part-time student ministry director

On August 1st, I became a part-time student ministry director.

Due to some recent budget decision at my current church, I was moved from full-time to part-time pay.

When most people heard that news, they felt sorry for me. They expressed frustration. They thought that I’d be crushed. Well I’m not.

Here are the reasons:

• Having all of your financial NEEDS (and many of your financial wants) met by other people’s tithes is a ridiculous blessing. We’re STUPID lucky to live in an era of history where it is normal for a church to fully compensate their “staff.”
• Sometimes, I think it MAY handicap the ministry as lay-leaders begin to rely on the “professionals” to do the work on ministry. They turn into consumers of religious goods & services which completely separates them from the best blessings of ministry.
• If I took a spiritual gifts test, I’d score high on the gift of evangelism. It’s pretty freaking hard to build relationships with non-church peeps when you move to a new city to work in a church. It’s not impossible, but I’m excited to pick up another part-time gig that allows me to rub shoulders with those who could use a pastor in their lives but would never set foot in a church.
• I went to a church in college that was part of a network of church plants. One of that networks core values was that all of their pastors would be bi-vocational. I’ve never been in a more spiritually vibrant & healthy church.
• I have the opportunity & necessity to more urgently invite others to join in what God in doing in the lives of teenagers. For the past two years, I’ve too selfishly clung to this blessing on my own, it’s time to share it with more people.