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Anyone who has been around the youth ministry business knows that it just is a place of high turnover. For a lot of reasons… it’s a tough job to stay in for a long time.

My heart goes out
I was reading blogs last night when I came across Jonathan’s announcement that he and his wife were stepping down. Their reasons are completely legitimate. They want a family, cannot have a child naturally, and need to adopt. To adopt will simply cost more money than they could afford to pay and raise a child where they live. (In nearby Novi, MI)

For whatever reason, I’ve had a real heart to pray for Jonathon over the past year. I’ve kept an eye on the successes at 707 and I’ve even subscribed to get the Oak Point newsletter. Even though we’ve never met… I’ve become a “Jonathon fan.” [Though I have met his co-worker Joe Snyder]

Another round?
It seems that all around me are hurting youth workers or former youth workers. Just last Friday the guy who helped me out at Lenscrafters was a recovering youth pastor. He had lasted at his church less than 1 year. Double ugh.

I’ve just been reminded that it is the end of the school year… The youth workers graveyard!

Another way?
I don’t know any of the details. But there must be something, anything, that Oak Point could have done to help Jonathon/Amber around for a couple more years. If this is as it has been presented, how come no one stepped up to help them with the costs of adoption? Why couldn’t the church have locked them in for another decade with a forgivable loan or something like that? [Of course, maybe they tried and Jonathan just decided his time was done for now.]

Moving on
As far as I know, I’m not moving on. Things at Romeo seem to be settling down again, I’m helping in areas I don’t want to be helping in… But I’m helping nonetheless. Things with the new pastor are hopefully settling down.

Let’s just hope that Jonathan is the only youth worker I know this spring who is moving on. After last years craziness… I don’t think I can bear any more!

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