YP's Again, Who Knew!

When my honey and I felt the Lord leading us to step out of youth ministry over a year ago we thought it would be forever. We had no inkling that we would be asked yet again to oversee a youth ministry. In December 2008 we were approached by an awesome Man and Woman of God (now our senior pastors) to consider being their youth pastors.
This Sunday we were announced as the new Youth Pastors of our Church while the whole church stood and applauded. I cried, my honey cried, people in the audience cried... the Lord was in that place, He was with us. On the first youth night, which we were not at, there were over 60 kids. This is more kids than we have ever pastored at our 7 years as youth pastors previously.

The Lord brings two scriptures to mind...

1. Matthew 25:14-30 (New International Version)
   The Parable of the Talents 14"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15To one he gave five talents[a] of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
   19"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
   21"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
   22"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
   23"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
   24"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
   26"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
   28" 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

• My honey and I have felt like we did exactly what the Lord asked us to do with our other youth ministry. We sowed and sowed and ended up with only a few kids at the end. While the purpose of being youth pastors is not to amass the most kids you can in your youth ministry, but to disciple and make followers of Christ we couldn't help but feel a little like failures. Even though we felt like we failed, the Lord is saying to us "You have been responsible with a few, here is many." What an honor, we are not worthy of what the Lord has given, and provided. He is good, he makes us feel like the faithful servants.

2. Proverbs 19:21 (New American Standard Version)

Many plans are in a man’s heart,But the counsel of the LORD will stand.

• Our plans were not to do youth ministry, but the Lord directed us back towards it. We were not seeking a position as a youth pastor and had made that very clear to a few people. We have found that God's plans are better than the ones we make for ourselves. The Lords blessing is awesome when you are doing what he has purposed you for.

We are not finished with the web business, or the band but the Lord made it very real to us over the past few months that we were to add one more calling to our plate. He is good.