In answer to the question above: I think that God’s calling has the most to do with anything. I recently had a job offer to move to a church that i would rather be apart of, in an area that i like better, with better pay and benefits, less problems, and better volunteers but i turned it down because i don’t believe that is where God wants me to be right now. I won’t go anywhere that i’m not called to, and i certainly won’t stay here one minute longer than he calls me to. I think that right now i think that God wants me here longer “just for the needs of the youth”, but i’m ok with that. there certainly isn’t anything wrong with that, God just isn’t done using me here yet.

On the other hand i think that God would call you where you can share the vision of the church, or to change either your vision or use you as a tool to help change theirs.

Sorry i know i’ve rambled and haven’t really accomplished anything.

However, I have a question to throw in the mix. At what point should a minister “compromise” being able to serve in a ministerial role with a certain people at the expense of serving in a church he really wants to be involved in completely?

In other words…Is it acceptable for a youth minister to stay and serve at a local church “just for the needs of the youth” or is it necessary that he must be completely on board with the “vision” of the rest of the church elders/pastors/deacons, etc?

I said all that to say this. I hold myself and the staff of my church responsible for the answer to the question; would you attend your own church? If you wouldn’t, ARE YOU PART OF THE PROBLEM? My YD is a big part of that problem. I have spoken to him in love many, many times over the years. He just doesn’t get it. I have to assume he is the “simple things” God tells us he will use to confound the wise because if that is not the case he is knowingly driving people away. If I thought he was doing this knowingly I would leave in a second.

I would be open to any suggestions as how to possible help my YD. BTW the senior pastor thinks the YD is doing a great job.

I believe this is the greatest cause of staff turnover. We feel a call to a new vision or direction, but are unable to get the congregation to embrace it. Once you have reached this point, you will not be satisfied doing the same old, same old. You will either leave to somewhere that shares your vision, or try to force the vision, which will not end well for anybody.

Thankfully, the church were I am now is one I’d like to attend even if I didn’t work here (though I’m not in youth ministry). My wife and I visited once because a friend is the pastor and we actually WISHED we could attend here. And now we do.

I wonder if this is part of the reason that some churches like to hire their staff from WITHIN the church.

Probably, but is hard to say, because I am bias (sr. pastor and I are good friends as well as co-ministers). There are definately weeks where I have told my wife on the way home, “if I were visiting I wouldn’t come back.”

Some times we miss the mark.

Maybe your next question could be, “Is there any church in the world that could entice you to leave your current YM position to come and do the same thing at their church?”.
For the first time in my life the answer is no. There are many churches that I love to follow and believe in very strongly, I learn a lot of great things from them. But I believe so strongly in the vision of my church in this community, that while there might be “more attractive” jobs .. there isn’t one position in the world that I would leave here for today.

I don’t know if I would have got past the first couple of Sundays. But, if I decided to not be a YP anymore…I’d probably go here.

I think there’s a difference, and it’s a telling one…