One
of my greatest pleasures in ministry has been training up younger men. I was
overjoyed when this idea was raised at the Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa senior
pastor’s conference a couple years ago. One speaker went so far to say he
swapped out his entire staff in favor of younger bucks. Honestly, I’m not ready
to go that far. The way I see it, the church thrives on diversity, especially in
the age department. The energy, ingenuity and creativity of the young are
needed, but the church also benefits from the wisdom and experience of the old.
From what I’ve observed, the two complement each other well in ministry, so
long as attitudes don’t creep in.
The
pastor’s conference was my shot in the arm. It affirmed me in what I already
knew to be true, and what I’ve seen modeled by men like Brian Brodersen and also
Chuck Smith in the early days. Here’s the deal, though. Since that conference,
I haven’t heard from my peers how they might be investing in the next
generation, or if they even are. So, I thought I’d share my experience.
Hopefully it will ignite sparks where needed.
This
year I hit sixty. I accept that I have a shelf life and won’t be around
forever. Don’t get me wrong, I still feel healthy and spry. So long as I feel
this way, I prefer to focus my remaining energy on young people. Without them,
the church has no future. It just gets old, dull and tired.
The
first thing I needed to get over was this notion that the pulpit is reserved
for senior pastors only. After overcoming that hurdle, I surrendered Wednesday
evening services to the youth pastor who is half my age. This wasn’t easy, as I
love sharing God’s Word. However, it has been a huge blessing to watch and
mentor a younger man of like passion. I suspect he will pastor his own church
in the near future. What a joy it will be, knowing God used me along the way.
I’m
not the original pastor of Calvary Austin where I currently serve. I planted
Calvary Chapel of the Springs in San Marcos, Texas and had no plans on leaving.
Twelve years later, the invitation from Calvary Austin came. What attracted me
to the Austin offer was; it afforded me the opportunity to pass the San Marcos
fellowship onto a younger man, Erich. He had served faithfully under me for
many years, with the desire to be in full time ministry. I wanted to bring him
on, but the church budget didn’t allow for it. Once I left, that changed. It’s
been over six years since I passed the torch to Erich and he has proved to be an amazing pastor.
There
are others I’ve invested in who are now Calvary Chapel pastors. I dare not say
I was the only person (or even the main person) who poured into them, but God
allowed me to share in their journey. As for me, there’s nothing more
fulfilling than coming alongside young people, then watching them sprout wings
and fly off on their own. But my sole motivation is not what I get out of the deal.
From what I’ve observed, the entire church comes alive. If I might be so bold,
a church doesn’t thrive as well with a senior’s only mentality. As an older
guy, I understand the risks involved with turning ministry over to younger
folks. Sometimes it doesn’t pan out as anticipated. I have multiple stories
like that as well. But I’ve never regretted trying. The greater mistake is when
we don’t. Too many miss out on a blessing.
