The matrix of volunteering obligations

No matter if it is in a church or another context, there is a flow of responsibility which comes to volunteering.

At the start, the volunteer is under no obligation.

They can choose to step up or not. 

They alone decide to put up their hand and offer help.

It’s their choice.

In return, the one who is approached by the volunteer is under no obligation to accept the offer of help.

They weigh up the need and the acceptability of the volunteer and make a measured decision about the next step.

They can accept.

They can decline (hopefully gently and graciously).

They can restrict (they can place some boundaries upon the persons’ involvement).

But, there is no obligation that the offer from a volunteer must be accepted.

The only obligation they are under is that they respond.

Timely.

With a justification for the decision they make.

And then, the obligation is for the volunteer to accept the outcome.

Hopefully, even if they are disappointed by the decision, they can accept the outcome with maturity (and in a church context, Christlikeness).

This is the chain of obligations when it comes to volunteering.

I am not obligated to volunteer.

They are not obligation to accept.

I am obligated the accept the decision.

The advantage of students seeing the face of their teacher during an exam

As we reach the middle of the school term, all of my classes will have in-class examinations leading up to the creation of school reports.

As I gazed upon my students enduring an examination, it occurred to me that those in my presence had an advantage over those sitting the exam externally.

The reason is simple.

My students can see me.

Sometimes, students will intently look at me, urgently hoping that the response they’re seeking will emerge.

As such, the students in my presence have the opportunity to look at me and, potentially, have a memory triggered of me providing the answer their mind is desperately searching for.

They may be able to imagine the actions I did to help explain the concept.

They may be able to imagine my voice imparting the information they require.

Those who are outside of my presence will be denied these possibilities.

Of course, this is ironic, since those who are doing the exam externally is usually due to additional support structures which are designed to help them perform better in the exam.

The difference between being Interested, Involved and Invested in a ministry

Everyone doesn’t need to be involved in a ministry of a church in exactly the same way.

Obviously.

Everyone doesn’t have the same skills.

Everyone doesn’t have the same availability.

The Body of Christ is not designed to be a millipede.

Everybody needs not be an identical leg.

Nonetheless, there are different depths to the involvement one can have in a ministry.

Interested.

Involved.

Invested.

No matter if the ministry is one which focuses on youth a Friday, the primary worship services on a Sunday or another midweek activity, there will be some distinguishing factors which determine the amount your willing to be involved.

The first way is time.

The sheer amount of time one spends attached to a ministry activity will help gauge the depth of their commitment.

If you’re interested, you’ll have a genuine interest, but you may never - or rarely ever - physically attend the activity.

If you’re involved, then you’ll have a genuine involvement, resulting in your regular physical attendance.

But, if you’re invested, you’ll be there nearly always.

The second determiner will be what you have on the line.

If your interested, you’re skin-in-game will be the church mission. You will pray for the ministry because it is an activity of the church. It is an activity that your congregation supports. It involves people who you know of.

If you’re involved, your skin-in-game will be the ministry itself. You will volunteer. You will go on a roster. You will be prepared to be hands on. You will develop relationships. Your depth of involvement will be because this is (or your hoping that it will) make a difference for the Kingdom of God.

If your invested, you’re skin-in-game will be a name and a face. This ministry will directly involve someone you care about. Your kid. Your friend. Your parent. You will be invested in the direct outcome of the ministry personally. You will volunteer because you intimately want to see the difference the ministry will make. 

As your depth-level of participation deepens, then you’ll find that you also have two consequences.

First of all, you’ll find greater satisfaction in the victories of the ministry.

But, you will also be close enough to the ministry that you can get burnt by the failings.

Why my teaching of 9/11 is different to everything else I teach

What is the first significant world event that you remember?

For me, it is the death of Princess Diana in 1997.

Do you remember 9/11?

There’s not one current student in high school who can respond affirmatively to the question above - they’re all too young.

This completely transforms the way I teach about the 9/11 attacks within my history elective terrorise unit.

For, with this event, it is personal history.

I remember watching it on tv.

I know where I was when I saw the buildings fall.

I witnessed the fallout over the next few days.

I know what the world was like before 9/11 and how the world transformed afterward.

I can only do this for a select few events in the history syllabus.

For me, 9/11 is living history.

Therefore, to a degree, I am a primary source.

I can only imagine that some of my colleagues have similar feelings when it comes to events like the Vietnam conflict or the Cold War.

As I get older, and my students get - proportionally to myself - younger, I imagine that these opportunities to become an active player in my history lessons will only increase.

The conversation which fuels self-efficacy

In year 6 I had a conversation with my teacher which has stuck with me ever since. The entire interaction went for only a matter of moments but, on multiple occasions, I’ve sought to have a similar conversation with one of my students.

In short, my teacher invited me to her table - and like all students - I immediately assumed that I was in trouble.

Instead, all my teacher did was point at the results of a maths test we had just sat and, subtly, indicated that my mark was the highest.

From what I remember, the only words she said was “well done” and sent me back to my seat.

Over the last few weeks I’ve had a number of similar interactions.

Usually, for the top student, or at least a student who has performed well above my expectations, I’ll invite then up the front “to have a word.”

And, with assurance that they aren’t in trouble, they will cautiously approach.

By the time our short conversation has been concluded, the student will be grinning as the walk back to their chair.

Maybe I’ll invite them to guess their mark… and keep pointing up until they arrive at the grade.

Maybe, mirroring my teacher, I’ll just point to their name at the top of a list.

No matter how the conversation goes, the aim is clear.

