I haven't read much from MarkO since he stopped writing on his blog a few months ago. It was a sad day, but I highly respect him for making the choice and focusing more on what God's called him to do.

Level 2 - Seth Barnes, Rusty Van Deusen, Paul Keller
These are men that have spoken into my life in the past. Currently, I haven't been chasing them, but I want to be. Actually, Paul was a level 3 mentor while I was in Missoula, and I'd like to keep him at level 2, but only distance will keep us at that level rather than 3.

Level 3 - Doug Sherman, Mark Moder, and Bronco Huge
Actually, these are men that I'm making it a goal to "chase." I can't wait for them to come to me. I've got to pursue them, no matter the distance or cost (as much as I can, considering right now I'm jobless). I truly want these men to speak into my life as regularly as life and distance will allow, depending on where Shari and I end up in ministry.

In addition to these men, I'm sure there are a few others that have mentored me, and that I'd like to have as mentors at some level. I'm thinking specifically of Bill, who used to speak into my life quite regularly, and was wonderful, but distance will make that a bit more difficult in the future. I'd also like to have my senior pastor, wherever I end up, be a level 3 person in my life. I'm reminded of Jones' words about that, though.

"Great leaders chase after mentors; they don't wait for mentors to chase after them... Stop desiring a mentor in your life and begin chasing one... It is not the responsibility of your senior pastor to make time for you. It is your responsibility to make time for them and get on their schedule."

Finally, in addition to all this, I'm reminded of the principle that Bill Hybels mentions in his book, "Courageous Leadership,": An effective leader not only has mentors pouring into him, but is also pouring out into others. I look forward to doing the same as I move into my next position, or maybe even before, as God provides.