I was asked to share something encouraging or instructive with the church for a blog, so I thought I would draw from my wealth of experience to help me. Unfortunately, I have only been serving as a head pastor for three months.

Even though I have been serving in ministry for years, in many different capacities, it did not take long for me to realize being a pastor of a church was different from anything I have experienced in the past. There is a level of responsibility, expectation, and challenge that is truly unique concerning serving as a pastor. It is a task that can truly be overwhelming and stressful at times as many experienced pastors will tell you.

I would be lying if I said I have not had second thoughts at least once during the past few months. If I were alone in this endeavor, I would certainly have failed or given up by now. Thankfully I am not alone I have God leading me, and a family that supports me every step of the way.

On top of that I have been blessed with several pastors that have mentored me and discipled me for many years and continue to do so to this day. I also have church elders and deacons that are there to guide me and most importantly let me learn and grow from my mistakes.

I am a firm believer in Proverbs 12:15 that a wise man takes advice. I may be inexperienced, but I am aware of my inexperience. I am so blessed that pastors, youth leaders, and my many church families have taken time to pour into me and invest in me over the years.

In the words of Paul, they have “charged me to walk in a manor worthy of God who calls you into his kingdom.” It is only through their encouragement that I can fulfill the calling God has placed on my life. I hope that as I move forward in my ministry that I can invest and pour into others and truly charge them as I have been charged.

In Romans 1 Paul speaks about how there is mutual encouragement between himself and the ones he is ministering to. These relationships work both ways, when discipleship takes place, everyone grows and is encouraged.

To all the pastors and church leaders reading I encourage you to invest and lift up the young future leaders in your church. Discipleship is vital to the future of the church. Today make an effort to pour yourself into someone, it could change their lives forever, mine certainly was. Pray for God to place these people in your lives, look for opportunities to be a mentor. These investments could shape the kingdom God is building through his church. 

About the Author: David Hill is the pastor of West Side General Baptist Church in St. Ann, Missouri. He currently lives in Granite City, Illinois with his wife Amanda and their three children.

My wife and I are entering a new stage of life together.  When we were first married, it seemed like a wedding was scheduled every month and we were constantly having to decide what to buy for the latest wedding shower.  And now just two years later it seems we are attending fewer wedding showers and more baby showers…. Now we don’t take this as a sign to have children now, but I am filled with immense joy every time I go on Facebook and see the latest pregnancy announcements from my friends and family. 

I love attending the gender reveals, the birthday parties, and seeing the pictures of them growing up.  I guess I have a soft spot for little ones.  But I must admit, one thing that always crosses my mind as I see another beautiful life brought into the world is the question, “What kind of world will these little ones grow up in?”

I’m a part of the older half of the Gen-Z generation (usually understood as being born between 1996 and 2012).  I didn’t grow up my entire life with smart technology, but I was there to see it start.  I wasn’t there to see the start of the LGBTQ movement, but I saw it flourish and grow in a way that no one saw coming.  Anxiety, depression, and suicide were talked about, but never to the degree that it is experienced today.  The world has seen some good things as I have grown up into adulthood, but many more problems as well.

(Quick Fact.  Most Millennials are now between the ages of 30 and 40.

And Gen Z is between the ages of 12 and 25)

72%, 21%, 70%, 42%, 100%.  What do these numbers represent?  Let me explain.  The Christian Post reports that 28% of Gen-Z attend church at least once a month.  That leaves 72% not attending.  A Gallop Poll reported that 21% of Gen-Z identify in some manner with an LGBTQ group.  According to the Walton Family Foundation, 70% state that depression and anxiety have had major, negative impacts on their lives.  And in a survey completed in 2021 by Gen-Z teens and adults, 42% (almost half!) seriously considered committing suicide.  

While these statistics do not apply to the new generation that is currently being born and being brought up in our elementary schools, they remind us of the battles they will face as they grow up to become teenagers and adults.   I would also argue that these problems will not fix themselves but have the greater possibility of becoming worse if they are not addressed in our homes and our churches. 