The aim is for the student to leave with a sense of accomplishment.

Better yet, a previously unrealised sense of capability.

Hopefully, the student realises what they have the potential to achieve.

All with an interaction which costs me almost nothing…

The cost of having a parent-less ministry to kids on a Sunday morning

I wrote here that parents should be one of - if not THE - primary providers of spiritual input on a Sunday morning in regards to ministry to children.

The reason is simple, and I believe, biblical.  

I firmly believe that parents should be the ones who are responsible for the spiritual upbringing of the their kids.

But alas, this usually doesn’t happen on a Sunday morning.

Usually, the spiritual instruction for kids is provided by a primary leader - paid or unpaid - and some volunteers who are usually unrelated to any of the kids attending.

The reasons are numerous.

First of all, many parents are themselves being spiritually fed during the Sunday service.

Second, some parents feel unprepared or unable to be productively involved.

Finally, there is the desire to “give their kids space” and “not embarrass them” by having their parents be around.

Nonetheless, I think this exclusion comes at a cost.

For, the following things are lost when parents are not included in the ministry to youngsters (including their own) on a Sunday morning:

They neglect being an example of faith to their kids.

They miss sharing their faith with their kids and, hopefully, seeing their kids develop in their faith.

They are robbed of personally witnessing/experiencing the ministry to their children.

Now, I’m not advocating that a parent is helping every Sunday morning.

Obviously, the parents are themselves entitled to spiritual input on a Sunday, but having parents be totally excluded from the kid’s ministry is a cost which most parents shouldn’t be willing to pay.

No one has any idea of our internal wounds

Currently, I have a small scab on the inside of my nose.

I also bit the inside of my cheek while having lunch with someone earlier in the week.

Finally, I can still feel the remnants of an ulcer I had in my mouth from last week.

No one has any idea.

No one knows about my nose.

I’m hoping that my cover for my chewing ineptitude was effective.

I’m sure that no one noticed my ulcer.

Why would anyone?

There’s no external signs.

There’s no observable evidence.

I never told anyone.

But, I know.

I’m aware.

I know the way it effects me.

At times, the internal wounds have changed what I did.

But, by and large, they are just a problems I’ve minimised and done nothing about.

But, I’m not the only one.

My wife has also bumped/bit her lip over the last few days.

I only know because she mentioned it in passing.

Otherwise, I may not have immediately noticed.

In all this, I was reminded of the secrets we keep.

For, we all have hidden wounds.

We are all bothered by things unseen by others.

Unless these issues under the surface directly affect our actions, then we can effectively keep them covered over.

This is how a lot of our lives work.

Unseen to others, we all have our struggles.

We all carry our wounds.

And we all try to manage them as best as we can.

What direction are you circling the wagons?

At times, you’ll need to circle the wagons.

You’ll need to protect what’s important to you.

You’ll need to engage in active self-protection.

But, circling the wagons is only half the action you take.

The second half of the action is the direct which you then face.

Are you facing out or in?

Are your thoughts and focus directed inward or outward?

For, this dramatically changes the intention behind the circle.

Is it to defend from an outside threat?

Or is it to surround something within the circle?

The direction you face within the circle determines your purpose.

The direction you face within the circle determines your attitude.

Teaching isn’t meant to be a secret

I sometimes wonder if people (especially students and parents) think that teachers receive a sly sense of accomplishment when we grade an assessment which fails.

Do some people think that we are trying to deceive students?

Is our aim meant to be to prove that we can trick our students effectively?

If this was the case, then we should get a strange sense of warmth when we dish out a grade of a 9/20.

Except I can’t think of a single teacher who thinks like this.

I certainly don’t.

If anything, I’m the exact opposite.

My aim will be to NOT deceive my students.

I will explicitly tell them everything they need to know.

I will show them.

I will tell them.

I will tell them again.

I will tell… them… slowly… and… loudly.

I will remind them.

Why?

Because I don’t need everyone to know that I’m the smartest one in the room, hoarding a secret knowledge all to myself.

In essence, my job is to arm my students with the knowledge and tools to perform well.

My job is to prepare them to be able to express what they know in the most effective manner possible.

Hiding the tricks-of-the-trade serves me, and my students, no favours.

If anything, I should be peeling back the curtain as far as possible.

I should be taking my class through the precise way I will mark.

I should be taking my class through the exact way I determine a grade.

I should be showing my class what annoys a teacher in a written response (like rhetorical questions!).

I should be telling my class to treat me (and anyone else marking their essay) like an idiot (thus they should be clear in explaining what they are writing about).

I should be explaining to my class the methodology behind their lesson structures.

I should be telling my class how I will prepare them for their assessment tasks.

I should explain to them how to dissect an essay question.

I should pick apart marking criterias in front of my class.

Why the hell wouldn’t I?

Teaching isn’t meant to be a secret.

Would putting the point first make a difference?

Last Sunday I was building towards a point with the youngsters at church.

It wasn’t - I grant you - a life-changing point, but hopefully a somewhat coherent point nonetheless.

Then, as I was about to transition from my linking activity to the meat of my lesson a sky writer was spotted in the sky.

Understandably, this threw a significant spanner in the works.

That the sky writer loosely tied into my original game didn’t help.

Frankly, it hasn’t been the first time that a lesson of mine has been derailed.

Unexpected things happen.

Focus wains.

The best of plans unravel.

Everyone who has taught for a significant time has experienced this.

So, should lessons be flipped if you can’t ensure a set time of productivity?

Instead of ending with the main point, should you start with it?

