Comments on: announcing: ys middle school ministry summit

By: brandonE

brandonE — Mon, 28 May 2007 00:13:07 +0000

How do I get invited to the free on with the 25 guys?

By: STEVE BELLINGAR

STEVE BELLINGAR — Thu, 24 May 2007 20:50:08 +0000

Please send me the information on sign up. (sbellingar@calvaryefc.org) I am VERY interrsted in attending. I was promoted to the MS ministry only 4 1/2 years ago after serving in youth ministry for a little of 10yrs. However, I am struggling and would love to be with some like-minded (old) middle school pastors.

By: gary tubb

gary tubb — Sun, 13 May 2007 00:42:32 +0000

As a pastor with primarily middleschoolers in our small church youth group, I am excited about the sharing that will be done. I look forward to the outcome of this gathering. I look forward to this growing into a much anticipated yearly event from which much is derived for us to use to assist us in our own unique settings. I understand your limitation to just fulltime middle school workers;however, there are a ‘whole ton’ of us who work within churches that are smaller than many middle school groups. I hope that this gathering causes for the NYWC to have even more classes in this age bracket.

By: marko

marko — Sat, 12 May 2007 08:36:29 +0000

sorry for the delay in responding (been in a cabin on a mountain this week!)…

jim — i am so sorry to hear that’s your impression of YS. i’m sorry that we’ve done whatever it is we’ve done to give you that impression. and, truly, it is so far away from our hearts. we love being champions of volunteers and champions of small churches also. if you would like to call me, i’d value a chat with you about what has given you this impression of ys (my number: 619.440.2333). as to this event, i have no hesitation that a 30-year vet like yourself would have much to add to any discussion of middle school ministry, and that you would know much more than some of the 3 year punks who get a paycheck from a church. that’s not at issue here. with this event, we’re trying to create a safe place for those who employed in ministry to young teens. it’s not at all an issue of being elitist: it’s about the commonalities that come from being in a staff position (usually one of the least appreciated positions on a church staff, but also a fairly unique position, as so many churches don’t have a paid middle school specialist). part of what we’re trying to do is encourage those people to see the value of this ministry and stay in it, rather than viewing middle school ministry as a stepping stone to some other sort of ministry (like, high school ministry).

donna: yup. part-time is fine. hope you can join us.

jessica: you can decide if it’s the right fit for you.

jeremy: i’ve known many paid middle school people who are catholic. in fact, we’ve had two attend the “jh pastors summit” that spawned this event. admitadly, it’s not as common in catholic churches as it is in protestant churches; but then, neither is having a youth minister at all.

By: Donna

Donna — Fri, 11 May 2007 16:40:37 +0000

I am a part time paid jr hi minister. Are you requiring only full time, or is part time paid ok? This sounds like something i am really interested in!

By: Jessica

Jessica — Thu, 10 May 2007 06:39:55 +0000

I just have a question as to if Middle School people feom para church would be included. I am paid staff at a church right now, but by the time this happens I will be on staff with a para church organization. Would we be included, too. I only ask because I am very interested and have a deep passion for middle school ministry, this is where I have been called to for now, though.

By: Johnny V

Johnny V — Wed, 09 May 2007 21:54:39 +0000

Wow, Jim…you sure seem to care a lot about a program being put on by a group who has “always been elitist and condescending.” I applaude your 30 years of ministry, but YS has a target audience for this gig, and sorry, you’re not it. (And neither am I.)

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 09 May 2007 20:25:23 +0000

I am only 22 and I have worked specifically with junior high kids for the past 4 years. I have been paid (a small amount) for some of that time. I certainly am not in junior high ministry (or ministry in general) for the paycheck! To me, the money is a necessary evil. If I don’t get paid, I can’t pay my rent and I can’t spend as much time doing ministry because I have to have another paid job (which is the scenario for me right now).

I don’t think this event is meant to be an “elitest” group by any means. I simply think that middle school ministry is a very specific ministry to a specific population of people, and youth ministry is often catered to high school students. So, this could be a very helpful resource for “paid staff” who can, in turn, relay what is learned back to others who minister to junior high students.

I hope I can go!

By: Jeremy Stafford

Jeremy Stafford — Wed, 09 May 2007 20:02:08 +0000

I would have to agree with the question about why paid? I work in the Catholic Church, I have maybe heard of one Full Time Jr. High Youth Minister….

By: brent

brent — Wed, 09 May 2007 19:54:10 +0000

wow…so three guys put together an event, design and lead it for free, a retreat center joins in and charges pennies on the dollar to nurture some youth pastors and then get hit with a criticism that they devalue volunteers?

I’m confused…an attempt at loving on youth workers has turned into questioning the motives of YS. I think over the last 7 or 8 NYWC I attended I recall that the group who gets the loudest cheers from attendees and most kudos from the stage are volunteers.

Maybe a constructive next step might include intentionally inviting these 70 paid folks who are invited to attend this event to make themselves available at NYWC in the fall so that regional groups might be able to offer the peer environment that volunteers are looking for.

I am really sorry that anyone has experienced YS, Marko, and others as elitist. Be encouraged, Jim, your impression of YS is atypical.