Expectations in Ministry

I listen to a lot of podcasts, read a lot of blogs, and keep up with things on some of the bigger social media sites. I love to learn, especially when it comes to ministry and specifically, youth ministry.

So recently, I was listening to the Fuller Youth Institute podcast with Kara Powell. She was interviewing Leroy Barber on Sabbath Rest for urban youth workers.

During the interview, there was an interesting interchange about senior pastors expectations for youth pastors. One youth pastor talked to his senior pastor and told him that they probably wouldn’t see fruit for 5 years. His senior pastor accepted that. That seems to me, not to be the norm. While sitting in a youth worker seminar at a Youth Specialties convention, Len Evans brought out a interesting statistic (at least I think this is where I got it from the convention was in 2002) that youth pastors time expectancy at a job is, on average 3 years.

We are called by God, whether we have a degree or not, to walk slowly beside the ones we minister and realize that once the salvation has started that is a long process of healing and reorienting their life toward the path that God would have them take.

I look at this website, the Facebook group, the MySpace page, and Twitter account as a way to facilitate that process. We are all here to walk next to each other whether in paid ministry or in volunteer ministry and help each with the path that God has appointed us to and help spread the Light of His Word.

Cross posted at Big Ticket Festival Ministers Connection

Where do we draw the line?

Where do we draw the line? I understand not letting a teacher lead or organize prayer in a public school or related setting. They are government workers, and if a government worker in a work type setting is leading or organizing prayer or some sort of religious service then I understand how that under the Constitution that could be viewed as establishment of religion. I work for the federal government (National Weather Service) and it would be inappropriate for me to lead a prayer at a severe weather spotter talk.

However, here is where I have the problem. Somebody else who is not a government representative organizes a prayer at a function, and I am then not allowed to express my beliefs by praying along with them? 

I understand the original complaint with the coach leading the prayers, but now, if the students organize and lead the prayers, he can’t participate? If he is showing favoritism to the Christian players over the non-Christian ones, then that is wrong, that’s even non-Biblical (book of James). However, if he isn’t doing that and expressing his beliefs who are we to interfere.

So if I go to a Lion’s Club meeting to do a talk, and they pray am I not allowed to participate?

The Associated Press: Ban on a type of prayer in school allowed to stand