The Importance Of Volunteers

“The volunteers are more important than the people they serve.”

This quote has recently challenged and changed the way I do ministry as a student pastor. It’s not that the students aren’t important because they are; it’s just that if I was going to prioritize them and my volunteer staff, the volunteers needed to come first in my heart, passion, and actions.

This quote is revolutionary for me because I got into youth ministry so I do what I enjoy most, which is hang out with students. But this would mean changing my thinking and now focusing on volunteers instead of kids. I haven’t cut myself off from interaction with students, it’s just now I spend way more time and energy reaching out to and ministering to my volunteer staff then ever before.

My team needs to feel so much more connected than ever before and also just have a lot more fun together. And that is contagious as it spills over to our teenagers. In my opinion, this is key to help our staff grow numerically and in longevity in their commitment. It will breed loyalty. And this will greatly bless our ministry to the students. Because by me being passionate about my team staff and they really sensing and seeing it, it will make them equally passionate about each other and the students.

The trickle down effect has been cool to watch and the best is still yet to come. I’ve had students remark, Wow, you guys genuinely like each other huh!  I can honestly say without hesitation that I have the best youth staff that I have ever had in ministry.  There is so much talent assembled here that I can’t wait to see how God will transform students through our adult volunteers efforts and time.

Guest Blogger: Jeff Sareyka

NOTE:  I’m not a blogger and don’t claim to be one, but I just felt inspired to write to all my Philly sports friends…enjoy!!!  Please pass along to anyone who bleeds Philly sport colors!

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven” – Ecclesiastes 3:1

Ok, this verse applied when the Phillies lost the World Series in 1983.  Because, you see, the city of Philadelphia was coming off of an NBA championship that was won on May 31, 1983.  So, the city was a little spoiled.  It’s okay that the Phils didn’t bring home the World Series, we still have a winner in town!  The Bible says there is a time for everything.  Well, come to think of it, the city of Philadelphia is in quite a “season” right now.  As I sit here wallowing in the Flyers’ loss, I couldn’t help but do the math (yes, my highlight of this Friday night)…..If the Flyers do not win the Stanley Cup it will the 100th straight sports season without a Philly title!  Oh yes…quite a spiritual “season” we are in!  I am preparing my self pity speech to my wife that she tires of hearing every time a Philly sports season comes to an end.  She knows the routine…final buzzer sounds, I complain that we never win anything and I want to live in a city where I can get a good seat for a parade, and my kids deserve better.  My prayer is that my kids will see a championship someday.  I almost have lost hope for myself.  It used to be, “I hope I can watch a championship with my two boys, just daddy and the boys”. Now it’s, “I hope they can enjoy a championship with their grandkids.”  I feel like Moses….I can see it now….I’m 85 years old.  Chase Utley is in his 25th year as Phils manager and one out away from the World Series title.  Right then and there, the Lord calls me home and I sit on edge of the cliff overlooking the Promised Land!  Like Moses….never to enter…just lead the people there. I hope I can lead my kids there.  I’ll do my job on earth…teach them to boo, cheer when an opponent gets jacked up and complain that the teams never make the big gutsy move at the trade deadline.  After that, I move to eternity and a Philly team will win the championship.  That’s my prayer for them, seriously.  By the way, if patience is what we are supposed to be learning from all of this, I bet Job is the biggest Philly sports fan in heaven today.

So all you Philly sports fans….as you watch the Flyers, prepare for the 100th season of ineptitude.  Maybe it won’t happen, but c’mon there is a trend (see 1983).  So if all goes as planned and they do get eliminated, I’ll have my speech prepared for Pity Party…my wife will be there and maybe I’ll send you an invitation too.

Evan Almighty

I was watching the movie Evan Almighty yesterday and besides the fact that I could not stop laughing through out it because it was like watching a 2hr episode of The Office.  There was a part in the movie where Evan’s wife is sitting down with her three kids to eat in a restaurant after she had just recently left her husband (Noah) for being crazy.  Morgan Freeman (playing the part of God) asks her if she is ok?  She answers with some fluff answer like most of us have perfected on any given day. She asks him what would you do when your husband…and she explains how God told him to build an ark.  He said it sounds like an opportunity.

