This evening will mark the end of my search for a youth ministry position. I made many presumptions about what this search would look like and how it would end. I can say that the search was painful, it was long, and in many ways very confusing, but . . . It was good. God has used the process to refine me, to expose some things in my life that were less then His best. It's hard when God reveals something to you about your character that you don't want to see, because then you make a choice run from it or confront it. For me it was an issue of Faith, real practical daily lived out faith. As I began looking for a job I wanted to be in a place that was impacting the lost in a relevant almost organic way, a place where there was freedom to try new things, where risk taking and failure were virtues, a place where I could grow as a minister, and I also wanted a place that would allow me to support a family. Planning on being at this church for a several years it's an important thing.
Then a friend of mine went and wrecked the whole thing. Brad a friend of mine that I've gotten to know here in the NW challenged me to talk to his pastor about coming on staff at Discovery. I talked with Jon (the pastor) a couple of times. I remember being excited about the vision and direction of the church, but there was a major catch. They had no money for the position. Immediately, there was a part of me that said "well that's obviously not God's will for my life" but the other part of me just couldn't let go. So I did what you supposed to do I prayed. I asked God to allow me to interview with another church so that I would be sure that Disco was the place I was supposed to be.
Now my thinking was let me interview with them and then I’ll get this magical feeling that Disco is sooooo much better and I’d rather be there then have money. Long story short, after my 3rd interview things were going well with this other church, I still wasn’t “sold” , but I could see things working out. They had a good youth group and a budget, and I knew the salary package would have been very nice. SO that’s when the other church called to inform me that they were going in another direction.
As I began to process what had happened with friends and think through my decision. It became obvious to me that God was exposing my interest in the church as being primarily about security (well money to be more precise). So that left me back at square 1. I had talked with 3 other churches all of which were offering full time positions, but none of them fit any of the other criteria. So I took Jon up on his offer to come worship at Discovery with them whenever felt like it.
There were no magical moments in the process but over the next few weeks, through friends, family, sermons, and prayer God began to make clear to me that Discovery was the place that he wanted me to be. I’m completely at peace with this decision. I have no idea what this process will look like, how things will work out, or even how I’m going to pay the bills, but I know that this is where God has me and I’m excited to step out in faith and watch him provide.
So tonight and tomorrow I’ll be attending a leadership retreat with the church. Then this Sunday I’ll attend my last service as member of High Pointe. And join the team the next week, on the set up team. Go through another 101 class with disco. And see what God is doing in student ministry in the Tacoma area.
It’s not the end of a chapter it’s the beginning.
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