Keeping the “Longview” in ministry
Originally Published 5/22/2015
These past few days have been a blur. I graduated college two weeks ago, Had a wedding anniversary this week, packing up to move in a week, and getting everything done in between.
Aside from the busy with those things, it actually has been a very refreshing time. For the first time in five years, I've had very few responsibilities. All my campus work (as a student and a worker) has been finished and I've been able to focus on my home and my ministry at Bethel Grove. It's also been a time for me to prepare for ministry in Naples.
This has been a sort of sabbatical time for me. Because of the fast pace of youth ministry, it might the only one I get for many years. During these past few weeks I've spent a lot of time praying, studying, reflecting on my life and my time in preparation for ministry, and reading resources to help me in the future. One lesson that has keeps coming up in my conversations or reading is the importance of the longview.
The longview is recognizing that God is at work throughout a long period of time, not just in the short term. Often, especially in youth ministry, we expect very quick and clear results of our efforts. That's not how it works. Sometimes there are immediate results, but they don't always last. However, the lesson of the longview teaches that our job is to be diligent workers, because God is ultimately the one responsible. We are the planters and waterers, but God, and only God, brings the growth (1 Cor 3:6-7 emphasizing God only).
This is incredibly freeing! As a very anxious person, I needed this time to be reminded of that. I'm a fixer. When I see a problem I want to fix it. I'm learning that my job is not to fix it. It's to love God, love students, love their parents, and to do what I can to make situations better while being faithful to His word. As I transition away from a church I've been working with for two years, I'm somewhat frustrated because I feel the work is incomplete.
I've learning that people come and go, but God always remains. This is why we must keep the longview in focus. God is responsible for growth, we just work diligently attending to the field. If I put the pressure on myself to bring results, I'm setting myself up for failure.
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These are not original concepts to me, but acknowledgements are due to several people.
Conversations with my wife, Jessica Grace, Professor Devin Swindle, and Dr. Dan Stockstill have all said similar things to me recently. I'm sure many more.
Plus, I've been reading:
In Transit: A Youth Worker's Guide to Navigating a New Beginning by Tim Ciccone
A Beautiful Mess: What's Right With Youth Ministry by Mark Oestreicher