Is Change possible?

A good friend of mine asked this question. The simple answer is ‘yes’ change is possible. The correct question is :”Can I afford to be a pioneer for change?” The correct question will solicit the correct response.

A little background is in order. I love youth, I really have a heart for the youth. In all honesty, I am somewhat of a youth whisperer. I have worked with youth in many different capacities, and have always seen change. So, why don’t I work with youth full time? The answer is complicated.

Youth ministry by its very nature requires maverick thinking. Senior pastors are generally staid, conservative and cannot afford to rock the boat too much. If you rock the boat, your biggest financial supporters leave, and then you struggle to keep things afloat. I personally work 3 jobs, but thats because I rock the boat. If I played nice with the religious people, I would have a very large church...but because I like to rock the boat, I have to work several jobs just to keep food on the table, and clothe my family.

Now, great youth pastors live to start a revolution. Parents generally don’t want their kids involved in a revolution. They want nice conformed kids. Unfortunately, kids of every generation and social economic bracket want to be a revolutionary...even if it just in their thinking! There is plenty of time to grow up, conform, get a mortgage and live in suburbia. Most kids I know want to change the world, climb a mountain, fall in love and be loved. Personally, I will settle for changing the world, or maybe just my neighborhood?

So whats the deal? Simple really, I too am a revolutionary at heart. The cost of keeping the mortgage in date, feeding the family, and keeping son in private school is 3 jobs. I could compromise my theology and play the exhortation game, build a large church, but how do I look my son in the eye and tell him to be true to his beliefs even as I am compromising theology to ‘play nice with the adults’ who pick and chose what verse they believe?

My integrity is not for sale. So, I do not place nice, instead I work 3 jobs to support my honesty and belief system. That and I am a revolutionary who wants to climb a mountain one day. 

Back to youth ministry - thing is there is no money in youth ministry. You cannot afford to feed your family by being a full time youth pastor WITHOUT the financial support of partners, churches, and or people who believe in your ministry. Most smaller churches have pastors working full time outside the ministry just to pay their own church bills. In other words, there is simply no extra money to support a revolutionary youth ministry.

Secondly, if I am going to support a youth ministry, you better believe that my youth are the first to benefit by having a full time Youth Pastor on staff. Thing is, the very best youth pastors are snapped up by the larger churches who can afford the big salaries. What about the smaller churches?Well, they face the inevitable problem of senior pastor is actually a youth pastor walking the line of fulfilling two positions. Alternatively, the senior pastor hires a part time youth pastor who is just hanging around for his big break and then he is off to the bigger church.

Is change possible? Yes it is, the correct question is :”Can I find enough people who really want to see change?” The answer is - I doubt that. You see, most pastors are struggling just to pay their own staff, never mind support the work of a revolution...as much as I would love to. Perhaps if I took a 4^th job?