I consider myself to be on top of my game when it comes to youth ministry. Not only is my youth group one of the biggest in town, but most of the popular kids from the local high school attend our church as well. The youth ministry continues to grow, all with very little help or oversight from our senior pastor and church board. So, it surprised me a bit when my senior pastor called me into his office for a meeting and told me that he wanted me to find a mentor for myself, perhaps an older youth pastor who has been serving a bit longer than I have.
The request was so shocking that I didn't even bother to tell him that there is no such thing as an older youth pastor--especially one who's anything close to cool. I spent the rest of the day trying to figure out why in the world my pastor thought I would need a mentor! I attend all the best youth ministry conferences a few times a year, subscribe to the blogs of the coolest youth pastors out there, and listen to their podcasts every week. Why on Earth would I need a mentor? The last thing I need in my already packed schedule is to sit with someone in a coffee shop a few times a month and talk about things I clearly know enough about. What should I do?
Sincerely,
Annoyed in Annapolis
Annoyed:
This predicament might be a little difficult for you to get out of, but I will do my best to give you a fighting chance. One of the problems is that your pastor believes there is a significant connection between your personal and ministry lives. In addition, he probably thinks that you'll benefit from meeting with someone face-to-face where you can learn from his or her experience. What he doesn't understand is that you get all the instruction and training you need from famous pastors and authors. Not only do you read and hear about how ministry is supposed to be done, but you can do it without actually having to get to know someone or actually spending time with them.
My advice is this: find someone who's tolerable to spend time with to be your mentor, and meet with that person as little as possible. That way, you can keep your senior pastor happy, while not taking too much time away from the really valuable mentoring: podcasts, conferences, and blogs. Hopefully, this will just be a phase, and your senior pastor will come to his senses. After all, you and I both know that while there may be some benefit to face-to-face conversations with others, there is no substitute for reading someone's blog when it comes to learning all there is to know about life and youth ministry. And who needs a mentor when you attend at least two youth ministry conferences each year? Hopefully, this whole thing will be straightened out for you very soon.
Sincerely,
Youth Pastor
Dear Youth Pastor is a public service to the good people who read this blog, and letters are published every Thursday. To ask Youth Pastor a question, just email him at DearYouthPastor@hotmail.com.
