I shared last month about the youth worker in Kentucky that told me “You saved my ministry, you know that, don’t you?”

Well. . . here is the rest of the story.

“My second year at the Simply Youth Ministry Conference in 2010 Chicago, I attended a workshop to aid “hurting youth leaders.” At the time I felt depressed, over worked, under valued, and undeserving of my position in youth ministry. I was ready to quit and give up because I wasn’t feeling like I did enough. After the worshop I had a chance to talk to Len Evans and another gentlemen who really got me thinking about the root of why I didn’t feel like I was doing enough, or that I wasn’t worthy. I found the source was me. I was telling myself all these things while others and Christ told me I was enough. I gained new strength at SYMC 2010 and I am loving my job, my youth, my ministry, and I thank Len and the SYMC staff for being there when I needed it the most! Thanks!”  Laura Hannah

I’m so grateful that Laura stopped and reminded me of that story, two years later.  I think I’ve proved over the last two years of working with NNYM, that I’m committed and will do whatever it takes to do what I believe God has called me to do.  That being said, encouragement like this strengthens me to press on even more and to not give up.

Thanks Laura. Your encouragement was used by God to remind me to keep at it.  Because there are more youth workers who need to someone telling them to press on and to trust God’s character and calling more than their circumstances.

Here’s our March 2012 Prayer PDF

A highlight at the Simply Youth Ministry Conference, that didn’t get put in the newsletter was this:

I was talking with a friend in the convention center.  We had found two chairs that were out of the way and two of our fellow conference volunteers came up to us and began chatting with us.

After a few minutes, one of them looked at me and said, “You saved my ministry, you know that don’t you?”

I laughed at her and said, “Get out of here. How?”

She said “It was two years ago at the Simply Youth Ministry Conference in Chicago and you did a workshop.  We talked afterwards and you helped me regain hope to stay in youth ministry and not quit. You truly saved my ministry.”

Amazing the things God can do with someone like me.  I credit those amazing things happening because of intercessors like you.

Thanks for providing the power for this ministry.

While talking with a hospice patient a few months ago I shared, “God knows the desires of our hearts & occasionally He answers the prayers of our hearts, even when we don’t utter them.” I said this because something happened in her life that she was thrilled for but honestly didn’t have the nerve to pray about it because it seemed so crazy.

I think God heard the prayer of her heart though she never said it with her lips.  Yesterday, God answered a prayer of my heart and the prayers of many of you but in a way that we could not have imagined.  I was able to give my two week notice to Sears today.  I have been very grateful for my job with Sears because it’s helped our family for over a year  but working there meant I couldn’t work on ministry things.

My last day at Sears is a result of the hospice I work for, needing to have me be “on call”.  I still only work 13-20 hours a week at the hospice but now I’ll be paid a certain amount per day to be available when I’m not in the office.  This amount, over  the month, is more than what I’ve been making at Sears with the end of the holiday season and having less hours per week.

The best part is it’ll free up 40-60 hours per month for me to work on more things for the National Network of Youth Ministries and Simply Soul Care.

It start’s March 1.

Thanks for all of your prayers for us through this season.

Here’s a a recent testimony we received from a youth worker who we’ve helped.

I can’t begin to tell you how much Simply Soul Care has helped me. (But I’ll try anyway!) I was really struggling with staying in my current position. I was given advice to leave by many who heard my story. But not Simply Soul Care. The person they connected me with helped me see that it was worth sticking it out. I’m not sure I would still be where I’m at if it were not for this ministry. And, I am beginning to see fruit by staying put. Thank you!

It’s such an honor to coordinate this ministry of veteran youth workers who walk alongside other youth workers as they face various ministry ordeals.

I absolutely love what I get to do for the National Network of Youth Ministries.  I tell people all the time that if I won the lottery, I’d keep working for NNYM because it is what i’m purposed to do.

I was reminded that networking is my spiritual gift this past week, when I went to a concert.

I found out that Third Day, Tenth Avenue North and Trevor Morgan were going to be in town about three days before the concert.

