I wonder if there is something we are doing as a wider church body which is affecting the young people coming up through the ranks. Think about it, who do we make heroes of? Unlike some, particularly in the Australian context, I don’t have a problem with making heroes of people. We should celebrate, even honour, those who lead and lead well in Church circles.
But I wonder if we make heroes of some to the detriment of others. Do we want young ministers coming up through the ranks to be inspired to plant churches? Yes we do. Therefore we should highlight and honour those who are planting new churches! Make a big deal of them.
Do we want young people to be inspired to go to a small struggling, even dying, church and see it transformed into a missional, effective, community focused church? Yes we do. So let us make heroes of those people.
No one wants to start new churches or take over dieing churches (and add to the list country churches) especially the young people as its easier and sexier to become a youth/ young adult leader.
The established leaders dont want to do it either because they can become consultants or make up a title to ensure they get paid to play golf during the week.
ouch Jermanyn. No one?
There will always be those leaders who take advantage, but there are plenty of others with their nose to the grindstone.
Definitely and they are the ones who should be encouraged/ praised etc… There are countless pastors who are slaving away in the country with a handful of people in their congregation and working a full time job and as a country lad living in the city, they are being grossly neglected.
Maybe ‘no one’ is a tad over zealous but the majority do not want. I remember as a kid everyone wanted to be a pastor/ missionary now everyone wants to be a leader in a mega church.
I think God is calling you Jermayn….