Soon these babies will be brought up and familiarized with a world that is foreign to us.  We don’t know how to address many of these problems because we never had to deal with them!  All of these problems were at some point uncommon to us, and now it seems that we face them every day.  And we still haven’t covered the biggest issue facing our youth, the 100%.  

What is the 100%?  It is this fact, 100% of children born post-2012 will grow up their entire lives with smart technology and access to the internet.  While that means tons of access to great information, it also means there’s an opening for predators, manipulators, false teachers, and pornography to invade the minds and hearts of our children.  And there is only so much we can do to stop it or avoid it. 

There has been a great spiritual battle that has come along with the blessings that the internet has provided us.  And it will continue on for many more generations.  But I am not telling you this so that you may be discouraged and downtrodden.  I tell you this to let you know that there is hope.

In my opinion, the reason we as the church have at times struggled to be successful in a culture dealing with depression, suicide, and LGBTQ questions is because many of us aren’t familiar with it.  Many of us didn’t go to a school with gay/bi-sexual/trans-gender kids or attend funerals for our classmate who committed suicide.  Many of us grew up never thinking about depression or anxiety. 

But now, these topics are often brought into the minds of these children.  While yes, it means that many will fall victim to them as they have in my generation, it also means that the gap in understanding is being closed.  

I believe God is raising up a generation from the trenches.  They will share many of the same struggles my generation has, but along with that they will have the answers to the questions that we are just beginning to ask!  They will understand the struggles of this generation and their own in a way that many church leaders don’t right now.  So no, I don’t believe that these new generations are bringing death to our churches, I believe God is going to use them to heal our churches. 

 But we still have a lot to work on.  For how can we as leaders raise up a new generation of pastors/elders/teachers/deacons if our churches have none?  That is why we have to realize that our young people are not just the church of tomorrow.  They are the church of today.  Take what young people you have and help them discover the gifts that God has given them.  Train them up to be missionaries to their schools and colleges. 

Do not ignore the teens, children, and babies by shoving them in a classroom away from the adults.  Use this time unsparingly to equip them for their specific needs and challenges so that they may change the world for the better.  And when we obediently do this, God will continue to heal our churches from generation to generation, unceasingly until Christ returns to bring complete healing to our world.  

About the Author: Jonah Carpenter is the Lead Pastor of New Life Church in Evansville, Indiana alongside his wife Emma. He is also is a writer on the Let’s Talk about God Blog and the host of the Fight for Your City Podcast.

A year ago, I walked the stage for graduation at Oakland City University on May 7th and began my job at Peace Fellowship Church on May 8th the very next day. I remember going to eat lunch in celebration and then immediately going to my dorm room to prepare for the next day. Some have called me a “glutton for punishment,” but I was eager to put into practice what I had learned.

My prior experience was being an associate pastor for about 3 years at Winslow General Baptist church, and although I had a lot of great people pouring into me, this new job was a different ballpark. Now I didn’t have someone to oversee me, no “boss,” or anyone to tell me what to do (save the Almighty). Now it was on my call.

Many might have taken that as a sign of freedom, but I admit that I was feeling more fear than relief. Now I had no one telling me that I did well, save for a few “Good sermon, pastor,” comments. Now I had no one telling me when I messed up, save for the blank stares I’d get in the pews. Now I had the reins. 

Going forward, I found myself in this odd place; stuck between being a leader and being a young man. I was also stuck between being a member of Generation Z and being a clergyman. Growing up, I’ve been to many Bible studies and Sunday school classes where the issue of “This new, wicked generation,” was the topic for the entire hour. Hearing this while growing up made me skeptical of entering into a field like ministry and made me raise an eyebrow to the older generation.

