Well, in about 30 minutes I have my interview with the church where I am currently serving as interim youth staff. The position they are calling someone to is Director of Outreach for youth (7th – 12th grades). The interview(s) last all day long. I start off with the staff as a whole over lunch, then I’m on the the senior pastor, the current Director of Senior High (who will become the Director of Discipleship), then dinner with the call committee. Later tonight I get to spend some time being interviewed by the youth and then finally members of the congregation.
It should be an exciting day, and I’m really looking forward to it. WLC would be an awesome place to serve because one of their main values is to be a teaching, equipping, and sending church. And where I am in my ministry and understanding right now is to be an ‘equipper’ for ministry. I would love to just hang out with kids all day, but the reality is that I could only personally minister to about 10-12 students. And I would rather be equipping students to minister to their friends, and parents to minister to their kids, and churches to minister to the lost.
Well, I guess I’ll be taking off. I’ll let you know how it went when all is said and done.
update 1
The staff interview went well. They had a lot of really good questions; tough but honest. There were a few questions I was not expecting, such as, “If you took this call, would this be a stepping stone for you to something else?” I had not even thought about that before the second I was asked the question. The only way I knew how to respond was with my own question, “If you had asked me, ‘Could you see this as a lifetime call?’ I could honestly say, ‘yes.’” I would hope that taking the call at WLC would a stepping stone to many ministries… but not somewhere else.
update 2
My meeting with Dean went very well. He is a really visionary pastor and has his finger on the pulse of this congregation. It was exciting to hear that the congregation really is supportive of and hoping for more on the edge ministry. And still, my biggest hurdle in this position are my struggles with administration. But, our conversation about that went well, because I realized that I am good at recruiting people to help with the ministry, which would include administrative tasks.
update 3
After meeting with Dean, things just took off and I barely even got a chance to sneak off to the bathroom, besides stop in and collect my thoughts here. So, I have to sum them all up now.
Derek and I walked across the road to Starbucks (which is, by the way, owned by the evil Phillip Morris Corporation) for a tall skinny vito latte carmel frapachino something or other. We had a good talk about what things I would have done differently in this interim period and whether or not I could actually get stuff done if I got the call. It was a good conversation, and I felt that I could confidently say that, if I got the call, I could fulfill my expectations. Then we walked back across the street, got in his car and drove over to a restaurant for my interview with the call committee.
It was great to finally put some faces with names of people that I had talked to over the phone, but never met. They are a great group of people, who it is easy to tell in a short conversation, are very passionate about the youth program and truly want to call the person God is leading them to. Their interview was one of the more intense and personal ones of the day. But it wasn’t uncomfortable at all. After having a decent dinner (the chicken in the chicken caesar salad was a little dry) we drove back to the church to meet with the you (and eat pizza).
The kids were both hilarious and amazing. They had some of the goofiest questions and some of the best questions I heard all day. It was cool to be able to talk with them about some of my passions and views of youth ministry. One of the youth asked whether I related more to a cheetah, eagle, or swordfish. So, I told him that my PE coach in 6th grade said I looked like and otter. I don’t think he liked that reply so much.
Finally, my last interview was with the parents (or open to congregation… I don’t know exactly). By that time I couldn’t remember what I had told who, and so several times I had to ask them if I had mentioned something in a previous answer. But they were very forgiving and had a lot of great questions. Their interview turned out to be the time where I could share more of my big picture visions for ministry, and some hopes and dreams for the congregation. And what a blessing those caring adults are to the youth and the congregation.
I would be very blessed to be able to serve so many great people, along side an amazing staff, as a part of an awesome team, with some cool kids. So now we’ll just wait in prayer for what God has up his sleeve. I just ask you to join me in praying the same prayer the call committee has, “Lord, may your will be done.”
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