Fighting for leaders!

Last week 2 of my old pastors/Officers stepped out of their position for family and health reasons. It will be very sad to see them leave their positions because God has really done amazing things through them and they are both such wonderful pastors/Officers. But sometimes things are just beyond our control. Health reasons crop up and we need to make sure that we are in the right state physically as well as the rest because otherwise we can't serve how we're meant to. This doesn't mean that unwell people can't serve the Lord, but if you're at the point where your health is going to get in the way...then you do what's best!

Thinking about my pastors/Officers leaving bought up a lot for me. It made me really think about people in leadership and how they are finding it more and more difficult to stay in their positions. (I am now referring to people in general...not my pastors...their reasons are different!) It's a very sad statistic that Youth Pastors don't last longer than 18 months. Some do! Most don't! I am so blessed to have an awesome mentor who has been through SO much more in her position than anyone I know! She's been mistreated, payed wrong for years, been through 3 sets of pastors/Officers and her job description has changed every time! But she's now in her 6th year as a youth pastor and the youth in that church are so flourishing!! They're not without issues. Every ministry has issues! But God is really working there! I am so blessed to have her mentoring me because my prayer is that I will also last! I won't be in this role for 6 years. I know that! I have applied to go to Officers Training College in 3 years (to be an ordained minister for those non-Salvos who dont understand our Salvation Army jargon! hehe) But my hope and prayer is that the Lord will use me to lay a STRONG foundation here over the next 3 years and that as an Officer in the years to come, I will serve the Lord in that minstry for as long as possible!

There are so many Officers/pastors leaving the work now. Good ones too! Young and full of passion. For some of them, it's beyond their control. They have health or family issues. But for the rest...well I don't even know how to explain it! I don't understand it! I don't understand that people in ministry don't find the support they need or don't seek it. I think that alot of people think that when you're working full time in ministry serving the Lord you are invincible and they wear themselves out trying to do it all on their own. One of the things that I find the hardest coming into a leadership role and in a new state and city is that I don't know many people. I am starting to get to know more and more people. But, within my church, which is where I spend most of my time, although I have a great support network, I also need to be careful that I'm being appropriate and that I'm not seen as 'playing favourites'. This makes it very difficult to make friends. I am starting to get to know more people outside the church now, which is great. But I often wonder how Officers cope with not having many friends. I mean, I know that alot of them do have friends, but being an Officers also means moving alot. Some are blessed and stay in the same place for a long time. But, they know that there is always the possibility of being moved anytime! This makes it hard to build friendships when you don't know how long you're in one place. It does make life interesting and you meet lots of people. But I wonder if for alot of people its just too much, and they burn out and leave the work!

I don't know...your guess is as good as mine. But in writing this blog I want to encourage you with a few things and I also want to challenge you to do a few things too. If you're in ministry, no matter what it is, you have an important role, a God-ordained role, and God knows what you can and can't handle. He will never give you anything that you and He can't handle TOGETHER! When times get tough, and they WILL, hang onto God! Don't let Him go! Reach out and handle it with Him! He wants you to serve Him! But also realise that you need a support network too. That's why God doesn't put us in ministry alone. Find a mentor...find an accountability partner! Someone you trust and respect, someone appropriate (ie. guys and girls stick to your own sex...as much as you think it will be ok, when you start to get personal, things may take a different path...just play it safe!!!) someone who understands...eg. my mentor is someone who has been in youth ministry for 6 years. She's been through alot and some of it is what Im facing now as a Youth Pastor myself. So, she is the best person to be mentoring me because she's been there and knows how to handle it...so she can then support me and pass ideas etc on to me! Don't sit around waiting for the support to come to you and then complain, "We have really bad pastoral care! No one called me when I was sick or depressed!" Did they know??!! You need to put in some effort too! The support is there...you just need to ask for it! If you ask, you will receive!

Here's the challenge for those of you who are being ministered to! Your leaders/pastors have the toughest job in the world! It's not a 9-5 job...it's a 24/7 job! They're committed to their ministry but more than that, they're committed to you! So, SUPPORT THEM!! Do what you can to make sure that they feel supported! It doesn't have to be that you're a shoulder to cry on, cause that may not always be appropriate...but support them in other ways! Make them a meal...invite them round for dinner. Offer to help them out with something, even small, that might just make their day a little less hectic. When they do well at something, TELL THEM! Encourage them! Slip them a note in their pigeon hole to tell them how much they're appreciated! Make it anonymous...the thought that it could be anyone makes it seem like it's everyone...and that makes SUCH a difference! If you want to be outrageous, throw them a surprise thank you party...just because!! If you have kids groups in your church, get all the kids to make a big thank you card and put some money together for flowers or an appropriate gift! There are so many ways you can show your support and apprecaition! If you have new pastors/Officers at your church make sure that you COMPLETELY go out of your way to support them and their children and make them feel at home! It will be hard for them to come into a new place as your leader when everyone just wants to suss them out! Make them feel comfortable and loved!

Lets fight for our leaders! Lets encourage them and support them and let them know that they mean the world to us...because with our passionate leaders starting to lose their passion, we will soon start to feel a bit lost! Encourage them and keep that passion alive...their ministry is YOU!! Love them for that!!!