The cost of entry is high for ministry: both spiritually and socially. I am happy to report that many ministers have been incredibly supportive of me, even though not all of them have. I was pleasantly surprised by the treatment that I received from some gentlemen. For example, I met a gentleman on the day I was examined for ordination. Though I had only just met him, when I was ready to leave one hour later, he was hugging me and gave me his phone number.

At the same time, I’ve found work in the church to be a double-edged sword. On one hand, I’m the minister, but on another hand I’m just a kid. And while the ministers in the field are more supportive, my generation is a lot more “hit-and-miss.” My peers are quite supportive, but I can tell when I meet a stranger that the inevitable, “What do you do for a living,” will come up, and Romans 1:16 will ring in my head.

I have seen demeanors change, awkward silences, reports about the last time someone was in church, and even confessions in the middle of the Dollar General checkout line. Being a pastor doesn’t have that “zing” anymore, while it still has some sort of reverence. It’s not respected by some, while others find it most noble. I’m certain that you’ve felt the same way when dealing with different kinds of people. 

Luckily, many people in and out of my churches have poured into me, and a group of good men felt confident enough in me to send me off with their “approval” by means of a degree. I am, of course, referring to the wonderful gentlemen at Chapman Seminary. You will seldom find a more patient, intelligent, and deeply understanding group of men. I urge every young minister, new minister, old minister, experienced minister to get an education if you have not yet done so.

Many times already, my education has given me the proper tools to keep going. Many times I’d take a deep breath and realize that an entire class time of discussion had been spent on such an issue. Other times I’d have a book to reference, or an author who is (or was) a specialist in a certain area.

I was given everything I needed to begin, but I certainly still had much to do in order to keep going. The way I see it, experience and education marry quite well together. When you put both together, something wonderful happens. God made us to work together, and Paul described our cooperation as intricate and as efficient as a body.

As a young pastor, I would not have any inkling of leadership authority if it were not for my education. I prefer to be a brother of my congregants instead of an authoritative pastor. I’ve considered myself, although called by God, no doubt, more of a specialist in religion. I’ve studied and practiced in order to care for the religious needs of my people. I’ve taken this perspective as a remedy for my strange position as both a young man and pastor. And again, I encourage everyone, especially young ministers, to seek an education so that they have those same tools. 

For a very similar reason, I encourage older ministers with experience to help out younger ministers. Don’t be afraid to reach out if you see one of us. Most importantly: please don’t give up on us. Many have already, and time is so valuable for the church here on earth. Young ministers need the experience of the older ministers in order to keep our heads above water and avoid dangers in the ministry.

I know from my experience with high school kids that mentoring can be greatly rewarding. Imagine what more you could do with the experience that you have! For younger ministers, don’t be afraid of the ministers who are trying to help you. I was once told that it is wise to assume that everyone that you meet has something to teach you, if you listen.

Now, my final advice to young and old ministers is this: carry that attitude in your own lives and try to work together. Don’t let the generation gap keep you from your own brother or sister. Don’t let the differences of our generations keep us from learning together about different aspects of ministry. Young ministers can learn great lessons and hear great advice from their older brothers and sisters in Christ. Older ministers can learn new ideas and effective strategies from younger brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Although it is my temptation to see the church as a “dying industry,” I know that that perspective won’t work for us. We can make a difference here and now as long as we don’t give up. Take on the burden of Ezekiel: 

I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.

Although we might see many discouraging things, we ought not to give up. I’d be a hypocrite if I urged you all not to give up on my generation and then do the same thing. The truth is: the gospel is for every man, and even those who are closed off, backslidden, and even anti-Christian need the gospel. After a year in the ministry, these have been my conclusions.

About the Author: Nyles Head is a Pastor from Southeast Missouri who pastors in Newburgh, Indiana at Peace Fellowship Church. Nyles began his ministry at 15 by speaking on occasion at a church back home and his first official job as pastor was an associate pastor position at Winslow General Baptist Church. Nyles has begun senior pastoring, and has been senior pastoring since May 2022.