Skip to main content

Unsuspecting Volunteers

Busy, busy, busy. Everyone is busy. Always busy. Do you remember when there was a time when it seemed like you had busy seasons but you also had slower seasons? I’m sure I did, but I haven’t had time to go back and see when that was.

Now it seems as though busy seasons only lead into other busy seasons. And to trump them all is the SUPER-busy season of fall. I’m wondering if someone looked at the church calendar and had the following conversation.

Someone: I have a great idea.
Unsuspecting Volunteer: What’s that?
Someone: Do you know how school is about to start and days are getting shorter?
Unsuspecting Volunteer: Ummm….yeah.
Someone: I think we should kick off all of our ministries at once during that same month. And I’m so grateful that you love God and children enough to help me.

There’s no out for the unsuspecting volunteer who just had the Love God & Children card played on them. So, with summertime waving goodbye, I give you my top 4 ways not to view this Fall’s ministry schedule.

1. TV Viewing Inhibitor.
Unless you really enjoy watching people fail at comedy, talent shows, or maintaining their balance while being sprayed with tons of shaving cream, your television viewing has been limited this summer. But when the new fall line-ups bring out your favorite shows as well as many attempts to fill the void that ‘Lost’ left, you’ll find yourself questioning how much time you have to give. How about we learn how to use our DVR and set free some nights for ministry? You can cram in your shows on Saturday, when we’re not having work days.

2. Jewel in Your Crown.
Did God give us talents to use in ministry? Yes. Shouldn’t that be enough? Yes. But we Christians do like to get something back in return. When the church budget is slim and nothing earthly seems to be coming our way, we remind ourselves that we’re getting a jewel in our crown in Heaven. That may be true, but how about we view ministry as an opportunity to serve instead of a chance to improve our after-life résumé?

3. Thorn in Your Flesh.
This is #2 gone awry. When you start to view ministry opportunities as something you struggle with, it’s time for a reality check. Each week this fall we have an opportunity to share words of life and words of hope. Children, teens, or adults are opening themselves up to what you have to offer. This is an honor, not a punishment.

4. Last Year, Redone.
Haven’t we done all of this before? Perhaps. But unless you’re holding back students who haven’t figured out the answer is ‘Jesus’, then you probably have new faces. Each year we have is another occasion to offer truth. Every week we meet is another invitation to share God’s life and make it our own.

Is the ministry schedule busy? I prefer to think of it as full. As you get involved this year, don’t come as an unsuspecting volunteer. Come expecting great things from a great God with a whole lot of great love.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Facebook Maybe

Granted, I'm a pastor. I have Type-A tendencies. Ok, my tendencies border on freakish OCD behavior patterns, but... Few things bother me more than the Facebook 'maybe'. I suppose I could go on and on about the grey areas of our society and the refusal of people to accept absolute standards. I could discuss the great need of people to accept that what is wrong for one person is likely wrong for everyone. I should certainly be concerned about mentioning that someone might have sin in their life. But I don't believe the Facebook 'maybe' is quite sin. Perhaps if I were coming up with new sins, I would add this to the list. But alas... Some might think the Facebook 'maybe' did not exist prior to the Internet, but they would be wrong. When I was in high school and asked a girl out on a date, I would normally be told that if they had no other plans, if nobody else called them, if there was nothing good on television and their hair did not need washing, then per...
5 comments
Read more

Accountable

I recently officiated a wedding. The ceremony was simple, lovely, and ended with another couple professing to keep the covenant of marriage. But it all started with a clarification...from me. At our first premarital counseling session, as I have done with every couple I have agreed to marry, I clarified a couple of matters. First, I officiate Christian weddings, where both spouses-to-be are professing Christians. I firmly believe that marriage is difficult enough, without adding disagreements about God into the mix. Second, as a minister of Jesus Christ, I believe the pastor’s role in a wedding is to represent the blessing of God on that union. So we have several sessions of premarital counseling where we discuss married life. It’s not that I have this imaginary card in my head, with a picture of me on the front and my stats on the back. (You know, like a baseball card.) Ok, I do picture cards. Pastor cards! And being a competitive guy, I want my stats to look good. The number of coupl...
Post a Comment
Read more

But I Wanted It

As I've said before , I'm looking for a new place to do youth ministry. Job searching in itself can be a full time task. Unfortunately, no one is paying me to look for a job. And when you haven't had to find a job in 15 years, the whole experience can feel brand new. And nerve-wracking. And quiet. So very, very quiet. I may spend a few hours here and there sending out my resumes and writing cover letters. But the churches I'm sending my information to have their own timeline. And sometimes that timeline does not involve acknowledging my presence. Which is fine, especially if one of the churches I've applied to is reading this right now. I understand those looking for youth pastors will have their own agenda and their own timeline. But it leaves me sitting here with a deafening quiet around me. I am choosing to walk by faith through these days, picturing God working behind the scenes (always behind the scenes) and holding His voice very still, until He is re...
2 comments
Read more