My Call to Youth Ministry Explained.

From Phil:

Summer of 2003, God really revealed himself to me. I was a full-time dishwasher up at Trout Lake Camp. God proved to me that he is extremely evidently active in this modern day world. The only reason we sometimes miss is just that, WE miss him. We don't look for him. God had been revealing to me some truths about him through someone in particular and God began to mold me and my faith. My faith started to become my own.

I remember filling in for a cabin's nightly devotions because the counselor was sick. I was put on the spot and out of my comfort zone and God delivered. I was speaking on the power of the Holy Spirit and that when we accept Christ, we have the ability to tap into that power. One of those powers, the ability to heal, was one that I had felt a desire to touch on. I found out the next day that one of the campers was not feeling well at all that night and after I talked about God's healing power, the camper felt well again. This was confirmation to this new kind of God that I had been learning about that summer. I began to actually BELIEVE that God had a call on my life. I sure had heard that before, but there's a definite difference when you begin to believe it. I also began to realize that I had a voice. I had something to say to the world. Something so worth saying that it can heal the sick (on so many levels).

Summer of 2004, I was a full-time counselor at the same camp. I had to give devotions every night to my campers, which was really nerve-wracking to me. Is there even enough to talk about God to do it every night of the summer to these campers who mostly could care less (yes)? Some devotions were prepared but some were derived from the experiences of that week within my cabin. One of my first weeks, one kid was being continuously picked on and scoffed at throughout the week. My devotions focus a lot on that issue without directly calling kids out (no kid wants to go to camp only to hear another authority figure scold them). At the campfire on the last night, all the kids went up and talked about how God had used me to change their outlook on treating those around them. They spoke specifically about the devotion time and how crucial that was to their camp experience. I was finding my voice. I had never lead in this capacity and I was out of my comfort zone and God was stretching and growing me. I truly FELT like a light to a dark world.

Summer of 2005, I was really out of my zone. I was "Head Counselor" at Trout Lake Camp. I no longer counseled campers but more or less counseled the counselors of the campers. I was becoming use to being a leader to kids...but being a leader to people my age or older? There is a lot about that summer that I would do over again but the fact of the matter was that I was again stretched and was grown that summer. I learned a lot of things, especially through error. One of the things that I learned was that my passion was in leading youth, not adults. You see, you can still be stretched and grown even when you are not lined up with your passion. But when your passion AND discomfort zone (where you are stretched and grown) are in line, there is nothing like it.

Summer of 2006, I stayed in Indiana to play gigs with my band. We had recorded an album earlier that year and played around that summer. I enjoyed the interaction that I had with the teens that listened to our music. Some would think I'm cool or something because I played in a band (...silly kids). This would provide an opportunity for good discussion. I had been told by someone that the song I wrote on the album had meant a lot to them and helped them through things. I really enjoyed this. What if, I thought, the band was more than just a band playing music, but a ministry movement. We started to become more intentional with our on-stage interactions at the shows and presented a five minute message. My wife began to speak at the shows and we knew that we wanted to be in ministry together. We thought that maybe this was it.

Summer of 2007, I realized that I didn't have to be in a band to change the lives of youth. In fact, it wasn't the band's members who I grew up listening to that greatly affecting my life, it was the youth leaders who lived life along side of me. Kylee and I joined The Bridge staff as "youth interns" and Raising Daybreak played its last show (ironically for The Bridge youth). And I was stretched for a time. I lead worship on both piano and vocals (never done that before, let alone either one by themselves). I occasionally spoke and met with kids one-on-one and discussed life's hard struggles (often not enough time in one week to get to that point at camp).

Summer of 2008, I continued to help out a little with the youth ministry at The Bridge as my primary role switched to the church's website designer and video editor. Sure I was stretched here, but I quickly realized that, again, I was not in line with my passion. I learned a lot about website administration and video production but I was not feeling fulfilled. Something had to be done about that.

Summer of 2009 (so much growth seems to take place in the summer), I officially became the High School Youth Pastor of The Bridge Community Church. What's this going to do. It's going to grow me. It's going to change me. I will be brought out of my comfort zone, speaking 20 minutes messages on a weekly basis, developing relationships and reaching out to as many kids as possible. Leading small groups and one-on-one's and developing both student leaders and adult volunteers. The greatest thing? I'm in line with my passion. I can see optimum growth for my near future as I am finally allowing God to grow me in the most expansive way possible. You see, I shied away from accepting this call of speaking because it scared me. I told people it wasn't my gift while I heard God saying, "You're only limiting me when you say that."

So here we go. I'm jumping in and not sure how I'm going to land. But that's the fun of it, and that's when God strengths are made perfect in our weaknesses, and that's when we truly learn to rely on him. If not now, when? Might as well be now. Embrace passion, embrace change, embrace growth and embrace discomfort...but discover fulfillment. Are you fulfilled? What scares you? That's normal. But don't be normal...and embrace it. Normal won't welcome change and change is was stretches and grows. And stretching and growing gives fulfillment. Does it scare you to be uncomfortable? So what, go in blind, with nothing, you have nothing to lose. That's what Christ asks of us. When we clinch too tightly to what we find comfortable, how are we ever going to take the hand of Christ and let him lead us. And Christ WILL lead you to true fulfillment.