It seems that there is not a lot I can get in real trouble over. I can do a lot of crazy things and then pull the "I'm the Youth Pastor" card and it's ok. I like to keep people guessing so this works very well for me. I have been thinking about the line though. I figure some things are just going too far. Now I know there are the obvious abuses, but I think I can be a bit more creative. So in the spirit of the Late Night Show with David Letterman, here is a top ten list of how to achieve a Youth Pastor Fail10. Design FailSo your church is finally getting on the ball with marketing. They … [Read more...]

So here is the follow up to the post I made about “Love and relationship: or how do you deal with a homosexual?” a few days ago.  This post is why I am doing this as anonymous as I can. I knew on some level that I would eventually have a teen wrestling with their sexual identity in my Youth group, but I am less than prepared.  Right now there are two.  It isn’t that they have come out to me but rather it is about things I have perceived.  Now don’t get me wrong.  I’m not relying on some internal “gaydar” or something.  This is a bit more logical than that. The one is a … [Read more...]

I have a floor. Ok, maybe it wasn’t ever that bad, but the past few weeks have been pretty busy, so my weekly plan has fallen by the wayside. Normally I like to come in on Monday and clean my office first thing. Then I sit down and prioritize my week. It takes me 2-3 hours first thing each week, but I wager that I gain more than that by going in with a plan. I find that I just can’t focus when the mess piles up around me, so the ritual of cleaning is very important, but it is the first thing that I nix when I feel like I’m overwhelmed with things to do. I also know that sitting down and … [Read more...]

I am intentionally making a stark departure from the seriousness of yesterday's post. I will be addressing the subject again in the next couple of days. Before that I'd like to consider some funny illustrations I have used. First let me say that technology is apparently of the devil. I love tech, but it always seems to fail at the worst possible moment when I'm preaching. That said, if I use a video in my sermon I like to have multiple ways of accessing the video so that when the embedded video in my power point fails even though it worked every time that I tested it including just before … [Read more...]

I want a freakin’ giant bean bag chair. I need the biggest bean bag chair that will fit into my office. My office chair is possessed and so needs to be replaced. I have been sitting in a chair from the 7th circle of hell for the past several months so I deserve a giant bean bag chair. Unfortunately I don’t have the budget to buy one. I could see it now though. I get a huge one for my desk chair, and then an even bigger one to replace that drug out of a dumpster couch and a smaller one to replace the stolen from the sanctuary chair. Then people would come by to chat and we … [Read more...]

This is a book I have on my shelf.  I had to read it for my one required music class at Bible College.  In this class I was taught the most basic information about music.  I learned how to read sheet music, but not cord charts, I learned to conduct various rhythms, and I learned I didn’t want to take any other music courses.  Basically I felt this class was a waste of time.  As a person planning on going into not music I’m not sure why they felt it necessary to know how to conduct or read sheet music.  I could understand teaching us useful information, like how to read cord music, use … [Read more...]

I was a carpenter for a few years. I really enjoy carpentry and it makes me feel closer to Jesus to think that he was a carpenter for years before starting his Earthly ministry. I don't know all that much about what Jesus did; there is a lot of speculation, but nothing absolute. I do know what I did. Pretty much everything. I did cabinetry, new construction, remodeling, repairs, drywall, finish carpentry, flooring, concrete ... I didn't go to a trade school, and quite frankly I don't think any trade school could have prepared me for all the situations I encountered. I learned everything by … [Read more...]

If you are a Youth leader you must remember this statement from when it was made famous. Still, if you are in Youth leadership you must wonder at the truth to this. I have only been doing this a little while, but I've noticed that my Jr. High and Senior High kids just don't get along. I've talked with other Youth leaders and this appears to be fairly universal. I wish I had an answer to solve this issue, especially for smaller groups that can't easily have a Jr. High service and a Sr. High service. Right now I'm on the edge of being able to have separate services, and that is a problem in … [Read more...]

I was talking with some Youth Minister friends, and I wasn't aware of how touchy the subject of "Lock in" was. One of the group absolutely refused to do them. He told the church staff when they were interviewing him that they weren't going to happen while he was there and that this wasn't negotiable. That is a pretty wild stance.Just for fun I thought I'd share why they are so dangerous.The Youth know the church better than youLet's face it, Youth ministers don't stay in church long enough to know every hiding place, but the lifers, the kids that were in cradle roll, they know every … [Read more...]