Three Thoughts From A Rookie Youth Pastor About Learning From Others

Over the span of my life, one of the things I am most thankful for are those men from whom I have been able to learn about life. In high school, it was my father and my youth pastor. These men taught me what it meant to work hard and to pursue God with passion.

In college, I had various men who helped to guide me, providing wisdom that a young, knuckle-headed guy both needed and did not always know he needed.

And these days, I benefit from relationships with older men both in and outside of ministry who are willing to teach me about life, manhood, faithfulness, and ultimately provide a perspective that I would otherwise lack. For these men, I am very grateful.

With regard to these mentors, I have three suggestions for young men like myself.

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Three Thoughts about Reading from a Rookie Youth Pastor

As a young, inexperienced youth worker, I don’t benefit from the wisdom of years of fruitful experience. Thankfully many of those who have gone before have written books to help those of us who are young, impetuous, and foolish. This is why I read.

The challenge is that there is a wealth of wisdom to be gleaned from all the books that are available. So I’ve been thinking of how best to spend my time reading, so that I benefit most strategically from these literary mentors. Here are three thoughts:

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Three Thoughts about Communication from a Rookie Youth Pastor

As I continue to serve in our youth ministry, I’m often surprised by two things. First, I am surprised how much of ministry boils down to communication (e.g. communicating the right message to our teens, communicating proactively to parents about schedules, communicating clearly to our leaders). The second thing that often surprises me is how often I think I’ve “figured out” this principle, only to find that I am still failing to adequately communicate. But, God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble, so I’m thankful that I have continued opportunities to try again.
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