Instead of unveiling your point it slowly, should you just reveal it up front?

While it may be harder to potentially plan the lesson, I think a subtle change of language would help bridge the main point with the lesson content.

Instead of saying/thinking “let me show/tell you how what we’ve done fits together”, now the lesson should be structured around the concept “now I’ve told you the main point, let me show/tell you why it makes sense.”

For occasions where your timeframe or focus may not be assured, putting your main point up front may provide you with a way to avoid leaving the lesson without feeling like you inadequately expressed your point.

Do I miss youth ministry?

I really, really, like my job.

But, I must admit that I miss my old gig.

Often.

I missed it as I delivered my suffering spiel to my Studies of Religion class last week.

I already know that I’m going to miss it as I conduct the training for the incoming Peer Support leaders for 2025.

Increasingly, as my current job intersects with the tasks and talents of youth ministry, it reminds of of what I left behind.

The privilege of speaking in public.

Intentionally pastorally caring for a group of people.

Sharing stories from my life.

Helping others to recognise how their past can be used productively in the present.h

Teaching others how to invest in and lead a small group.

Honestly, I do miss youth ministry.

Of course, it wasn’t all wonderful.

The grind of ministry was worse than teaching… there’s always another Sunday seven short days away.

Dealing closely with other people - imperfect people - could be a challenge.

But, being a part of a community which you help shape and guide is a blessing. 

A blessing which anyone in ministry should be prepared to admit that they miss.

For, no matter how God may be using someone now or how their ministry years may have shaped them for their current life-stage, looking back fondly upon your time in ministry is nothing to be ashamed of.

When you steer into the controversial issues because they are right in front of you

Sexuality.

Marriage.

Divorce.

Suffering.

Judgement.

Creation.

Women in leadership.

The existence of God.

I am very lucky that I get to talk about all of the above topics within my Studies of Religion subject.

In fact, a part of my advertising for the subject is that it will be one of the few places which will deliberately provide a place for some of the big topics to be threshed out.

Usually, the topics come up sporadically and organically across the course content (for example, when the Buddha is challenged about opening up the newly formed community of faith to women) and this reminds me of a somewhat controversial way to teach scripture in school (a way I was never bold enough to do!).

Read the Bible.

Just read the Bible.

Instead of coming in with a packaged program, you just started reading an epistle.

Within this, you would provide all the relevant historical and social details for the book to make sense, but ultimately it would be the scriptures which guided your lesson.

For, inevitably, you’ll preach both the gospel and life.

The gospel will be proclaimed because the message of Jesus will be clearly articulated.

And life because you’ll stumble across genuine issues within the letters.

You may even drift into places which you’d otherwise avoid - like homosexuality or gender roles.

Of course, there is a danger in this free-range methodology.

You’ll need to be very prepared for what may emerge and be prepared to have robust discussions, but this way of exposing young people to the bible (and letting them dictate where the lesson proceeds) may just let them see that the bible is still capable of intersecting with modern day life.

Who are the secret heroes of your profession?

Not all heroes wear capes.

But every profession has hidden heroes.

Every job has people who keep the wheels turning when things go awry.

Every vocation has people who, while totally unsung, volunteer to step into the gap.

Every occupation has people who will place themselves into the awkward positions left vacant.

In the two professions I’ve spent the most time in, two distinct heroes spring to mind - a locum and a casual.

In a ministry context, a locum is the minister who fills in while a congregation is in the process of finding a new permanent minister.

This person is a hero.

They step into a situation which can be very difficult.

Potentially, you’re stepping into the place of a beloved minister. In this case, the hero faces the burden of comparison or a deep sense of loss.

At worst, you’re stepping into the place of a displaced minister who has left in ignominy. In this case, the hero bears the weight of a congregation who has been hurt or disappointed.

Within the school context the unsung heroes are definitely casual teachers.

They step into an almost no-win situation.

Do you recall what you thought of casual teachers when you were a student?

I sure do, and trust me, they weren’t viewed positively.

They were a chance to goof off.

They weren’t really seen a “real teachers.”

But, these heroes fill a vital role within the education system, even if they can be judged differently by those they are trying to teach.

The reason they should be highly esteemed is that they allow the education machine to keep running.

Without them, the teacher guilt of taking a sick day would be increased astronomically. Who would want to leave their students, especially as they progress through the time-crunch of the senior years, without a teacher?

Of course, if a teacher keeps pressing on when they are sick or depleted, this will ultimately result in even more time required away from the classroom.

Casual teachers are the heroes in this situation.

They step in, usually unaware of what will face them within the classroom.

They will offer to get hammered by students who are more willing to test the boundaries, if not determined to be disobedient.

No doubt, every job will have heroes who are prepared to stick their head into the professional noose.

Unfortunately, because they aren’t usually seen for weeks or years on end, their value can be undersold by those who don’t recognise the vital gaps that they fill.

What you measure is revealing

It’s happened again.

America is using its unique measurements. Again.

No, I’m not talking to the metric system.

I’m referring to the Olympic Games medal table.

For, right now, across most of the globe, America is running fifth with six gold medals - one behind Australia - five in arrears of the leader China who has 11 golds.

But, in the Land of the Free and the Brave, The USA is on top.

Why?

Because, they count every medal awarded in their tally.

In this case, the Yanks are top of the table, five ahead of the hosts.

And they want to be seen as the top of the medal count.

While, inevitably, the US will come out on top by either measurement, I think it’s telling that they use a scale early in the Games to inflate their initial standing.

