The following I couldn't resist including in my WISDOM blog. Take a look, think and evaluate. Not only do I believe that Mike Yaconelli hit the nail on the head pertaining to ministry in general, but also shows a profound side of Youth Ministry that few dare to look at. The credits follow.
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Getting Fired for the Glory of God
by Mike Yaconelli

After spending time with youth workers from all over the world during the Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention, there's no question in my mind that our calling to youth ministry and the current condition of the institutional church are on a collision course.

I'm beginning to believe that if those who are called into youth ministry follow the lead of the One who called them, getting fired is inevitable.

Why? Because, in general, the institutional church doesn't get it. The institutional church has become hopelessly corporate, hopelessly tangled in a web of secularism. Instead of the church being the Church, it has opted instead to be a corporation.

You disagree? Why don't you try these seven suggestions, and see how long you keep your job.

Keep Jesus #1.

Make your relationship with Jesus the first priority of your life, and expect the same from your church staff. Suggest that your staff meetings only allow you to talk about your relationship with Jesus. Forget about business; just pray together, and share your struggles with each other.

Be still.

Require as part of your job description paid time alone with God. At least one day a week of silence, three-day retreats every quarter, and one week a year for the entire staff.

Ignore corporate values.

Refuse to accept corporate values for evaluating your worth. What are those corporate secular humanist values?

How about:

Size
Productivity
Efficiency
Speed
Technology
Busyness
Measuring
Balance
Power
Success
Good grades
Sports
Just ignore all those values and instead …

Think small.

Keep your youth group small and manageable. Work hard to focus on a few rather than many. Don't let your group get larger than you can handle with integrity.

Be real.

Tell the truth. Tell students when you are doubting, struggling, hurting, and failing. Create an atmosphere of reality. Refuse to edit your meetings so that only the polished communicators speak and only the positive stories get told.

Put your family first.

Don't let a workaholic staff intimidate you into becoming a workaholic. Say yes to your family first.

Seek kingdom values.

What are kingdom values?

Time. Have plenty of extra time to spend with students one on one. Refuse to be too busy.
Awareness—sensitivity, empathy, noticing
Audacity—risk, courage, resistance
Intimacy with God
Humility
Grace
. . . . .

Notice: You don't have to confront the system. You can just get close to Jesus, seek intimacy with God, follow kingdom values…and it won't be long until you are out on the street. And guess who will be there with you? You got it…Jesus.



See this site for more information and articles: Youth Specialties

One's past does NOT equal one's future.

Accomplishing many things in life does not compare to the joy of being fullfilled in life!

Meaning and purpose

Meaning and purpose seem to be all the rage. All of these people looking for thier purpose and meaning within themselves.

I hear people going all around the world to "find themselves". Sheesh, if they asked me I could tell them they never left themselves anywhere. You can't really go anywhere without including yourself!

Don't all these people know that they are not going to find meaning or purpose within themselves? That's like saying a pencil, if it had intelligence, could look at itslef and know what it was made for. It's just silly. Even a created thing has to look to the creator to know it's purpose and meaning. So whay are all these people so confused? If you encounter one of them, just tell them to start lookin' through the owner's manual and they'll figure out what they are here for. Or, even more effective, start talking and asking the CREATOR what thier purpose is....

One-way windows can be a load of fun. Just make sure not to forget about the DOOR behind you!

I figured out the hard way that Common Sense is anything BUT COMMON!!!