If I have to get one more condescending, unsolicited piece of advice from the youth pastor here, I am going to SCREAM!!!
Our PW (very much a "pastoring partner/co-senior pastor") told me in regards to my budget that the previous CP overspent for the year..."Just do what you need to do and spend conservatively. We understand that it's not your fault."
I've got a ton of things on my plate right now, especially with the Christmas musical coming, and YP comes in and is all, "Well, I think they'd be happy if you showed a little effort and tried to raise a little money." Except that's NOT what they said. But he proceeded to give me all sorts of fundraising ideas. "With your theatre background, you could do a dinner theatre and pull in $1,500!" Since he's never run a theatre company, I don't know where he's getting those figures (community dinner theatres usually bring in much less!), but I digress.
He has told me that I need to get a live band for Kids' Church (we use CDs now!); that I need to do more outreach to unchurched kids; and he and his wife are constantly giving me improvements that need to be made to the nursery.
Come on, people! I've been here a month. Baby steps (uh...pardon the pun!). I am sick and tired of hearing about how much he prays, and how spiritual he is, and how much better his college was than mine was. For crying out loud, I'm 30 years old! I'm interested in doing what God has called me to do, in the place He's called me, for however long He's called me here. I'm not interested in getting into "spiritual spitting contests."
Incidentally, this guy is not a "fresh out of school first-timer," either. He's only a couple of years younger than me, and has previous experience.
To be honest, I'm having enough trouble adjusting and putting down roots here, and this is not helping. I'm also getting used to a much more conservative culture than where I'm from. I'm from Minneapolis, one of the most liberal cities in the country! The annual gay pride festival there outranks all others, barring San Francisco (just to give an example!) I don't know how to behave here...what I am supposed to say...what music/movies/whatever I can admit to enjoying...I'm like a fish out of water! When I lived in Minneapolis, I always thought I was living a holy and moral life, but next to some of these people (YP included!), I feel like this wacked-out, "unspiritual" person.
The kids love me...the SP and PW love me (so far...)...and the parents love that the kids love me. I guess those are the three most important elements, other than that God has called me here for the time being. I'm not looking back, wishing I hadn't moved. My heart is the same as it was before: to simply reach and impact kids' lives for Jesus. I just don't see how all that other "stuff" (unhelpful unsolicited advice; trying to look and act more spiritual to fit in, etc.) is going to help me accomplish this!
Oh, well...as Joyce Meyer says, "New level, new devil!" Thanks for listening...
Hmmmm...sounds like he is intimidated by you. Don't fall for for it. Have you ever read, "Breaking Intimidation" by John Bevere? You need to.
He is threatened by you and this is why he is coming on strong like he has seniority and the upper hand. Don't fight back inappropriately...maintain your classiness...but just STAND FIRM and quietly maintain what you will do.
He is trying to make it sound like he is more experienced, more spiritual, and even more "in the know" than you are there. We had a situation like that on staff where an old staff member tried this with a new one and the new staff member stood their ground like I am telling you to do, and came through the shining star and remains so today. The Sr. pastors will see it too so don't worry about that.
You don't take your orders from him, so just shake your head, say, "wooooow....." and walk away. That's why I do. Wow means nothing. It can mean Wow good... or Wow bad...people can't figure it out. Just say, "Wow, wow, wow" and walk away from the brother and let him get back to figuring out what else he is going to do to try and measure up to this new hot CP that has just moved in and just might out-do him!
