More Youth Ministry Lies

HERE is a great post by Josh Griffin titled 4 Youth Ministry Lies. Being a 10 year vet of student ministry, I've had my share of youth ministry lies spued my way. Here's a list in continuation of Josh's 4....

• Middle School pastors are the young, immature pastors of the church
• This one is such a stereo type the churches fall into. They go out and hire a guy who has great potential and because he's young, a little crazy, and way inexperienced, they think he can only serve in middle school ministry. Some of the best middle school pastors I've been around have been older guys...well...just older than me....who had a wide range of experience.
  

• All student pastors play an instrument...mainly guitar
• Ok, this one is a half lie. I play an instrument. But it's by choice and not because we have no worship leader so I have to play on every Sunday and on every over night trip we take. This is a lie because the Butt Horn doesn't count. Sorry JOSH

• Senior pastors and student pastors don't click
• In all 10+ years of my experience in student ministry, I've never had this as a major problem. Now there have the horror stories we've all heard about how because all student pastors are under paid and their senior pastor is out to get them...yeah it happens. But news flash...if you're in ministry...YOU'RE UNDER PAID! But here's the deal...let's be honest...we're not under paid because your Preach doesn't dig you. And for the record, a relationship between a student pastor and senior pastor is a two way street. I'm not blind and I know these relationships go south in some circles. But let's debunk the lie and not put that label on all student pastor/senior pastor relationships

• Student pastors don't write REAL messages
• Maybe this one should read something about how student pastors only use pre-made messages that come from Youth Specialties or my personal fav Simply Youth Ministry. Or maybe it should say something about how student pastor messages are really more like Sunday School material because teenagers can't hack the meat from the bible so everything is sort of surface type stuff. OR...maybe it should say something about how student pastors, since they're not REAL pastors any way, can't really bring the wood on a Sunday morning. I don't know...take your pick...but it's all a LIE.