It's interesting that one of the 1st few emails I get upon reaching home is yet another complaint. Really, we youth workers are a strange breed. We're counsellors, prayer warriors, event organisers, admin clerks, public relations officers, preachers, slave drivers (to our volunteer leaders at least), recruiters, teachers, discipline masters, and of course, the complaints desk, all rolled into one handy package.

Got a complaint about a youth? Call the youth worker! He'll make things right.
Need more adult leaders? Let the youth worker go headhunt, from other ministries if necessary (just kidding.)
Got to submit a report about something youth related? Pull in the youth worker!
Want to run a youth wide event? Have no fear, the youth worker is here!
Is a youth not doing his QT at home? Oh no, the youth worker must have been slacking and not doing his job.
Parents not understanding why their kids spend so much time in church? The youth worker should have spent more time reassuring them.
Last minute meeting with some youth organisation? Drag the youth worker along, nevermind that he's got plans for that day already.
Did the youth ministry miss some paperwork? Better give the youth worker a ring to remind him.
Need to renovate your home? Call in the youth worker!

No I'm kidding about the last one. I'm not really speaking from experience here - I've had a pretty protected 2 months in the church staff, though I have experienced a few of these (let's not guess which). But hearing all these horror stories from other youth workers at the training retreat made me go "Woah". Really, the list goes on.

Maybe this is why youth ministry is so fun. Can't wait to go through all these and then share my own horror stories with other youth workers.

I liked the retreat. It was good to meet up with other members of my species and see that my experiences aren't unique to just me - there are some who are possibly worse off than I am. But throughout the retreat I still had the "I wish I was at home" feeling. I love the idea of youth workers getting together for a training retreat, and I really looked forward to it, but it just happens that I needed my alone time very badly. The timing's just not right lar. I had to resist the temptation to just coop up in my room (I had the queen bed all to me-self. Wooo) and go network with the other youth workers.

Oh and it was pretty humbling. I always thought we had a big staff, compared to our brothers on the other side of the block, but Wesley has SIXTY members on staff. Their youth worker even has an admin assistant. ADMIN ASSISTANT. HOW COOL IS THAT? I really should bold and highlight everything. Let it be the 1st thing PEW sees when he drops by this humble blog =)

posted by NEB at 12:38 AM

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