Hello from PODWAEY Jeremy

The annual church meeting held some exciting conclusions for the Cooper family and the youth ministry at SRC.
 
First was the extraordinary and incredibly encouraging resolve of the church to give me a sabbatical this year (and every three years following). Words can't express how honored I am for our elders to recognize the benefit this will be to my family and me, and for their initiative to extend that blessing beyond the senior pastor. That time to prioritize my family, health, rest, and home needs promises to be a powerful help with some much-needed balance and recovery.
 
The second exciting update from the annual meeting makes even more sense in the light of the sabbatical.
 
Question: what is the impact on youth ministry when the pastor of discipleship and youth takes four weeks off in the summer? That is a bit of a pickle. And it is simply a more extreme version of a problem I have experienced for years. Many of us experience, in working world, a startling natural phenomenon in which time is multiplied: you take two days off, and somehow end up four days behind. How can I even take three days off in the middle of a week and still have a sermon to preach for youth on Sunday?
 
I can work ahead, and pack the extra writing and soul work into the weeks leading up to planned time off. Or I can work with one of our youth volunteers through the study and writing process. To put in enough planning and work ahead to allow a sabbatical would be quite an undertaking.
 
Enter Susan!
 
The approval of the church budget at the annual meeting meant a green light to bring Susan Muehleisen on as our new Youth Assistant. Her role is something like a hybrid of a youth intern, an administrator, and a deputy youth director.
 
And maybe you don't know her well, but Susan is a great fit for this role. Tiffany and I know her as the pastor's kid (Susan's dad has been a bi-vocational pastor) who mentors our own daughter Adele along with the other girls who have followed her like the pied piper for the four years she has served as volunteer youth staff. She's been one to offer her help for camp planning tasks unprompted, and is always helpfully reminding me of some aspect of ministry that falls into one of my blind spots. She has a background in education and has been a great last minute stand-in teacher for youth on a few Sundays over the years.
 
In the few weeks she's filled the role, she has been giving some hours each week to tackling tasks that I am capable of but which take up my bandwidth. As she collects dates and publishes calendars, does the legwork of pricing out event options, researches ways other churches have found to encourage youth serving in their local body and community, and plans better games than I typically put together for youth nights, she is both saving me time to be used on other things, and improving the quality of our youth ministry.
 
I meet for individual counseling and discipleship with both youth and adults, lead a hope group for men's sexual integrity, lead the special youth small group we call "Discipleship Group", oversee our small groups ministry and meet with our small group coaches, prepare an age-appropriate expository sermon for youth each week, meet with youth's volunteer staff, and tend to other various odds and ends as Pastor John and I naturally distribute tasks according to our strengths and availabilities. This is a manageable weekly load, but adding something like a camp to prep for, Week of Fun, a parent equipping event, or a couple extra trips to Walmart and Sam's Club for supplies can mean I'm over the edge.
 
With Susan putting in a few hours a week to these planning tasks, being a "gopher" to pick up the chips and pizza, and having an administrative mind reminding me she just needs a decision about that upcoming event so we can publish details for parents means these things are not only doable but done well, with minimal impact on my normal scope of pastoral ministry. She will be invaluable in the summer facilitating a smooth sabbatical while helping to ensure a great few weeks for the youth group while Tiffany and I are out.
 
So, join me in expressing gratitude for the volunteers and administrators working behind the scenes that make it possible for our church to function! I pray you would appreciate the Tiffanys and Susans in your own life, welcome "blind spot mirrors", and share an encouraging word with our church staff (Tiffany is doing the church's taxes this week!) And thank you, those who call Summit your church family, for the giving and support that makes these good things possible. May Christ be honored in all that we do.

In Him,