A while back, I attended a Pastors Think Tank in our city to discuss a hot ministry topic: "Senior Pastor/Youth Pastor Relationships."
As part of the session, the youth pastors and senior pastors met separately to discuss the top 10 beefs they had with their counterparts. I was the lucky one assigned the task of facilitating the youth-pastor session.
When all was said and done, we had created a list of 10,423 complaints! Fortunately instead of walking out of the meeting and quitting our jobs, we put our heads on straight and narrowed the list down to the following top 10.
THE TOP TEN YOUTH PASTOR BEEFS
The Gopher Factor. The "gopher factor" occurs when the youth pastor's job description is reduced to simple tasks such as folding mailers, washing cars, hosting guests, and general "I don't have time to do this so you do it for me" sort of jobs rather than ministering to students.
Without question, learning to "pick up sticks" with a servant's heart and with humility is foundational to any good leader, especially a good youth pastor. However, if the job description remains unchallenged and filled with busy work, a youth pastor's performance will remain unchanged.
"What About My Family?" One of the most difficult and least discussed areas of potential conflict is compensation. Granted, youth pastors and senior pastors alike ought to have the heart to do ministry without the mention or motivation for money.
However, in a climate where "full-time" ministry means just that -- full-time -- the rule is the same as it is in business; you get what you pay for. That doesn't mean every youth pastor should receive a full-time salary with medical and dental insurance, a company car, and a vacation to the Bahamas. But it does mean that youth pastors should be compensated and recognized for the work they do.The Second-Class Citizen Factor. Our youth pastors are not just baby sitters or entertainers. They're vital tools in the hand of God to mobilize, train, and release the next generation of world-changers into our churches and communities. As we begin to recognize and acknowledge the call of God on these leaders, we will begin to realize the true potential and impact of a vibrant, godly youth culture within our churches.
"I Need More Money." This is the greatest excuse we youth pastors use to cover our lack of production and impact. It's too easy to blame a lackluster youth group on the need for more money.
On the other hand, as youth pastors begin to birth more and more top-quality young people in their ministries, senior pastors should consider the cumulative effect on their churches. Because budgets represent people's tithes and offerings, dollars should always be allocated soberly and with prayerful consideration.The Friendship Factor. Unless youth pastors and senior pastors connect as friends, their hearts will remain guarded, and potential ministry will be stifled.
Ministry outside of friendship is mundane, stale, and unproductive. A senior pastor and a youth pastor must feel a supernatural connection to each other. This is the same type of connection Jonathan had with David and Jesus had with Peter, James, and John.Great Expectations. In order to attract these young men and women who will impact the 21st century church, we need to create an environment where they not only can work hard but also be inspired to excellence. Clear expectations and guidelines will help ensure that we are attracting and keeping God's very best.
"Do You Have An Appointment?" Under a mask of dignity and distance, senior pastors often alienate themselves from those who need them most. We've been led to believe that distance is power and familiarity is weakness. It is true that staying approachable can be risky, but the benefits are worth it. In order for youth pastor-senior pastor relationships to work, senior pastors must remain approachable and open.
Meeting in Noah's Ark. All youth pastors know what it's like to meet in the third graders' classroom while keeping it relevant for a Y2K generation. Cut-out Bible figures taped to the wall and flannel graphs of Noah's ark hardly make for an appropriate youth church environment.
Space will always be at a premium but perhaps the solution may not lie in tearing down walls or erecting new buildings but in communication and mutual respect.Air Time. Coca-Cola and Nike both understand that buying good air time means reaping good sales. The same might be true of church ministries. However, in many instances, youth ministry is treated like an afterthought announcement. Almost no attention is given to it from the pulpit (with the exception of an obligatory "Youth Sunday" announcement).
While a lack of promotion might stem from a lack of production, active pulpit promotion helps maintain momentum when youth groups are growing, and it communicates teamwork to the congregation. My encouragement to youth pastors is: Persist in working productively. As your senior pastor sees the hand of God on your work, you'll see your pastor's public blessing on your ministry.The Failure Factor. It's been said, "One of the most important decisions you will ever make will be what you do right after you fail." In the senior pastor-youth pastor relationship, this quote could be changed to: "One of the most important decisions you ever make will be what you do right after someone else fails."
Failure is not fatal, but it is inevitable. As youth pastors make expected mistakes in life and ministry, senior leaders are faced with a terrific opportunity for mentoring and discipleship. How these critical moments are handled can mean the difference between coaching or "couching" a future David.
Now What?
As you've read through the preceding list of potential problem areas, you might have graded your current relationship below average. Understanding that problems do exist, how do we really fix them?
Deuteronomy 32:30 says that one can put 1,000 to flight, but two can put 10,000 to flight. Remember in grade school how you combined baking soda and vinegar to create an active "volcano"? That's synergy at work.
Synergy happens when two or more forces come together to provide more momentum than one force could provide on its own. As leaders, we have to understand the power of synergy and harness it for the advancement of the kingdom.
Try taking the Relationship Assessment with your youth pastor or senior pastor and discuss each area of synergy together.
The Bible says that the fields are ripe for the harvest. As we look forward to a new millennium and the next generation of leaders, it's easy to see we have a plow placed before us.
Senior pastor, take a handle. Youth pastor, take a handle. Synergy is complete as we place our hands over the hands of the Master who is steering the plow.
The relationship between senior pastor and youth pastor can result in teamwork and joint production or mutual discouragement and failure. It's really our choice.
I say we choose the roads less traveled and change from going head-to-head to working hand-in-hand.
John Bolin pastors youth at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This article first appeared in the November/December issue of Ministries Today Magazine. To read more inspiring articles on their website, click here MinistriesToday.com.
Article reprinted with permission from Ministries Today, November/December 1999 38f. Strang Communication Company.
Are you and your youth leaders working hand-in-hand? Take the Pastor-Youth Worker Relationship Assessment.
