Ministry Blackboard

3Sep/120

the Monday Morning Debrief: Labor Day

I hope you all are able to do this today..

 

ENJOY YOUR LABOR DAY AND RELAX!

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13Aug/121

the Monday Morning Debrief: Detecting and Destroying the Beast Within

This Guest Post is from my friend and colleague Mark Seager.  I love it when he guest posts because his insights and perspectives are really a fresh breath of air every time I read them.

Pogo’s iconic declaration that “We have met the enemy…and he is us” ought to be in any ministry playbook.  Teaming up with Satan and the world system to neutralize Kingdom progress through each of us is…our self…our flesh.

Being in church world for a long time, I can relegate “the flesh” to one of the churchy platitudes I use to ignore a clear and present reality.  So I need a more visceral term for it that jolts me with the horror and reality of my foe. Hubris is such a word.  Even the sound of it bristles with arrogance.  Hubris is pride, and God hates it (Proverbs 16:5).

Most of us in ministry don’t plan to exude hubris, but it manages to weasel its way into our thinking and infect everything we touch.  Since hubris enters so subtly, we need to detect and destroy it before it controls us.  But how?  Just as our cars have “check engine” warning lights, there are some “check engine” lights in our lives alerting us its malevolent influence.  Some that I’ve seen flash up in my life are:

  • Prayerlessness – when I slog away at ministry without including God in the plans, its time to rearrange my priorities (1 Samuel 12:23-25).
  • Isolation – I get so wrapped up in my own world that I don’t let anyone in close enough to give me objective feedback, criticism, and encouragement.
  • Ownership confusion (referring to it as ”my” ministry) – as we’ve all heard, “it ain’t about us, it’s about God.”  If it’s about us, then we’re going in the opposite direction God intends.
  • Thin skin (I don’t take criticism well) – I get stressed because I’m working apart from Christ, so any criticism of “my” work is taken personally.
  • Anxiousness – I worry and fret, obsessing with the tangibles of “my” ministry (e.g. numbers, quality of facility, etc.)

These are some of the warning lights that I’ve had go off at various times in ministry.  They are all good indicators that the beast within – my hubris – is getting the upper hand.  It must be defeated.  How?  By seeking and relying on God’s grace for everything.   Admitting that apart from Christ, I can do nothing.   That is why Scripture says: 

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double‑minded.  9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.

10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.  ~ James 4:6-10 (NIV)

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27Jun/120

the Monday Morning Debrief: You don’t really need Vacation

Student Ministers don't really need vacations.  There is too much going on for you to possibly leave.  The fall is when you build momentum for the year.  The winter and spring is when you gear up for Summer camps and mission trips.  The summer is the time students are off and you can really build community with your group so that that the fall kicks off right.

So you really can't afford to go away at all.  You need to be planning, prepping, building into students and leaders.  There is no time to waste.

Ever feel like that?  I did and sometimes, I still feel that way.  That is why, despite my intro to the contrary, you NEED a vacation.

Last week, the girls and I went on vacation and it was great.  For me, there is something about being with your children where you can get away from the stress of life, sit on the beach (or wherever you feel at ease) and just relax.

This is a picture of my girls playing on the last night on our annual vacation. They were having a blast just being there. It was relaxing for them and relaxing for me.  For me, this is WHY vacation is important.  I'm relaxed and my girls are relaxed.

 

Whether you have children, are single or married without children, the carefree lifestyle of time away is very refreshing and healthy.  We were never designed to go, go, go and never have a extended break.  We need time away to not worry about work or any of the neighborhood drama.  We need to get away.

So, if you don't have a vacation or extended period of time away set aside yet, it's not too late.  You can still get away.  In fact, you NEED to get away.  TAKE IN A MINUTE right now and look at your calendar for a time to get away and vacation.

I am hoping everyone reading this is saying, "well, duh.  I have vacation planned".  However, I do know from my past that I didn't always take vacation or use all of it.  And, it hindered my effectiveness at home and at work.

So post your thoughts, comments or questions below as a way to encourage and learn from each other.

