If there is one thing I loved when raising funding for my ministry, it was getting referred to the youth pastor at your church. Or the Young Life guy.
Not sure, but I think this is the logic: you know I like Jesus, you know he likes Jesus, maybe we could get together and
- start up a counterfeiting ring to generate some cash.
- Compare minivans
- Add each other as facebook friends
Image Courtesy of Ballistik Coffee Boy
Perhaps I wasn’t clear. I’m looking for money. Not (currently) more people to work with. The following is a sarcastic/satirical look at what tends to happen, but the reality is that I often enjoy meeting with youth pastors/college pastors. It is funny, however, when you ask them for money. And for the record, I like youth workers (they have a special calling from God that includes Red Bull and IcyHot), but they are really easy to make fun of. And most of the time they don’t take themselves too seriously
Asking for money from a youth pastor is as fruitful as asking my 2-year old to help me get my discipleship curriculum together. He really wants to help, he just doesn’t have the capacity.
Here’s an approximation of how the conversation goes when I get together with Skip the youth pastor at your church:
(requisite fist bump or awkward “we’ve never met but both know Jesus so let’s hug even though we are full-grown men in Starbucks” followed by a waiting-in line experience where you take turns trying to make small talk about the menu. Once seats and Frappucinos have been acquired, we move to the meat of the appointment)
Skip: Bro, I appreciate you hitting me up. How long have you been in ministry?
(comparison of stories posturing ourselves as real ministers commences. Necessary details include but are not limited to (a) how many times we’ve had sell things to buy Apple products, (b) what theologian’s name and first two initials we are most fond of, and (c) what book about ministry we just finished reading. If a youth pastor is involved, there’s often a disclaimer about whatever form of facial hair is present, or why his graphic T has an eagle on it.)
Me: Yeah, I got your name from ________ and (he/she/they) thought you’d be good to get together with and talk through fund raising stuff.
Skip: Have you read [book about finances or ministry or both]?
(20 minute conversation ensues that somehow ends with the following exchange)
Me: The bottom line for me when it comes to speaking in tongues is that it’s supposed to bring glory to God.
Skip: Word. Amen to that.
(awkward segue back to money)
Me: Do you know of a way we can raise the $3000 per month we need to get back our assignment?
Skip: I have no idea. My church pays me with Red Bull and chewing gum wrappers. What do you say we pick up applications to work here at Starbucks?
Me: I’ve already filled mine out online while I was waiting for you to get here. I’m clicking “submit” right now.
I want to raise support, and so far, thanks to my meeting with Skip, I’ve raised negative 5 bucks courtesy of the calorically gifted coffee beverage I just ingested.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I always thought it was just me, but the “Youth Guy” at every church I’ve ever been to has always looked frazzled, with a haircut that didn’t quite hit the midline and clothes that are just a tad bit not trendy. Those guys work hard, but I think you’re right… when they HAVE to talk to you about $, the conversation usually turns awkward. It’s just a hard subject to bring up in ministry. These stories definitely give me a unique view of what it’s like to rely almost solely on support from others.
Yeah, the loveable youth guy. I’m not one to talk much, as I did most of my maturing as a college minister to whom most of the description you have above would have readily applied.
I was a youth pastor for a couple of years.
My experience was something like this:
Pastor: “Hey Zack, are you taking the kids to camp this year?”
Zack: “Well, I hadn’t thought about it. I’ve been pretty busy. Did you have something in mind?”
Pastor: “Yeah. Here are 8 brochures. Why don’t you pick one?”
Zack: “How much do these cost?”
Pastor: “It doesn’t matter. We’ll raise the money.”
Zack: “Oh. OK. How are we going to do that?”
Pastor: “You’ll figure it out. By the way, can you preach next Sunday. Oh, and I think the Sunday after that should be ‘youth Sunday’. Do you think the kids can lead worship?”
Zack: “Uh… well maybe eventually…”
Pastor: “Great! Yeah. You can just have a bunch of rehearsals this week and next week and I’m sure one or two of the kids will pick up guitar. And someone can play the bongos. Anybody can play bongos! OK great…. Oh, and I was thinking we should have a ‘sports night’ once a week this summer. What do you think? Oooh. Phone’s ringing. Gotta go.”
Zack: “Uh…”
Youth pastors just seem to be given a ton of responsibility with very little direction or support.
I love that our church, the youth pastor is recognized as pivotal to our whole mission. We want to plant 1,000 churches in 40 years, and most of the folks who will do that work are in middle school and high school right now. That makes him one of the most important guys in the whole church!
Good comments, Zack. It is interesting to hear that perspective. (and phenomenal to think of the youth guy as a church planting trainer)
Thanks for stopping by.
Called a lady this summer to set up an appointment and she literally said, “You know, there’s gotta be someone who can help, uh, uh, have you tried contacting Young Life?” Translation, “You know, there’s gotta be someone (besides me) who can help.”
Nice. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
For the record, this post is way funnier now that I work at Starbucks. Way, way funnier.
I don’t know how I missed this post, but I tell ya Ben, you sure should get paid to write for a living! It all flows so well and with humor! I couldn’t ever imagine the gusto one has to possess to be in your shoes. All I know if I see Jesus in your words, your actions, and your thoughts and I know good things are coming. Love the post btw!