Trevor and I grew up at Frazer Memorial UMC in Montgomery, AL.  We haven’t seen each other for probably twenty years but through the wonders of Facebook, we’d been in touch for about the last three years. He arranged for some will call tickets to be left for me.

During the welcome of the concert a friend who works for Air1 Radio spoke from the stage.  Trevor opened up and it was really cool to see a friend on stage.  I texted my Air1 friend after Trevor was finished and we got to chat during part of Tenth Avenue North. He asked about things and I told him about working for Hospice. He told me he had been thinking about doing an interview with a Hospice to let their listeners be informed about the good that it offers.

About this time, Trevor called me and we got to hang out for 15-20 minutes during an intermission backstage.  It was so much fun to catch up and hear his heart for ministry.  It was also very encouraging to have another friend who is still walking passionately after Jesus that I grew up with.  Though I like Third Day, after we talked I headed home because I had more work to do.

While driving home I called my hospice boss and told her that we might have a chance to spread the word about the work of Hospice to our region.  She was thrilled.

I think everyone has stories of friendships leading to other connections and opportunities but I think I have more of them and that’s why networking is my spiritual gift.

If you are reading this, you are one of my connections that I am blessed to have and I’m so grateful to be able to connect friends, churches and ministries together to help advance the Kingdom.

Simply Soul Care has been operating for a few months.

l getting our legs under us as we discover better ways to serve youth workers.

If you’ve followed us on twitter or if you’ve been one of the numerous youth workers who have been helped by one of our Soul Care Advocates, would you please leave a comment and tell why are glad this ministry exists? Thanks!

I joked about wearing three hats at the National Youth Workers Convention before I went but I turned out to be so true and I didn’t suffer from identity whiplash because all  three roles are who I am.  The three hats were: National Network of Youth Ministries hat, We Love Our Youth Worker hat and Simply Soul Care hat.

I probably talked with over 400 youth workers about We Love Our Youth Worker. I would say something like this:

We Love Our Youth Worker began in the UK about three years ago as a way of creating a healthier working environment for youth workers.  It’s been a great success as you have the Anglicans, Catholics, Baptist, Presbyterians and more agreeing on something because it has nothing to do with theology or giving your youth worker a twenty percent pay raise.

It’s seven simple promises that churches agree to:

We will pray and spiritually support

We will give space for retreat and reflection

We will provide ongoing training and development

We will give at least one full day of rest per week

We will share responsibility

We will strive to be an excellent employer

We will celebrate and appreciate

We’ve now brought it over to the United States to help youth workers and their churches to be stronger and have a healthier approach to ministry.  As a covenant, we ask the youth worker to agree to the same principles as a supportive act towards their churches.  I happen to also work, very part time, for Simply Youth Ministry serving as a pastor with Simply Soul Care.  I know if more churches were doing these seven simple things for their youth worker, we’d be helping fewer youth workers with Simply Soul Care.

One of the highlights this year was meeting one of the first youth workers that we helped with Simply Soul Care while I was in San Diego. He found me and thanked me for what we were offering and for the person on our team.

That is why I do this and why I’m so thrilled to be a part of Simply Soul Care, we’re helping youth workers stay in ministry longer and to keep working in the fields for the harvest. Thank you for your support and encouragement as I keep wearing my three hats so I can help youth workers be stronger and healthier and have a longer and deeper ministry of reaching students with the Gospel.

Dear Lord,

Give us the teenagers that we may lead them to Thee.  Our hearts ache for the millions of young people who remain untouched by the Gospel and for the tragically large proportion of those who have dropped by the wayside and find themselves without spiritual guidance.  Help us to give them a chance, oh Father, a chance to become aware of thy Son’s beauty and healing power in the might of the Holy Spirit.  Oh, Lord Jesus, give us the teenagers, each one at least long enough for a meaningful confrontation with Thee.  We are at best unprofitable servants, but thy grace is sufficient.  Oh, thou Holy Spirit, give us the teenagers.  For we love them and know them to be awfully lonely.  Dear Lord, give us the teenagers.

Jim Rayburn was the founder of YoungLife