NYLC 2012

These past few days, Husband and I have  been in Atlanta, GA for the National Youth Leaders' Conference put on by Jeanne Mayo. Let me just honestly say...those that think ministry is "the easy way out" or "a job where you just go on fun trips and eat a lot"...you are wrong. There are many days that Husband and I both want to throw in the towel and the majority of days we feel as though our efforts go in one ear and out the other and we sit and say, "are we really making a difference?" But as Husband says, "When you want to be just OKAY in ministry, the devil will do everything to keep you IN ministry but when you want to be the BEST in ministry, the devil will do everything to keep you OUT!!" (he stole that from one of his professors but it's something we both live by!) So we welcome hardships in our lives but of course it doesn't come without pain and tears.

Youth leaders are always taking their ministry somewhere...camp, retreats, mission trips, even Carowinds but they're always doing all the work once they get there. Praise God that there was a conference specifically for youth workers where we could be the ones to go to and re-fill.

There is SO much to be re-told from this conference that I'm going to split it up into a few different posts because if you're anything like me...you don't read long blog posts ;)

JEANNE MAYO

-"If you define your success based on the number of people you have, then Jesus failed miserably because His crowds got SMALLER."

-"You lead people through your strengths but you reach people through your WEAKNESSES"

-"People focus on the stage but God focuses on the altar!"

-"What happens more in your ministry? PERFORMANCE? or SURRENDER?"

-"Some spend more time picking out a car than building their character!!"

-"The ultimate question is not WHAT you want to DO but WHO you want to BE!"

-"Character is not essential to leadership (sadly)"

-"It's super easy in the ministry world to be a "poser"...We talk a big game but don't practice/live what we preach!"

-"There's often very little correlation between ministry success and spiritual success."

-"There is no cramming for tests of character...they usually come in the form of a POP QUIZ!"

-"Character is personal but not private!"

-"You want people to correct you but you make people pay too much for it!!!"


*I'm going to post her last message, "Contender" as a separate entry later on...check back for it...it's good!!