What Do You Do?

This is a random question I got recently. I am not sure the motivation but I am certain that I probably didn't answer it very clearly. So, let me take a couple minutes to inform you of my week. I am not trying to say that this is what every week actually looks like, but I think it is pretty consistent. Also, the motivation behind this is transparency. I am asking you to 'imitate me,' like the apostle Paul said to the church in Corinth. The only way that you can follow me is to know what I do.

I would imagine this question is two fold 1)What do you do at church? and 2) What do you do with your free time? So, I will answer it that way. First, what I do at church. I feel that I have been called to 'the ministry of the word.' That as a youth pastor called to Beloit Wisconsin my primary goal is raising students up in knowledge and revelation of the Word. So, a ton of my efforts go towards that. I study a lot, pray a lot, read a lot, write a lot, plan a lot, and preach a lot. Those are the things that I would say consume the majority of my time. But, there are other things that happen while working at a church... phone calls and emails are always coming in, we have a lot of meetings to make sure that we are all on the same page and that we are leading our community towards Christ, and we pray together regularly. I also get visits from students. I want to be someone that can be approached. My personal belief is that pastors are more valuable than specialists in any area of struggle. Students should come to their pastor before going to a psychiatrist, or an accountant, or a counselor, or a career planner, or a dietitian, or a doctor, or anyone else that students frequent for answers to life. I am not the wisest man alive but I have the teacher's manual. So, I can go to the source. I am attempting to understand the Word and I believe that it is the one book alone that can guide all aspects of your life.

Also, random things happen throughout the week like running to the store to get food for events or for our snack shack. We also write for the newsletter and I write for our blog. I am sure there are many more things that happen but those would be the main elements and my primary responsibility is 'prayer and the ministry of the word' (Acts 6:4). To me that means that studying and understanding the word, Karuso (Greek: preach, announce, herald the good news), counseling with the word, praying for our students, and praying for this ministry and our community. Furthermore, I believe that ministry of the Word means preparation of sermons, writing blogs and articles, and being very near to God. If I am leading that means I need to be in front. As close to God as I can get.

Free time? So, what do I do after work? I try to unwind with hobbies. I go to the skate park a lot. The weight of ministry is heavy and church leaders are referred to as oxen in scriptures. So, we need to carry a heavy load and the burden is on us. It is good for me after a long day of study to just unplug and roll around on my skateboard and hang with other students. I enjoy it a ton.
I also spend as much time as possible with my girlfriend. She is incredible. She is a nurse in Chicago that loves God, and kids, and missions, and ministry, and me. So, I head into Chicago and spend a ton of time with her. I actually float my free days to try to spend as much time with her as I can. When I am not in Chicago with her she comes home to Rockford where her family is. I believe that relationships are a gift from God and I cherish the one that I am in. Also, I am not casually dating. This is a girl that I have known for a long time and I am hoping to know her for a lot longer.
I also spend time with my family. They live in the area so I frequently make trips to their house and hang and talk with them. They are my biggest support and I love spending time with them. So I am often times out at the Tree Farm (they own a Christmas tree farm).
I also try to hang with friends. I grew up here and have kept in good contact with a lot of friends from high school. I try my best to hang out with them when I can. A couple of them live in Chicago and come home on weekends so I make efforts to spend time with them on Friday or Saturday nights.
Finally, I spend time at my apartment. I just recently started renting an apartment and I retreat there. I usually go home to my apartment and it smells like coffee (I love coffee and make a pot every morning). I kick back and relax. Most nights I read and I just got a nice sofa that I plan on breaking in.

I keep busy. There is seldom, and I mean almost never, a time that I wish I had something to do. I am usually hard pressed to spend time with people and there are definitely friendships that are suffering because of my busyness. But, I am striving to make the most of everyday. To spend time with God, to love people, to recreate, and to live life to the fullest. Pray that I do not miss any opportunity to show God's love to others. If I can do a good job of that then I will confidently say like the apostle Paul, 'imitate me.'