• If you pray for patience does God just give you patience or does he give you the opportunity to be patient?
• If you pray for courage does God give just give you courage or does he give you the opportunity to be courageous?
• If you pray for your family to grow closer does God just zap you with warm fuzzy feelings or does he give you opportunities to grow closer?

I couldn’t help but think of the times that I have prayed for:

• God make me wise.
• God make me patient.
• God give me joy.
• God make me compassionate.
• God control my emotions.
• God control my heart.
• God give me a pure mind.
• God make me a good speaker.
• God make me a good listener.
• God help me to be a good husband.
• God help me to be a good father.
• God make me less selfish.
• God remove temptations from my life.

When I or you pray those comments above, does God just do this or that or does he give us opportunities to become or do what it is we prayed about?  Leave it to a silly movie to challenge me spiritually.  It’s kind of a cool picture of what it may have been like for Noah in the Old Testament. How many times have we prayed expecting God to do something and then when it does not go our way, or the way we think it should have gone we complain to God.  When, if we only stepped back and saw the big picture we may just see that God is giving us the opportunity to grow.  Even though at the moment it feels like we are alone and forgotten.

Wake Up Call

So I’m pretty sick today along with Tyler and I was sleeping in.  Ok so it may have been about 2:00 in the afternoon.  There are those moments that when something happens it just makes you laugh.  Jess comes in and wakes me up to ask me when I wanted to be woken up?  Does that even make sense?  I said apparently now and got up so I could basically do the same thing on the couch.  I told Jess that she just became blog material as I got up and we laughed about it.

Virtual Patience

Ever been told that there will be someone at your house at a specific time? Like when the cable company tells you that they will be at your house tomorrow between the hours of 9:00am and October. It can be frustrating waiting around for the promise to be fulfilled. I have dealt with something similar to that this week while waiting for a product to show up that we ordered online. Multiple phone calls, apologies, crying (mostly by me…I’m such a baby), emails and waiting. If you know me and have read any of my blogs (namely all of them about The Jeep) then you know I hate to wait and have no patience. It has truly been a test to maintain my attitude because the company I ordered from knows I’m a pastor and work at a church.

I can’t help but think that if I was God I would totally lose patience on people like me and people that I know who are like me. BUT, God continues to be patient and sees that, me, like so many others are a work in progress. What you see is just the beginning and God is not finished yet. I don’t know if I am over spiritualizing (not really a word) this because I am still waiting for delivery and am trying to pass the time or because I really feel like God is working in my heart…I’ll let you know tomorrow. (It may depend on when the cargo is delivered)…There may be a sarcastic undertone to this blog.

P.S. If I have ever kept you waiting, I am so sorry.  Honestly

On a side note though the good news is  I have a 1-800 number for your complaints and mine.

Maturing

Somebody recently asked me, “What does the process of maturing look like?“  This was a great question and it caused me to step back for a second and really think about an answer.

I could give them the college answer: Discipleship!  “Discipling others is the process by which a Christian with a life worth emulating commits them self to a few individuals, for an extended period of time, who have been won to Christ, the purpose being to aid and guide their growth to maturity and equip them to reproduce themselves in a 3rd spiritual generation.”

I could give them the pastor answer:  “What does spiritual maturity look like to you?” I heard that a couple times, but I think it might be because they didn’t know the answer either.

Or I could give a practical answer that may or may not be accurate but is simply only my point of view.  Maturing in a person’s life is when you quit holding their hand and allow them to become a self-feeder.  It’s the moment that you say, it is your turn to walk on your own.  That doesn’t mean you leave them all alone.  It means that you allow them to fall and make mistakes, but you are there to help them back up and show them where and why they slipped up.

So when it comes to spiritual maturity and helping others in that process you have to ask your self three questions:

1. What is spiritual growth?
2. What are you trying to accomplish on this journey?
3. How did we grow?

There is not one particular answer but when someone can begin to grow and walk on their own, then that is a win for the person being discipled and the person discipling.  By the way notice I said it was a journey.  Spiritual growth that happens instantly usually dies instantly.  It is a process and it takes time and during that time they will fall and guess what so will you.  “Love them where they are not where you expect them to be and show them grace along the process.”

