Moments of Clarity

The crew of youth pastors at The Gathering 2017 at the Leadership Studio at Muskoka Woods

Last week I got to spend a few days away with a group of youth pastors for a retreat called The Gathering Technically, I was leading the retreat but I feel like I got to enjoy it at least as much as everyone else did.

The Gathering was the last ‘big rock’ in my fall calendar. After that, everything slows down toward Christmas. I’m VERY ready for that. I wear two hats in my job: First, I’m a youth pastor - that’s my full time gig and where the vast majority of my time and energy go. Second, I direct FEB Youth which is essentially the youth ministry arm of our group of churches. I love both, but the FEB Youth side has been challenging this year. The role requires a lot of admin stuff - planning, scheduling, emails… so many emails, answering questions, marketing, budgeting, and on, and on. None of which I love and some of it was just tougher this year than it has been.

I do the role because I love youth pastors. I want to help care for them. I love sitting across a table from them and hearing their stories. I love watching them minister to their students at retreats. I love seeing their ministries grow. Most of all I love seeing them thrive.

All the behind the scenes stuff of this role was weighing me down this fall. It can feel pretty isolating at times. But, getting away on this retreat and spending 48 hours in a room with brothers and sisters at arms was exactly what I needed. Being surrounded by people from my tribe as we laughed, shared, prayed, and learned together; I could feel my soul lifting.

It was a much needed moment of clarity, a reminder: I’m called to this. I love this. This is why I deal with the other all the admin junk.

Maybe you’re getting weighed down in the minutia of your ministry. Maybe you’re drowning in a sea of deadlines, scheduling, emails, and meetings. Take some time to come up for air. Go remind yourself why you do what you do. Go put yourself in front of the people that you are called to. Close the computer for a day and go hang out with your students or leaders. It just might lift your soul like it does mine.