I’m a Youth Pastor let’s get some coffee.

The last week or so I've been thinking a lot about what I'm qualified to do.  To put this into context a bit I'm heading to the National Youth Workers Convention in Los Angeles this next weekend.  I've been asked to be a part of the team and work as a consultant.  Basically, that means I have the amazing opportunity to meet with youth workers for 45 minute time slots, listen and give advice if they want it.  I'm pretty stoked to be given this opportunity because I feel like it's actually something that I'm pretty good at and really enjoy doing. 

To put this in further "life" context I'm barely in my 30's anymore and have been a full-time Youth pastor for almost all of my adult career.  I've worked in 4 different churches which sounds like a lot but I was first an interim, worked at a church for 6 years, left that church to raise kids at the beach and that was a bad fit so I have now been at a church for almost 3 years here in Dallas.  Along the way I've had more interns, directors and volunteers than I can even count.  I don't have a lot of gifts but two areas that God has gifted me are in the areas of discernment and leadership.  On the discernment side I have a pretty solid gift for recognizing the right people who should be in positions and when it's the right time for change.  I've learned a ton over these years and think I will have a lot to offer youth workers this weekend.

I'm pretty excited to get to see some old friends this weekend as I lived in the So.Cal area for 13 years but I'm also excited to meet with some new people I've met this last year.  These conventions for me are always a huge blessing of encouragement and if I'm honest a little bit of a kick in the pants as I realize that there is so much more I could be doing if I was more organized, focused, passionate, smart, musically gifted, technological, networked etc….. But I'm not so let's just get coffee and figure each other out.  Maybe my gifts will help you and maybe yours will help me.

Peace,