What Does Success Look Like?
Everybody has a different barometer for what success is. Success to me is that I have raised up some leaders around me who look at life differently, who begin to have life lived through an eternal focus rather than just, "How much money do I make," or "How big the sign is on the front door of my office."
To many people, quite honestly, success means they've grown a youth group to a certain size and have obtained some degree of a few people around them thinking they're a good youth pastor. But don't allow yourself to get comfortable. I see people do it all the time. They reach a level, whether it's 100 people in the youth group, 1,000 people in the youth group, traveling and speaking or getting "x" for a salary and consider themselves successful. Though I've achieved these things...I have never allowed those superficial markers to become places where I've set up camp and sat down. I enjoy myself to savor them, and you're wrong not to. But I keep saying to myself, "Lord, how can I be more for You?"
I want to come into Heaven and be emptied out for the cause of the Gospel. Not burned out, but emptied out. I want to feel like I really left it all on the field. So true success for me is just staying hungry. Not so much for the tapestry of success, but for growth. I never cease to be hungry to grow.
My prayer for you is that you will reach for true...and find it.
Everybody has a different barometer for what success is. Success to me is that I have raised up some leaders around me who look at life differently, who begin to have life lived through an eternal focus rather than just, "How much money do I make," or "How big the sign is on the front door of my office."
To many people, quite honestly, success means they've grown a youth group to a certain size and have obtained some degree of a few people around them thinking they're a good youth pastor. But don't allow yourself to get comfortable. I see people do it all the time. They reach a level, whether it's 100 people in the youth group, 1,000 people in the youth group, traveling and speaking or getting "x" for a salary and consider themselves successful. Though I've achieved these things...I have never allowed those superficial markers to become places where I've set up camp and sat down. I enjoy myself to savor them, and you're wrong not to. But I keep saying to myself, "Lord, how can I be more for You?"
I want to come into Heaven and be emptied out for the cause of the Gospel. Not burned out, but emptied out. I want to feel like I really left it all on the field. So true success for me is just staying hungry. Not so much for the tapestry of success, but for growth. I never cease to be hungry to grow.
My prayer for you is that you will reach for true...and find it.
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It's the "dragon" most all of us deal with in youth ministry - the success syndrome. We all know how it feels and the secret thoughts that pound in our minds. If we listen to its promptings, we never DO enough...we never GIVE enough...we never CARE enough in our youth ministry journey.
This Youth Leader's Coach, "Slaying The Success Syndrome," deals with all those issues. We take a look at what true biblical success IS and ISN'T. After all, it would be positive if we built our concept of success around our Maker's Handbook. Besides adding a lot of internal peace to your day, this mentoring session might even add years to your life - both physically and spiritually.
Yours for being a "Dragon Slayer,"
"The fact that people are choosing to follow you is not necessarily an indication that you deserve to be followed." Tough words to hear, aren't they? While they might not "feel good," five decades into youth ministry tell me that they are words that need to be spoken often.
The fact is I've watched the "charisma" of too many leaders take them where their "character" couldn't keep them. My heart's desire is for you to rise up and take notice and not fall into the same trap. This Youth Leader's Coach may help you to do just that.
When it comes to ministry, talent may determine your potential, but character determines your legacy. Don't be a great starter, but a poor finisher. May integrity, the true litmus test for success, be the signature of your life!
Eliminating the baby dragons,
NYLC General Session
In our modern church culture, we've forgotten our true focus, and we see emerging "Superstars." According to Jeanne, "We've become political...biased and opinionated...self-serving...and highly competitive." Does that sound like any church leaders you know? Maybe...you? Listen to Jeanne's heart as she passionately challenges the "Superstar" in you to "Come Down!" and revive the parts of you that may have died spiritually.
NYLC General Session
When I started in youth ministry, I had about 20 kids in the youth group. My idea of success? A night together in youth service where Jesus showed up, kids laughed together and prayed together, and maybe even a new kid or so excitedly decided to give their life to Christ. I mean, back in 1970, that was my idea of a mind-blowing YOUTH MINISTRY SUCCESS.
It took only about three short months to start adding stuff to that original equation. Remember those 20 kids? Well, pretty soon, "real success" needed to include having about 30 kids show up! And somewhere through those opening, exciting months, something NEW to me was "born" in my life and head. It was small and almost a little "cuddly" at the beginning. Kind of like a friendly little "stuffed animal" from my past. But on closer examination, it wasn't that innocent and it sure wasn't that "cuddly." I had given birth to a small, not-too-scary-looking DRAGON.
So my prayerful goal for this message is to remind all of us that the "DRAGON OF SUCCESS" is maybe one of the most ferocious enemies ANY of us will ever face in our own minds...but we'll ALL face him...whether we're the "lead person" on the team, an amazing volunteer assistant, or just a career-orientated person who's just trying to get ahead on the job-site.
I'm LIVING, TRANSPARENT, VULNERABLE PROOF that THE DRAGON OF SUCCESS can hang around for a pretty long time. The point I'm trying to make is that probably all of us have VARIATIONS of this "Dragon" that Jesus and His love wants to slay – dragons that are fed by our insecurities, our fears, our needs for approval and acceptance.
Lovingly,
Recently I read an issue from the Harvard Business Review, one of the most prestigious management and business periodicals published in the 21 Century. The article that caught my attention was called, "How Will You Measure Your Life?"
Though this is a strictly secular publication, the parallels to God's Word so jumped out to me, I'm dedicating this Youth Leader's Coach to looking closely at the three simple questions the writer of the article, a professor at Harvard asked his students. His questions were, "How can I assure that I will be happy in my career?" "How can I be sure that my relationships with my spouse, family, and closest friends become an ENDURING source of happiness?" and "How can I be sure that I'll stay out of jail?"
The bottom line is so simple...and one that we as Christians deal with on a daily basis. So, listen in, as I share my thoughts with you.
Lovingly,