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26Dec/110

The Monday Morning Debrief: Christmas break hangouts

If you are a minster who has today off and is actually reading this on Monday, Dec. 26, 2011, do me a favor - SHUT DOWN YOUR COMPUTER.  As ministers, we rarely get a day off where we aren't thinking about ministry or processing ministry or even answering a call or text.  So, considering we worked all week leading up to Christmas Eve and day and then worked Christmas Eve and day, you need to shut down your computer right now and hang with your family.  Seriously...turn it off...right now.

But, if this isn't a day off for you or if you are reading this on another day other than the 26th, I'd like to challenge you to think of what you can be doing this week to reach out to students. The winter break is a great time to hang out with students informally and build relationships.  They can tell you about what they got for Christmas and what they are planning on doing for New Years Eve.  If students are anything like my own children, it doesn't take much time form them to get bored as they look for something to do.  So, if this isn't a week off for you, TAKE A MINUTE right now and think through what students you could give a call to this week and hang out with.

Now, if this is your week off, by all means, make the most of it and spend it with your family. You've worked hard all year and you deserve time off so take that time and enjoy.  Seriously, really spend that time and invest in your family.

What are your thoughts, comments, questions or experiences?  Post a comment and let the discussion begin so that we can all benefit from it.

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1Apr/101

Going Dark

Before anyone wonders what I am doing blogging on vacation, I just want to get it out there that this blog was actually set up to go out before I left. So just to put it out there that I am happily enjoying my time off right now with my family.

Considering that I'm currently on vacation, I thought this would be a good topic to ponder before I left.  As I was thinking of taking vacation, I was curious to get your opinion.  Do you:

  • take all your vacation time given to you or are you too"important" to the ministry to leave? I have felt this way before but if we are to remained balanced on our lives, we need to take up all of our vacation.  When you feel that you are too "important" to take time off, then you must believe that you are in charge and God has no part of your ministry.  All youth ministers must guard against ever thinking this. Your ministry is always God's ministry and it is more His than yours always.  In addition, when you take time off, you give your other leaders and helpers the opportunity to step up and assume more ownership.  That is always a great thing and could help you in the long run.
  • take your laptop with you and keep your phone by your side at all times?  Or do you try to take a break from them as well?  They may seem like harmless everyday tools we need for personal reasons, which they are.  But it can be easy to get sucked into returning a kid's text or a parents email.  Remember, the goal of vacation is to take time off to spend with your family and friends.  You need the time off to get refreshed and recharged so that you can come back better than ever.  As Joshua Griffin from Saddleback and author of the More than Dodgeball blog says, he goes "dark" for a period of time.  He doesn't blog and doesn't work.  He spends it with his family.

So, I'm going dark down at Disney World. I am not bringing my computer, but I am bringing my phone.  But, my phone will only be used for personal purposes, not ministry in any way.

Going dark is vital to youth ministers staying in ministry long term.  Whether it is routinely taking a day off or taking all of your vacation time, I know that it is not always easy.  Especially at non-mega churches where we do not have a lot of resources or as many leaders/helpers as larger churches do, finding people to cover and help out so you can be away can be a challenge.  But it is a must and will not only help you but will help bring health to your overall ministry.

So, what about you?  How do you go dark and how is it helpful for you?

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2Aug/091

Brainstorm Time: VACATION & DAYS OFF

A few months ago, a Youth Pastor friend of mine wrote on his Facebook status line something to the extent of, "Spending time hanging with the family".  Now, that is great that he was taking time with his family.  But, I replied to him, "Then why are you on the computer?".  I love this guy and we laughed about it, but I think it brings up a good issue.

How do we, as Youth Pastors and Ministers, take quality vacation time and days off?  It can be so hard considering so much rests on your shoulders.  However, in Exodus 20:8-11, God commands us to "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."

So, because I started off my blog with this quick story, I have a true confession - I'm on vacation.  I know, I know, I shouldn't be blogging or doing any work while on vacation.  But, my mind still works and I wanted to write down a few thoughts early in the morning before the family got up.

Therefore, I would love for you all to brainstorm how do YOU effectively take days off without worrying about work?  For example, do you turn off your cell phone?

I promise, I will try my hardest not to respond to any great comments about this until after I get home from vacation.  But, unless you all are on your day off or on vacation, post a comment or 2 so that we all can be encouraging each other.

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