For, what you measure and the way you measure are very telling.

It reveals what you value.

It reveals how you want to be viewed.

And the same temptation exists within churches and schools.

You can use measurements to appear better than reality.

You can restrict what you measure to obscure what’s actually going on.

You can emphasise only the data you want.

Of course, we want to appear at our best and, if we find a metric to reinforce this than we will ensure that this measurement is publicised widely.

So, no matter if it’s a church, school, athletic body or political party, what you measure and the manner you measure it, can reveal a great deal about the ones doing the measuring.

The window has now closed for another two years

I’ve just concluded a fortnight of school holidays.

My wife is currently in Europe on her annual trip to visit her family.

As of Sunday, this unique window closed.

I returned to school today.

My wife returns on Friday.

This means that my biennial experiment is over.

What experiment?

Growing facial hair.

Last Sunday I had the delight to return to my well-groomed norm.

No scraggly beard.

No dirty moustache.

No more odd empty patches upon my chin.

The reason I get to unleash my facial fuzz every second year is simple…

I’m curious.

Can I grow it?

Can I grow it better now than a few years ago?

How much of the fuzz will still be rusty?

Will any be grey now?

Over the last two-and-a-half-weeks I grew the longest facial I’ve ever had.

And I then got the pleasure to reap the rewards.

Over a series of eight steps, I got to deconstruct my facial hair and send the seedy photographic evidence to my beloved a world away.

The overwhelming lessons of this experiment?

My “beard” now does contain flecks of grey.

I look especially dodgy with a handlebar moustache.

It’s probably inappropriate to send a photo of yourself with an Adolf Charlie Chaplin moustache to your spouse of German descent…

Should we want to double-speed our faith?

Last Sunday I heard a sermon delivered via voiceover since the minister was ill.

Hearing a sermon isn’t unusual in the modern age.

We can hear sermons via podcasts while on commutes from anywhere across the globe.

But, almost without fail, whenever I hear a sermon online it will be sped up. Usually 1.5 speed.

It was unusual not being able to do that on Sunday.

Of course, I was in person so it was impossible, but the desire nonetheless remained.

In many ways, this is how a lot of modern spirituality is digested: sped up.

Sermons.

Prayers.

Readings.

Worship.

We tend to skim.

Or skip.

Or scan.

Or speed up.

Because now there is so much to consume.

Or it is a sign of familiarity.

Or, worse of all, laziness.

Perhaps, we need to make the difficult, counter-cultural, decision to slow down.

To not increase the speed.

To not increase the consumption.

In order to grow our faith in a healthy manner, we need to slow down, not speed up.

What kind of fish are you looking to be?

I am attached to two churches.

One is much larger than the others.

Even though I’m only at each on alternative fortnights, I’m significantly involved more in the smaller congregation.

The simple reason is that there’s more opportunity within the smaller church.

I wonder how many people consider this fact when they’re moving churches.

How involved are they willing to be?

What opportunities to serve may exist within a potential congregation?

What gifts and talents can they bring to a perspective church?

Of course, the larger the church, the larger the human capital they possess.

Equally, the larger the church, the larger the impact and ministries they may employ.

So, the question facing the perspective church hopper can be: Would you rather be a big fish in a small ecclesiastical pond or a smaller fish in a larger pond?

Are you obligated to share your pain to your minister?

Everybody gets a season.

Life happens.

And when life hurts you need support.

For some, they wouldn’t think twice about sharing their burdens with the minister at their church.

For others, the minister at their church would barely know their name.

For, the size of your church depends heavily on the relationship you have with the ministry staff at your church.

Realistically, any minister can effectively pastorally care for only around 50 people.

They can be functionally pastorally aware of around twice than number.

So, when a personal disaster strikes, who do you turn to?

Do you have a threshold of hurt before you’ll feel that it reaches the depth of senior minister-notification?

When a life crisis hits, does a ministry organiser really only need to know once it primarily affects any duties which you are rostered for?

Of course, every member of a church should be connected with multiple pastoral supports, so withholding a pastoral emergency from the sermon-deliverer may not be a sign of pastoral dissatisfaction. 

But, there may be a pressure for someone to at least update the ministry staff after the initial emergency has subsided.

After all, a senior minister may be annoyed if they find out that six members of their church have had miscarriages, three have separated and two have been diagnosed with cancer and they were left in the dark.

Honouring the intentions behind the word-salad

I like the… um… things… which you do with the kids each week.

I appreciate that you… care… for the teens.

Thanks for all the… stuff… you do with the young people.

I’ve heard all of the above.

And, undeniably, they are well intended.

Usually, they are uttered by a kindly congregant. Possibility of retirement age.

Nonetheless, there’s only one way to respond to an appreciative word-salad.

Honour the intention.

Honour the intention behind the fumbling sentence.

Honour the intention behind the awkwardness.

Honour the intention because the gratitude vastly exceeds the execution.

Your loneliness is shaped by your expectation

What did you expect?

For a lot of our emotions, their root cause can be traced back to our expectations.

We are angry… because of our expectations.

Or disappointed… because of our expectations.

Or elated… because of our expectations.

Or surprised… because of our expectations.

Or lonely.

Are you expecting to be a part of a crowd?

Are you expecting to be in the majority?

Alternatively, are you expecting to be on your lonesome?

Are you expecting to be isolated?

Your expectations will shape your perspective of loneliness.

Why?

Because if your in a groups of 6, then your expectation will shape your response.

Were you expecting 50? 12? 2?

Your expectation will mould your view of that half-dozen.

