Blog has moved to a new home

The ADD Youth Pastor has moved.  Find my future blog posts HERE.

Since coming on board with the Faith in Focus speaker's bureau we have built me a new home at andylawrenson.com .

Thanks for checking out my blog. 

For the Hurting Youth Pastor (and a few parents)

I woke up this morning with heartache for a brother.  I don’t know the guy, never met the guy.  All I know is this guy’s passion is to see teenagers lives impacted with the good news of Jesus Christ.  He was the first person on my mind when my eyes opened from a dead sleep.

This brother posted on a youth ministry FB group yesterday this post:
“Would you pray for me.  No students showed up for youth group tonight.”


I’m reading into his post.  I don’t know how many students he has in the youth group.  My guess is it is small in number.  If our group had 5 to 10 of our students only I would be in the same boat as this youth pastor.  Our youth group has a certain number of students who miss quite often or maybe attend once a month.  They are not lost and unchurched students but “church” kids.



For the parent who possibly reads this let me explain the hurt in the heart of this guy right now:  (Again I don’t know him but I know the feeling of what he is experiencing today)

• He hurts because he knows those who could have been there will miss out on a message that quite possibly could impact their lives for eternity.

• He hurts because he knows those who could have been there will miss out on that opportunity to connect with and be encouraged by other students.

• He hurts because he knows it takes students to build momentum in a student ministry which helps growth.

• He hurts because he knows there are students in his community that need Jesus Christ but his church kids appear to be apathetic.
He hurts because he feels it is his fault.

• He hurts because church parents don’t see the value of their teens being connected to the church.
• He hurts because travel sports, football, cheerleading, (insert activity here), has taken a priority over the habits that feed spiritual growth.
He hurts because of his concern for your child.


For the youth pastor who might read this:


• Your value to the kingdom is not based on how many students show or don’t show up to your youth group.

• You are not alone.  This trend is happening all across America, not in other countries but here in the land of the free it’s becoming the norm.

• The responsibility is on the parents, not you.

• You are providing a fun, safe place for students to hear the gospel.  Unfortunately in America our “fun” can’t compete with the technology that’s out there.

• You were prepared and invested your time, you did your best.
• 
You will have a lasting impact on students.  One day a young adult is going to thank you for the investment into their lives.  Their time in our student ministry is very short but the investment will reach way into their future.
  In that moment you will see the fruit of your labor.
• You remain faithful.  Jesus said he would build his church.

• You are going to have to discover new ways to do student ministry “out and about” where the students are because in the next ten years student ministry will look totally different then it did ten years ago.
• You are loved by Christ and all your fellow youth ministers serving in the trenches with you.


  
  My Blog has moved to a new home.  You can find my future blog posts at andylawrenson.com/bloghttp://www.andylawrenson.com/blog

Recharge Your Battery

Summer amps up our busyness as student ministers. It’s packed full of special events, camps, and oftentimes multiple mission trips. I just returned back from my most recent mission trip, which took me away from my family for ten days. Add to that a mission trip at the start of the summer and two weeks of camp, and it shouldn’t surprise you that my battery is low. Maybe, like me, you feel wiped out by the summer summer. But with the need to jump right into back to school bashes and fall planning, most of us feel like we have little opportunity to recharge.


With our batteries running low, it’s easy to get discouraged, frustrated, burnt out, or even depressed. So what do we do? Try a couple of these ideas:
READ MORE . . . .

New Site

I'm excited to announce I have a new web site.  The site is still under construction but is up and running.  I don't know the technical side of stuff but at some point addyouthpastor.com will merge with Andylawrenson.com.  My blog posts will then be posted on my new site. 
I just posted a new post this morning on the site.  Feel free to jump over and check it out.

New Adventure

For the past few years I have been praying about my next 15 years in ministry.  I have several areas I'm passionate about:
1. My Savior and Lord Jesus Christ
This passion is fulfilled each and every day by my God, spending time with Him in His Word and prayer and watching Him at work in my life and the lives of those around me.

2. My wife and my children, my family
I am so thankful to God for the family He has blessed me with.  My wife is the godliest woman I know and a strong prayer warrior.  My kids are miracles and blessings.

3. The church, the body of Christ
I love Nags Head Church.  It isn't often a youth pastor gets to serve as long as I have in one church.  Sixteen years!  Love being part of a church that loves missions and loves to serve.

4. Coaching/Mentoring student ministers
I'm blessed to be able to interact with several different student ministers.  I love learning from them and hope that I can share a tid bit that helps them along the way as well.

5. Eleuthera/Camp Bahamas
I have been bit by the bug.  I love Eleuthera and the ministry Camp Bahamas is doing in the lives of Bahamian children and youth.  The Bahamas needs a turn around and Camp Bahamas is doing an incredible work.  I'm so thankful that over the past 3 years God has allowed me to be part of what is happening there.  Five trips in 3 years!  Let's see if I can make is seven trips in four years.  If God gave me the clearance to do  full time work with Camp Bahamas I would do so without hesitation.

6. Helping Christ followers discover the joy of serving in the church
I love to see the church roll up her sleeves and dive into serving one another.  This passion is filled at Nags Head Church in my role as Ministry Team Pastor. 

So back to praying about the next 15 years.  I believe God has given me experiences and I have learned some things along the way that I think would be wrong to keep to myself and our church.  One of the things I prayed about was this question: How can I help student pastors and the church beyond my setting in my own church family?

In late July Alex McFarland had lunch with me and told me that he would like me to come on board with Faith in Focus speakers bureau.  I was very humbled and honored to be invited.  So today I have been given the go ahead to make it public.  Faith in Focus speakers bureau is brand spankin new.  "The Faith In Focus speakers bureau exists to help churches, schools, and others hear from some of America’s most gifted Christian leaders and speakers. "

This is a new adventure for me.  I look forward to any opportunities that God brings my way in the future.

You can check out Faith in Focus speakers bureau HERE.  Maybe there is a speaker on the list that can help your church, event, conference in the near future.