Comin' Clean

Ok, I have big news for all five of you who read this on a regular basis: I'm actually not in youth ministry at the present time.

At my last parish the boss was someone who I will never understand. I tried, God knows I tried. Missed minor details threw him into fits. I mean FITS. Mistakes that happened that were out of my control-that never happens in youth ministry, right?-I would get raked for.

One day I was called into a private conference office with the deacon, the former youth minister who worked part time doing rel ed and is a mother, and the head of Rel Ed:none of whom were my boss. They went over a litany of my failures. It was one of the worst experiences I have ever endured.

The rel ed woman clearly had been complaining to the head of RelEd and then they went to the deacon because the deacon would not have known any of the issues. What really blew my mind is that the day before I asked her what the meeting was about and she said "I'm not sure, just go in there and tell the deacon all the good things that you do" and then in the meeting pounded her fist on a table and demanded to know why I didn't do things a certain way.

I found my way to a counselor because I was so angry and so convinced that there was something wrong with me. They suggested ADD. So I went to my boss, let him know that I had received this diagnosis from a doctor and that I was actively seeking treatment:meds and behavior modification. Two weeks later he calls me into his office and fires me.

I started this blog because working in parish life can drive you insane. It can make you start drinking. It can possibly make you loose your faith. Many times the staff is not all on board theologically, but lets not even get into each others ' sinfulness. To be honest, if a parish staff were all down with Church teaching I could put up with the sin! Really! But to add in there an intolerant pastor- - - I'd had it with parish life (this was my 4th position).

My dream then, is to start something of a "Catholic Youth Specialties" as it were. I think they have a great thing going, but I find much of their material not serving the needs of Catholic ministers. We should not be questioning what to do when our theology does not match up with the pastors, we wonder what the best age for Confirmation is, we try to find the balence between the fullness and richness of our traditions and heritage: And being cool, or at least making this richness into ways the youth can grab a hold of it and make it their own.

It is a special art form to be a Youth Minister. But I think it is even more of an art form to be a Catholic Youth Minister. I love that challenge. I love taking the teachings and exploring ways to make it learnable, make it applicable to a teenagers ' life, make it alive and worth investing in. I love the surly kid who thinks Religious Ed is a joke but is the first one to IM me when we're both online. I yearn for parents to be turned on to how great thier kids are and how great ALL of the teachings are and that their kids WANT it all. I love knowing my fellow ministers work endless hours to bring even one kid closer to Christ.

So, I will continue my blog to support you. It may transform a little more into Mike Yaconelli's style. I appreciated his editorials and topical monthly journals, whether I could relate or not. I love their motto: You love kids. We Love You.

With great respect and deference to Youth Specialties I say the same: You are the front lines. You are working long hours. You worry, fret, pray and labor.

You love Kids.
I Love You.