You will feel alone if you’re expected 50.

But, you won’t feel isolated if your thought you were only involved in a lonely pair.

We see this play our with the prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 19. 

Elijah thinks, erroneously, that he is alone. This drives Elijah to the point of despair.

If Elijah knew of the 7000 who remained faithful, then his outlook would have looked dramatically different.

Maintaining some of the links

In a lot of professions, change is a given.

People move.

People graduate.

People get promoted.

Life circumstances change.

But, continuity makes a massive difference.

While many things within a job can be learnt, be it prior to the vocation or through experience, it’s repeated experience which cultivates expertise.

Continuity is one of the secret sauces of building expertise.

If you repeat an action, refining your practice as you go, then you get closer to expertise.

But, within schools and churches, continuity is a rare commodity.

My years in ministry is testimony of this - four churches over 13 years.

With a transient workforce, be it paid or voluntary, some consistent links within the chain are invaluable.

Someone who has run the activity multiple times before.

Someone who has the contacts.

Someone who has made the mistakes.

Someone who can advise.

Someone who can remember.

Inevitably, chance will happen, but maintaining some links in the chain ensures that your tent-pole activities run effectively.

Being thankful that you could appear like a big fish

As far as youth ministries are concerned, I was a part of multiple large ministries.

At least comparatively.

My numbers were larger.

My systems were more intricate.

My leadership team was more established.

But, I was by no means the largest ministry in my denomination.

Or local region.

And I certainly wasn’t the most effective.

But, when held against many other congregational ministries, I appeared to be a part of something fairly large.

A similar thing could be said of my current school.

Today, in a training event, I was - by far - the representative of the largest school.

In sheer numbers, I was a big fish.

Again, I’m not working at one of the largest schools in Sydney. Not even close. 

I’m not even working at the largest school in my region.

But, the scale of my setting set me apart.

Some things wouldn’t work in my context. 

Sheer size makes some things unmanageable.

With size, complexity increases.

With size comes more moving parts.

With size, mistakes are magnified.

With size, physical demands are compounded.

Just as the opposite - a lack of size - is true.

As I sat in my training, I was reminded to be thankful for - what appears to be - a large setting.

Just as I would have been when I was one of the few full-time youth ministers in my denomination.

The growth progression

The following is true across a lot of areas in life, particularly vocationally.

I’ve found the following to be particularly apt for both ministry and teaching…

Year 1: Survive and Learn.

At the start of anything, you are like a duck on a pond. Lots of action, most of which is unseen.

Initially, you don’t know what you don’t know.

You’re in survival mode, living day-by-day.

Year 2: Grow and Experiment.

By the time you’re in your second year, you’re comfortable with your surroundings and have now negotiated many of the annual checkpoints for the first time.

Now, you can begin to implement the lessons from the first year.

Now, you can look for ways to begin to implement new methods to produce the results you needed last year.

Year 3: Refine and Specialise.

In your third year, you now feel like you truely belong. 

Now, you can add polish to the things which you’ve previously put in place.

Now, you can look for places to expand your responsibilities and exercise your giftedness in new ways.

Year 4: Go Deep.

By your fourth year, it’s time to go deep. 

Think deeply.

Act intentionally.

Guide others.

When reading the Bible is a drag

Right now I’m halfway through my five-year mega bible reading plan.

By the end of 2026 I will have read through and studied, usually by reading at least one commentary or book, the entire bible once and the first five books of the New Testament twice.

Inevitably, I’d hit parts of the bible which I’ve not wadded into deeply before.

Unexpectedly, I really enjoyed Ezekiel this time last year.

Right now, Isaiah is a slog.

I’ve penciled in 12 weeks to delve into Isaiah and, quite frankly, it’s a bit of a drag.

But, worthwhile things aren’t always the most stimulating.

Giant tasks will usually involve some level of grunt work.

For the first time in a few years, with my bible reading being the healthiest it’s been in for at least a decade, I’m surprised it took so long for a burdensome book to come along.

Now, if you’re enamoured with Isaiah, more power to you.

Maybe, by the time I’ve plowed through the book and got swept away in an insightful, well-written, commentary I will also love the longest major prophet.

Not yet.

Nonetheless, I’ve at least got my fill of regular Tiny Bible Bit passages which somewhat goes to show that I’m at least getting something out of the book and… by mid-August, I’ll get to move onto the book of Micah.  

The advantage of not remembering the better times

I’ve now been teaching for a few years, I still consider myself a newbie in many ways. One reminder is the fact that I’m surrounded by a lot of colleagues with a lot more experience.

And they are incredible.

They are supportive.

They love their jobs.

Some have been teaching for decades, across a number of schools and settings.

Many can recall “better times.”

Many can recall a superior workload.

Many can recall a healthier work/life balance.

Many can recall when the behaviour in the classroom was better.

Many can recall when the teaching profession was held in higher esteem.

I can’t.

For me, there has been no “greener pasture” in the past.

There is no “knowing better.”

And, in some ways, this is an advantage.

For me, the workload has always been consistent.

The expected amount of admin is the same.

The levels of mandatory training are unchanged.

The degrees of bureaucracy is what I originally signed up for.

The behaviour hasn’t deteriorated.

There is no baggage from a favoured the past.

There is no pinning for better days.

Maybe it is naivety.

But, it can also be an advantage.

Would models in the pulpit and classroom help or hurt?

I’m not hot.

In fact, I just asked my wife and she said that I’m a “six or seven” out of ten. A five or six, apparently, when wearing my glasses.

