This is a book I have on my shelf. I had to read it for my one required music class at Bible College. In this class I was taught the most basic information about music. I learned how to read sheet music, but not cord charts, I learned to conduct various rhythms, and I learned I didn’t want to take any other music courses. Basically I felt this class was a waste of time. As a person planning on going into not music I’m not sure why they felt it necessary to know how to conduct or read sheet music. I could understand teaching us useful information, like how to read cord music, use various methods of displaying songs, and some introductory theory on planning a worship service, but conducting? I’m not saying that churches don’t have worship leaders that conduct, but if you are a minister at a church that conducts a choir and orchestra, well they aren’t going to ever say to you, “Thank sweet baby Jesus you had a class that required you to conduct, our music minister had a terrible accident involving his conducting wand and hair gel. Can you please take over?”
I won’t call it my least useful class, I did get that book. Ok it is “Advice to the Minister of Music” but I think I can take the basic message and apply it to my life as Youth minister as well. In fact, I have found that life as Youth minister is basically about doing everything that needs doing. When I was at Bible College, I never really planned on Youth ministry. I wasn’t against the notion, but my thought was this, “If I go into Youth then I am a Youth minister, I will not use it as a stepping stone to get Senior Pastor.” I also never planned on leading worship.
Right now, though, I am faced with learning guitar so I can lead worship in my Youth services. My worship leader stepped down and the guy I got to step up doesn’t really want to do it even though he rocks. I use to play guitar, but life got busy so when I picked up the guitar after hearing that I would need to take over until I get another worship leader in place I discovered that it is nothing like riding a bike. I can barely remember one cord. Of course this means I can play as well as your average rockstar, but that is beside the point. I won’t be playing any Metalica.
Regardless, my point is this, Youth ministers do everything. I am the lead designer (ok I’m the only designer), the maintenance man, the computer guru, discipleship coordinator, and office manager. I am taking on the role of disciplinary principal at the school, and worship leader. I have been asked to join a finance committee as well. This is all in addition to being Youth minister in which I preach at least twice a week plus teach a couple of Bible studies, build relationships, work with a coalition of other Youth ministers …
So yes, Youth ministers you must get a giant hat rack if you plan on succeeding in ministry, the bigger the better. Then, the next time someone asks what you do all week you can take that giant hat rack and hit them in the head, then hang them from their underwear from it for the following week so they can see exactly what you do. That’s right you sit on the computer reading blogs all day because there is just too much else on your plate.
PS. I am not bragging or complaining about all that I do. I’m not bragging because that would imply that I do everything well. I’m not complaining because it would imply that I don’t enjoy all that I do. Mostly I just want to bash people in the head with a giant hat rack when they think my job is just playing games with kids.
PPS. I didn't plan a double post today. This is what I wanted posted today, but someone commented about discipleship yesterday and so I posted about that before I got to work, and finished this up and posted it when I was needing a break from finishing tonight's youth sermon.
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