Book em' Dann-o

This weekend was the begining of the transition with the youth at our church. Rodney is gone and I will shock people by saying I am glad.. not that I didnt love Rodney and Tara. And not that I feel like they didnt do a good job. But I have been feeling the "winds of change" for some time now. I have felt the need for something different in my spirit for a long while.. maybe since the end of summer. It was like the house is built, now bring in a decorator. I'd never say that outloud, espcially right now while people are feeling so wounded by Rodney's departure.

It has amazed me at how much this youth ministry means to me. I didnt expect the burden that I feel. I certainly didnt expect to feel responsible for what happens there. But I do. It has to be a God thing. Because usually kids are my thing...like little kids. Its so amazing what God can do when he wants to make a change. I have all this experience with little kids. Puppet training and years of kids camps and VBS and missions trips to minister to 3rd world kids... yet I dont feel guilty one little bit for not working with the kids here. I fought it hardcore... even going as far as begining talks with Pastor Scott to get a puppet team started. I just cant get into it.

This weekend we met with the pastoral staff that is going to take care of things in the interim. Some people are talking.. saying that pastor Dority is not planning to find a youth pastor, and just leave things as they are now. Im not feeling that at all. Ive been praying for God to send us a fresh annointing and someone that is on fire.

We talked about a lot of security stuff. To be honest it was pretty depressing to hear. I hate that its necesary, and while I know that it's serious stuff. I absolutely hate the attitude that some people have. They are parents who attend maybe one youth activity a month. They arent invested in these kids and then they dominate the conversation with gloom and doom. Even going as far as to imply that the "problem" kids arent welcome. That we should tailor our youth ministry for the "church core kids" and do what we can to keep the riffraff out. It broke my heart. Of course there was nothing direct said. No one came out and said it in plain english, but thats the implication that was made.

I hate to tell "them" that Jesus did not hang out with the "church core kids" In fact he would have sat right in the midst of the "riff raff". I try to imagine him walking with them or sitting with them on the grass outside. He loves the church core kids... but they arent the ones that need to be reached. I dont mean to ignore them. I love those kids. I was one of them growing up. I want to reel MORE in to become core kids. But that wont happen unless we work with the riff raff.

A lot of changes are coming.. private security, and a metal detecting wand. The staff is finally being nailed down to actually HELP and hang with the kids. I will admit, I have been guilty of hiding in the kitchen and not taking as big a part as I should. But I do patrol outside, and walk around, Steven and I are almost always he last to leave. On wednesday nights I always sit in the middle of the kids. I hope that its as dramatic as Im hoping it will be.