So, I’m not a hot teacher.

I wasn’t a hot youth minister.

In short, this post most definitely doesn’t apply to myself.

But, I’ve known plenty of pretty and handsome colleagues both within the church and classroom.

If this a positive or a negative?

Does being attractive help in the classroom or pulpit?

Does the ability to draw they eye help focus or distract others?

Does the dreamy teacher distract from the lesson intentions?

Does the pretty minister detract from the gospel?

Overall, I assume that there is a threshold that gets crossed into the scope of distraction.

Perhaps this is why Jesus isn’t described as a dreamboat in Isaiah 53:2 - “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him” - and the Apostle Paul is described in the non-canonical Acts of Paul (which should be taken with a mountain of salt) as “A man small in size, bald-headed, bandy-legged, well-built, with eyebrows meeting, rather long-nosed, full of grace.”

How my past shaped the flaws of my ministry

I wrote earlier this week that every prospective minister must be queried about the flaws of the most influential minister from their past.

The reason I feel that this question is so pertinent is the effect that this had on me.

Over my decade-plus in youth ministry I seriously weighed up getting ordained.

In fact, I took the first steps towards ordination.

Ultimately, I decided against continuing down the road of ordination, but I did spend 13 years in vocational youth ministry.

And I was far from perfect.

Some of my flaws were public.

Some failings remained behind closed doors.

Some problems deeply affected those around me.

Some shortcomings directly attributed to me no longer working for the church.

Some weaknesses, ironically, contributed to me gaining the positions I did within the church.

And this final point is the reason why perspective ministers need to be asked about the problems of their spiritual predecessors.

For, some of my faults can be traced back to my youth minister.

While as a minister and a man there were many things to like and admire about him, he was also personally and professionally flawed.

And, we share some of those flaws.

In fact, I learned some of those flaws from him.

Why?

Because I benefited from some of those flaws.

I gained by being a beneficiary from these blind spots.

For example, his perceived favouritism worked in my favour. I was a part of the inner circle.

Thus, I mirrored some of his shortcomings.

I saw him expect a lot of his leaders; so did I.

He intentionally set a high relation temperature within his leadership team; I tried to do the same.

He wasn’t afraid of posing probing questions; nor do I.

But, when executed in an unhealthy manner, they can be damaging.

People feel neglected.

People feel intimidated.

You can project arrogance.

I did all of the above.

I neglected.

I could intimidate.

I could be arrogant.

And, while I need to completely own that, a root can be traced back to my spirituality formative years.

Thus the importance of my initial question.

Are those embarking upon ministry aware of the ministry baggage which they bring with them?

Even if the personally benefited from these leadership flaws, can they identify how these traits can be a negative for wider vocational ministry?

The questions every beginning minister must face

“What has been the worst trait of the most influential minister in your life?”

This is the essential question (aside from the one about a genuine sense of calling by God) which every perspective minister must wrestle with.

The reason is simple.

The answer will shape their ministry.

The answer will colour, for good or bad, their time in ministry.

The answer will affect those around them.

The answer will affect the way those they minister to see God.

“Where do you see this negative trait within yourself?”

The answer to this will reveal their self awareness.

The answer will expose their ability to spot their own weaknesses.

The answer will show their alertness that this trait is, indeed, a negative not a positive.

“How are you not going to make the same mistakes?”

This answer will uncover the likelihood that generational damage will not be inflicted.

From what I recall, no one sat me down and asked me these questions when I was considering ordination nor while I was in vocational ministry.

In my next post I’ll share why I should have…

Do you consider the testimony you leave for the cleaners?

Every church needs to be cleaned.

Every church doesn’t have a professional cleaner.

The former is a necessity.

The later can happen through many avenues. Paid cleaners are only one option.

Nonetheless, when I stay behind at my school I regularly witness those who clean the campus.

I wonder what they think about our students based upon the trash which is left behind.

What judgements do they make based upon the way the school is left at the end of every day?

Whenever it occurs, what testimony is left behind for the cleaners of our churches?

What do the way we treat our facilities say about us?

This is a complex web once you take into account that ministries draw in non-believers, the vulnerable and the unstable.

In short, ministry can be messy - both relationally and physically.

But, the remanence of our ministry surely send a message.

And, if those who deal with the mess are not believers, then the leftovers from our activities speak to them.

But, do they leave a positive message?

Do they testify of our care for creation?

Do they speak of our care for each other?

Do we even stop, at the conclusion of our activities, at assess the testimony which we are leaving behind?

Do I look like a flat-earther to my workmates?

If I were a flat-earthier than I would expect a few weird looks at school.

The same thing would be true if I were a young-earthier.

Or a Scientologist.

All of these are alternative viewpoints to the mainstream within the public education system.

But, then again, compared with the majority of people in my school, so is Christianity.

Most people at my school - I’d estimate 70% - would be of no discernible faith.

That would certainly be true within my staff room.

So, should I be viewed as odd by the majority?

And, if so, where should the line get drawn before my employment is under question?

Pentecostalism?

Hardcore millennialist?

Christian Scientist?

Fundamentalist Evangelical?

Legally, the can be no line.

I can believe what I want so long as it doesn’t adversely affect my teaching.

Now that I teach the Studies of Religion subject at school I’m very aware of my personal beliefs colouring the way I teach, especially in regards to the theological elements of Christianity which aren’t universally agreed upon.

Because of this, I teach an intentionally vanilla version of faiths.

Vanilla Christianity.

Vanilla Islam.

Vanilla Buddhism.

