Have you ever watched the show Hoarders? Maybe you know… or worse yet, are a hoarder! Truth be told, just watching the show gives me anxiety. People live in homes stacked to the brim of things most would consider useless. Many of them refuse to clean out their homes because they see value in everything. Each thing has potential to them.
I feel like God is a hoarder.. can I say that? With God nothing is wasted. There’s purpose and potential in everything. This is why James can have the audacity to say “consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds.” James knows that even in the worst of times, God has a plan and a purpose for what we’re walking through.
In James’ case he was referencing the maturing of our faith but what about 2020? What’s could God be doing through all of the “junk” 2020 brought us especially as church leaders?
By now most of us have either already opened services or we’re preparing to. One common theme I’ve seen from those in youth ministry especially is a sense of frustration. Maybe the numbers haven’t been what you wanted them to be. Maybe for you it’s a particular student you’ve invested in that hasn’t come back around. Maybe you feel like you’re trying to reach your students in more ways than ever but the “return on investment” isn’t comparable to the time, energy, prayer and preparation you put in. Whatever the case is, many of us are feeling this same strain as we try to navigate through this season.
As ministers if we’re not careful, a packed room can become our drug of choice. So much of ministry revolves around numbers whether we like it or not. It’s not a bad thing so long as your motives are pure. We want to reach as many people as possible! When the room isn’t as full as normal and it doesn’t have the same energy that it had pre-Covid, it can feel defeating. Don’t be so quick to rush back to normalcy because you like the feeling of a full room. Allow yourself to sit in the now and ask “What’s God wanting to show me?”
I’ll share a few personal thoughts that I believe God is showing me personally:
1) Assess and Invest: Rather than focusing on who isn’t in the room, focus on who is. Who are the students that have remained engaged and are hungry to grow in their faith? Invest in those students now because they’ll be the backbone of your ministry moving forward. Whether it’s 1 student or 50, go for broke with the students. They want it! We’ve all heard the quote “healthy things grow” but that doesn’t necessarily translate to meaning “more”. Sometimes growth is qualitative not quantitative. Go deeper with who you have.
2) Sow not Till: It’s often difficult to discern the type of soil we’re sowing into but this time is slowly revealing it for us. Over the last few months you may have thought a particular student was great soil but it turns out that the sun came up and scorched the growth you saw. The typical reaction to this, at least for me is to try harder with these students. This can lead to exhaustion and fatigue. When Matthew 13 talks about 4 different types of soil, there was only one action stated. Sowing. I think sometimes we can burn ourselves out trying to till the soil of students hearts to make them want it more. We’re not in this alone though. The holy spirit is co-pastoring with us. The spirit is the one that prepares the heart. If you’re especially tired from chasing down fringe students, this is a great time to lean into trusting the spirit more. The spirit tills, you sow, God grows. As much as you want to see 100% of your students come back and grow in their faith, imagine how much more God wants to see it! He’s working in this with you still continuously pursuing those students.
3) Over-communicate in Chaos: When Covid first started no one knew what was happening. I remember waiting weekly for the press conference from our governor to give us the latest update. In times of uncertainty people want to see and hear from those in leadership. When a leader stands up and gives clear direction it brings a sense of calm. When a leader is absent in uncertainty, it adds to the panic. Whether they verbalize it or not, your students want to hear from you and your leaders. We’re not just called to lead when it’s sunny and 70. It’s for times such as these that leadership is especially important. When you think you’ve communicated enough, communicate more.
What has God been speaking to you during this season? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section of this post!
Chris Davis // Youth Pastor – Eastern A/G