I’ve spent the last 13 years of my life in various pastoral and director roles in the church world, in both volunteer and part-time/full-time staff capacities. Over those years, I have had an incredible opportunity to work with children, pre-teens, teenagers, and college-age young adults. During a brief moment while on staff at church, I also helped carry the weekend preaching load while the church elders searched for a pastor when our pastor was called to a new church. God has used me in ways that I never thought was possible and even today, writing about it blows me away.

I still can’t get over the fact that God would choose to use me.

But one thing that God has begun showing me is that the call on my life is very different from many other church leaders, or pastors. And, I don’t say that arrogantly, because each call and gift that we carry is necessary. In 1 Corinthians, Paul talks about the different types of sowers, some plant and some water. Paul specifically says he is a planter and Apollos comes alongside and nurtures, aka waters. I believe that my husband and I are planters. That’s not to say that we won’t ever be in a place long enough to reap the harvest, and its not to say that we won’t ever be the ones who nurture the church, (watering the soil). In fact, I’ll even take it a step further and say that I believe that God has purposed us to plant a church one day. 

But, more practically, what I have seen is that the anointing that I have carried and may still carry today is to specifically come alongside churches and start something fresh. In other words, to join churches that have a struggling area/ministry or a non-existent area/ministry and recognize their need for a planter. Now, that has varied from church to church, and I think that’s where I have found the opportunity to lead in those different roles. 

So, over the years, I’ve gained a little bit of experience and perspective that I feel very passionate about passing on to the next generation of church leaders. One way I plan to pass that on is through this platform, but additionally, I’ve written quite a few devotionals from my personal experience as well as my personal devotional life with the Lord. 

This blog contains an excerpt from that collection of devotionals. I would love to hear from you if this speaks to you and I would be honored if you would share it with someone that you think it may speak to as well. 

This particular devotional was written several years ago in a journal that I’ve kept hidden away:

Dear Youth Pastor,

Transition is hard.

The first year in your new role is the hardest. The teenagers will compare you to the last youth pastor a million times. Don’t take it personally. Don’t let it get under your skin. Be confident in who you are. Be the leader that God created. Don’t try to impress them. Instead, redirect their attention to the work of the Holy Spirit. 

You are where you are for a reason. Do not quit on them. Don’t walk away the first time it gets hard. And, it will get hard. Trust me. They won’t like all the things you do or attempt to do, but do those things anyway. Give them a reason to want to trust you the next time. 

My first “new role” was my very first time leading a youth ministry. I was terrified. I was so afraid of messing up, and messing them up, that I tried to control everything. I had convinced myself that if I could somehow hold all the pieces in my hands then I could control everything. It was the first, of many gigantic mistakes that I would make in my first “mission.” It wasn’t arrogance, it was fear.

Hindsight, right? “If only.” If I could go back to my 23-year-old self, I would tell myself to let the little things roll. The small things? They don’t matter much. Those things that seem like giants, well, they’re just shadows. There are bigger things to focus my attention on and bigger things that need my care. 

If you’re reading this book, it’s because Jesus has called you to tend to the sheep. Not to tend to the fence, or the grass, or sunlight, or the rain. Now, some of those things are important by nature but there’s a time to tend to the fence and there’s a time to tend to the sheep. As for the sunlight and the rain, well, the sooner that you believe that you don’t control that, the better you’ll be.

The moment I stopped buying into the comparison trap is the moment that I experienced true freedom. I won’t always do everything like the last guy. In fact, I probably won’t do anything like the old guy. And that’s ok. My gifting is unique. My purpose is my purpose. I’m not called to just come in and run things the way they’ve always been run. I’m called to come in and start something fresh. 

It’s likely that you’re called to do the same. So, do it. Be you. Lead the way the Holy Spirit convicts you. Have the hard conversations that need to be had. Pray the bold and courageous prayers that your group needs you to pray. You are not a copy and paste! You were created with a unique giftset, destined for greatness, equipped to equip the saints! (Ephesians 4:12) Be who God created you to be. 

I’m praying that, as you read this, the Holy Spirit would encourage you on your journey. That you would be reminded that there is hope for any situation that you face. That the hope you preach about is also available to YOU, youth pastor. I’m praying that you would know exactly what you’re called to do and where you’re called to be in this season. That without a doubt you would know that, regardless of how it looks right now or feels right now, you are called. 

There is hope for you, youth pastor.