Vanilla indigenous spirituality.

Vanilla ancient spirituality.

But, no matter how vanilla the content, does my subject (and beliefs attached to it) appear to an atheist like I was teaching flat-earth?

Of course, it can be argued that it’s an advantage having a person of faith teaching a Studies of Religion subject, but I wonder how non-mainline I’d have to be before I’d drift into questionably-weird.

Do we wait better or worse than a generation ago?

At the end of any given teaching term there will inevitably be a time when you witness excruciating boredom upon the face of a student. Maybe even a dozen or more students simultaneously.

Why?

Because of timed exams.

If a class is told that they will have 50 minutes to complete a written in-class essay, then that is what they will get.

50 minutes.

3000 seconds.

But, of course, not every student will need the entire time allocation.

In fact, you’d hope that most students don’t require every last moment, but instead use their time wisely and productively to produce a good reflection of what you have taught them.

Alas, some will also finish early because they know very little. 

Maybe they aren’t (yet!?!?) capable of producing a quality, structured, written response.

Nonetheless, as the time ticks down and you observe your assignment-taking class, you get to watch as the boredom unfolds.

First for one student.

Than a handful.

Than the majority of the class.

In short, until the end of the allotted time, if they’ve completed the exam then they need to sit and do… nothing.

At all.

And, this is hard.

Especially, if you’re not used to waiting.

Compounded, if you’re not used to being technology free.

But, as I sit there for 50 minutes… doing little more than observing… I wonder, has our waiting got better or worse in the last few decades?

Is a young person’s seeming inability to just…. Wait… point towards their need to always preoccupy themselves?

Have our young people lost the ability to just… sit?

To do… nothing?

Or does it show that, now, we need to be doing… something?

And, is that a good thing?

Of course, there is a balance which needs to be found.

Just because your have a device in your hand doesn’t mean that you’re being productive with it. Playing a mind game or reading the news is far better than doom-scrolling or mindlessly swiping for the next dopamine hit.

But, when I think of all the time as a technology-free-youngster which I had just waiting for a bus - shuffling my feet or staring into the distance aimlessly - maybe my time wasn’t better spent than youngsters today.

At least they have the option to be somewhat productive.

Their waiting time can have some form of purpose.

I had nothing.

Just time…

Just waiting…

No matter, with the seconds ticking down on exams, it’s clear that the ability to do nothing has almost disappeared.

Maybe, we should get rid of public transport timetables and reinstall the fine art of… having to wait and do nothing.

Am I a bigger failure as a teacher or a youth minister?

My last post asked if I was a greater success as a teacher or as a youth minister.

I ended that post by concluding that I’ve had more hits in the classroom than the pulpit.

But, a question which troubles me far more is the title of this post: What am I a bigger failure in, teaching on youth ministry?

Without doubt, at various times, both have left me feeling defeated.

I’ve had, even after only a few years (maybe even because of my inexperience), numerous lessons which have been train wrecks.

I’ve never left the classroom with the place on fire, students writhing in pain or an evacuation drill needing to be declared, but lessons have certainly not been executed as well as I’d hoped.

It’s understandable, in your first time teaching a topic or entire subject, that everything that you try won’t alway be a winner.

The same is true with youth ministry.

I had plenty of days when I’ve been driving home after a Friday or Sunday with a sense of defeat.

In both jobs I’ve felt like an imposter.

In both jobs I’ve felt unorganised.

In both jobs I’ve made administrative mistakes.

In both jobs I’ve clashed with colleagues.

In both jobs I’ve been underprepared.

In both jobs I’ve felt ineffective.

But I’ve got a nagging certainty, when it comes to this question - again - the church is on the losing side.

I failed far more in youth ministry than I, so far, have as a teacher.

Why?

Because I failed my own standards.

As I posted way back in 2008, one of the most important elements in effective ministry is longevity.

And I never stayed at a church longer than 4 years as the youth minister.

I didn’t, for a variety of reasons, stick around long enough to have generational impact.

I didn’t see one generation of kids grow into young adults.

Sure, I did see young people mature, but not truely transition beyond a single life stage.

And, in this, I failed.

As a teacher, it’s expected that you’ll cycle through a number of teachers during high school.

In some regards, it can be a positive.

You get different voices.

You get different classroom management techniques.

You get different teaching styles.

You get different personalities.

You get exposed to different passions.

But in ministry, consistency trumps novelty.

Relationships trumps knowledge.

Trust trumps technique.

In this, I failed spectacularly.

Am I a more successful teacher or youth minister?

Teaching and youth ministry have a lot of similarities.

Both involve teenagers.

Both involve explaining things in a way which are, hopefully, both relevant and understandable.

Both have similar cycles throughout the year.

But, there is one major difference.

The education system involves testing.

In the classroom I have a clear avenue to tell if I’m a success.

In short, I can see if the student has passed a test.

Or improved in a skill.

Or has gained in confidence in answering questions.

But, ministry is more mysterious.

Growth can be far more internalised.

A student can be diligently completing spiritual disciplines at home and I may have little idea.

A student can be wrestling with a habitual sin, or a troublesome relationship, and I may not find out.

As a result, when I align myself as a third-year teacher compared to a third-year youth minister, the former feels more successful that the later.

Because I’ve got concrete data to support me.

Because I’m a decade-and-a-half more mature.

Ultimately, I have no real idea what my success rate was with my years of ministry.

But, I suspect that I have more hits in the classroom than the pulpit.

The importance of finding your patch in a church

Approximately two years ago my wife and I transitioned from the evening service to the morning service at our church.

