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Since Cali I have hard core neglected the blog.  But during this dry spell I’ve come up with some awesome content to share with you over the next couple of weeks!  But enough with the excuses… lets get to the good stuff!

If you haven’t read the other two parts of this blog series you can check out part 1 and part 2.

“Moses’ father-in-law replied,… ‘The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.’ ”

// Exodus 18:18

When I first started out in Youth Ministry, I had a guy share this statement with me: “In youth ministry, you will spend more time investing in the lives of adults than you will students.” Over a year later, that is just starting to make sense.

Here’s why…  Moses had a staff.  And we can look at Moses’ STAFF as a little wooden stick that held him up in his old age… and that would be cool!  I mean, even Master Yoda carried a staff!!!  But there is a much bigger picture here.  The word ’staff’ also refers to the job personnel who assist their superior in carrying out an assigned task.

Now Moses carried his staff with him wherever he went.  He could lean on his staff.  He could trust his staff.  His staff was reliable.  And his staff supported him.  These are the characteristics to look for when building up your staff.  And to go step further, Jethro told Moses to “select CAPABLE men from all the people—MEN who FEAR GOD, TRUSTWORTHY men who HATE DISHONEST GAIN.

I’m at a point in my career where I have to build a team.  With 40+ students attending Katalyst every week, it is IMPOSSIBLE for me, alone, to effectively minister to those students.  I’m at a place where I must begin leading leaders and investing in a team who can then lead the students. But here’s the thing… I’VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE! I’ve never lead a church of 400+ people before.  I’ve never been responsible for 40+ teenagers before.  I’ve never lead a family before.  I’ve never built a team before.  But Moses never lead an entire nation out of slavery either!  And that gives me hope!!! There was even a point where Moses admitted to having no clue what he was doing!  (Exodus 17:4)  But he cried out to God, and God guided him.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Are you trying to do it alone?
• Are there any tasks can you pass on to someone else?
• Is there anyone who can do the job 80% as good as you? If so, pass it on.
• Is that person capable of doing the job with excellence?
• How well do you know your staff?
• Do you trust your staff?
• Can you lean on your staff?
• Do you enjoy working with your staff?
• Does your staff have your back?

Looking to join the team? Check out our student ministry’s volunteer openings here.  You can email me here.

And here’s a little video awesomeness for you! I love how hop-a-long Yoda gets a +30 agility enchantment and goes off on Dooku!

“Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you.  You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him.  TEACH them the decrees and laws, and SHOW them the way to live and the duties they are to perform.”  - Exodus 18:19-20

One of the books in my recommended resources section is entitled Organic Disciplemaking.  The reoccurring theme throughout the entire book is “Discipleship is more caught than taught”.  Its kind of the whole monkey-see-monkey-do-actions-speak-louder-than-words-do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do thing.

A few summers ago, I took a few students down to the beach.  We stopped at Toca Bell to change into our bathing suits.  At some point in all of that, my wallet fell out of my pocket.  I didn’t notice it was missing until several hours later.  To the students’ amazement, I kept my cool.  I made the round of phone calls to my banks and such and went about our day.  What was no big deal in my mind was HUGE for them.  To see someone they respected respond in a positive, unexpected way, to a potentially disastrous situation made an impact.

“When you see someone you respect become angry because of a selfish decision made by another, you learn in a memorable way what matters to such people.  The same is true when you see the intensity of joy respected by believers show when someone comes to Christ.”   (excert from Organic Disciplemaking)

If what Jesus says in Matthew 10:24-25 is true, then I want to be on my A game!  I want to set the bar high for my disciples.  The truth is, “You cannot give what you do not have…” and “You cannot lead to where you are not going…” If we hold back from God in one area of our life, we will produce disciples who hold back in 10 areas!

In order for Moses to teach it, he had to know it.  And in order to show it, he had to live it.

Whether we intentionally teach people or not, we still teach them.  The question is, what are you teaching them?