Creative Meetings

I got some rad information while at the Orange Conference that I think transcends the church culture. The question that posed to me was, “Why do creative meetings?” The answer they gave was if we are not creative we are not effective. I think there is so much value to that statement that can be unpacked for days. Creativity is a gift that has been given to us by God. How can we not attempt to be creative when the God of the universe that created everything, is in us and around us and has given us this ability to create ideas, thoughts and feelings.

LEADERS: Be Creative…

1. Design relevant environments. People can’t be creative in an environment that does not allow creativity.
2. Find effective solutions. At the end of the day there should be a solution. That doesn’t mean that the team has to have the final say, but they do need to have a say.
3. To communicate the bottom line. What do you want them to walk away with and know?

6 Stages of the Creative Process…Harness your creativity to be effective.

1. Define or establish a written brief.

• What are you trying to create?
• Clear definitions keep you focused.

2. Acquire.

• Brainstorm random ideas.
• There are no rules and their is no room for negativity.
• Any negativity will stop the creative process in many.

3. Framework.

• There must be a structure and a time line.

4. Compress.

• Reduce all ideas down to the best ideas.
• Funnel your ideas to “that one”.

5. Pause.

• Don’t be afraid to sleep on it.
• You can always go back on it and improve them.

6. Solidify.

• Ask the question…”How are we going to get it done?”
• Give out roles.
• Add details.
• Implementation requires administration with creativity.
• Know who’s in charge…1 point person.

Good ideas will never be implemented if there is not good leadership.

P.S. Don’t be afraid to celebrate and evaluate after the event.

All of these are good ideas and transcend the bridge of occupations. We can all get better at leading meetings, casting vision and implementing volunteers.

Get Your Serve On

God has been working on me with this whole idea of implementing students strategically into the serving culture of our church.

The question that has to be asked not only of students but of all of us is: “Do we view serving as an integral part of our strategy to disciple students and others?” What a great question for all of us to ask ourselves.

I think there are two key ways to ignite the spark of passion to serve:

• Inside the church. Collaboration with children’s ministry and other ministries within our church so we can create a synergy (like that word?) that propels students’ growth.
• Outside the church. Forcing students to answer the question-are you willing to collide with culture?

Whether your a Christ-follower or not, we are all created in God’s image and everyone has a desire to make a difference and be a part of something bigger than themselves. So how does a student ministry move students to service? So how does a church move people to service? There are a couple ideas but there is no way I could answer that question completely on a blog…if I could I would write a book and be independently wealthy.

1. Large Group…speak often and showcase the wins of students and others.
2. Small Group…Empower small group leaders to help students own the value of serving.
3. Serving Communities…Groups banding together around a specific serving opportunity.

I think it is important for there to be a point person who says, “I’m going to change the world…come with me.” Inviting students and adults along on the journey. It’s the principle of teaching vs. showing.

God continues to have be ponder ideas and think through ways to really make a difference in the Delaware Valley. Got any ideas? I heard of someone who took their BBQ in the dead of winter under highway overpasses and cooked up food for the homeless? How outside the box can we get?

Worship

I just have to brag on our “house worship band” for SNL last night. They were AMAZING! There was so much energy not only with the band but with the crowd as well. Phil plays bass, except for last night as he ran around on stage playing the crash symbol on the drums and strumming Nick’s guitar…I don’t think Phil likes to play bass anymore. Everybody did such a great job and Donny had great song choices last night. Our worship band has grown so much and we have so many talented musicians here at Fellowship.

I’m interested…what are some of your favorite worship songs?

Memories

I got to have one of the best times last night with my son Matthew.  I took him to soccer practice where he slide tackled a kid, there may have been some tears.  Now I have a dilemma.  I am concerned that the other kid is okay but inside I am jumping up and down that Matthew took him out and I think he knew what he was doing.  He even won the sharks and mintos games…yes that is where my level of excitement has gone too.

After the game we went to Applebee’s and we played and talked.  It is amazing how his personality is starting to develop.  He truly is turning into a little man.  I am so proud of him and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for his life even though I don’t want him to grow up.  I love this age even though right now his ambition is to be a super hero.  Time goes by so fast and soon he will be driving and I will be shaking in a corner scared for all of you.  But until that time comes my goal is to take advantage of every opportunity with both of the.

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