As a consequence, we ended up finding new seats to sit in.

I know, it’s not the biggest problem in the world, but it is a fresh conundrum nonetheless.

Now, we’ve settled on a patch that we claim as our own. We sit with the rest of the younger-married-maybe-with-a-toddler-in-tow couples.

They are our people.

They are the ones we catch up with midweek.

They are the ones we meet with for lunch after the service.

They are the ones who are our church community.

But, this wouldn’t be the case if we sat in our old position when we worshipped in the evening.

Then we were on the opposite side of the sanctuary.

Now, our church isn’t so gargantuan that the opposite side of the church is an insurmountable obstacle, but if we were new to the church then out geographic location within the church could deeply effect our immediate sense of belonging.

For, if you sit amongst those in your relative life stage, then you’re more likely to feel included and will, obviously, meet more people like yourself.

To an extent, on your first week, it’s potentially nothing dumb luck we’re you sit. Maybe, if you’ve got an alert usher, then a newcomer may be funnelled towards a similar demographic.

But, by your second week - should they darken the church doors again - an intentional effort should be made to connect the newbies both relationally and positionally.

When people find their right patch within a church then a sense of belonging can be turbocharged.

Every-changing contextual concerns

I really don’t care about your first-year-university 1500-word essay due in 10 days.

I just don’t.

I may care about you as a person and fellow believer, but my tolerance for your problems-of-a-twenty-year-old has, frankly, softened.

Now, I care far more about the effect that changing interest rates has had on your mortgage payments.

I care more about your teething, whinging offspring.

I care more about your trouble to conceive.

I care more about your in-laws visiting for a fortnight.

As I get older, the things I care about, pastorally, has shifted.

Now, I care about the things which align with my life stage.

Now, my concerns revolve around workplace relationships and squabbling siblings.

Now, my concerns revolve around unexpected car accidents and appliance breakdowns.

Now, my concerns revolve around aging parents and juggling the demands of a busy extracurricular calendar.

Now, I’m more concerned about rekindling romantic vacations and the stress of an inspection by your supervisor.

Most of all, I’m concerned about your relationship with Jesus.

But, the extent of my concern is contextually framed by my life stage.

I assume, as I get older, I’ll start being increasingly concerned about superannuation, dying parents and children’s future plans.

And, mirroring my concerns about university assignments, first cars and entry-level jobs, the midlife concerns will start to fall by the wayside.

Your feelings about being a theologian don’t change the truth

“No Christian can avoid theology. Every Christian is a theologian. Perhaps not a theologian in the technical or professional sense, but a theologian nevertheless. The issue for Christians is not whether we are going to be theologians but whether we are going to be good theologians or bad ones.”

— R.C. Sproul

Despite what the esteemed Mr Sproul allegedly said/wrote, I didn’t really consider myself a theologian since I left my last ministry position back in 2016.

I, falsely, equated a theologian with teaching.

This year, that has changed.

Now that I’m teaching the senior Studies of Religion subject at my school, I feel like I’m doing theology again.

For example, today I taught on the Christian persecution of the early church in the first three centuries and then the significance of Emperor Constantine’s conversion.

Tomorrow, I’ll teach on the difference between the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant denominations.

This renewed feeling of theological depth is despite the fact that my bible reading has been as regular and consistent over the last two-and-a-half years as it has been over the last two decades.

This is despite the fact that I was regularly in a small group which studied the bible for the last five years.

This is despite the fact that I’ve been leading the ministry to the children, including delivering a talk in the service at the church I’ve been attending with my kids for the past three years.

This is despite the fact that I’ve been maintaining a thrice-weekly devotional on Facebook.

Nonetheless, from 2024 (and hopefully going forward for many years), I now have a reason to, again, delve into my theology textbooks so I can explain the basics of Christianity (which is one of my depth studies) as clearly as I can.

The irony is, even without my new theologically-rich subject, if Mr Sproul is correct, my feelings about being a theologian make no difference to my reality.

I was always a theologian.

When you work out that you’re an island

Today I was alone.

For much of my Christian life, I’ve also been isolated.

On both occasions, I’ve been surrounded by a lot of people.

Today, I was at a conference with a few hundred people.

But I knew no-one.

I attended a conference about the teaching of a subject where, at my school, I am the sole teacher.

So I attended alone.

And went to my sessions alone.

And ate lunch alone.

But, I’ll return to my school on Monday where I’ll be… solely the only one who teachers my subject and the only one who has ever taught my subject within my faculty.

It all feels a little familiar…

For, the longer I was a member of the oldest (by average age of the congregation) denomination in Australia, I was progressively isolated.

As I entered ministry, I regularly became the top-end of an emerging generation or the bottom-end of a generational abyss.

Within my faith communities, I often felt alone.

Few, if any were my age.

Even fewer were in my life stage.

Over the majority of the last two decades, vocationally, I’ve been an island.

While I could connect with others online (or lurk in places where those like me hung out), there hasn’t been someone in the coal-face whom I can gaze towards and see someone going through the exact same thing.

And, while this brings a necessary autonomy, this also breeds a fair dose of uncertainty.

Why?

Because the checks and balances of a colleague in-the-trenches is absent.

The oversight of an older and wiser sage isn’t readily available.

So, while I’ll do my best to pillage the best resources and consider deeply how/why I do what I do, being siloed off will just be something which I’ll have to deal with (at least until circumstances change enough to be within another’s area of influence or things develop enough for another to come and join me in my isolated patch).