From First Week to First Year: The Pastoral Journey

00:02 - Speaker 1 I bet it's hard for a lot of us to remember what it felt like to start the job of a pastor or to begin at a new church, to answer a new call. That's why I'm really excited about this week's episode where we get to talk to a man who is beginning his journey. He's in his very first week. He's literally only had a couple of meetings and he's got a lot on his mind things he wants to accomplish, ways he hopes to be seen and an impact he hopes to have on his congregation, on his students. So we get to hear from him today and then we're going to hear from him again in exactly one year as he looks back and reflects upon the year in ministry. So again, for today it's the first week and a lot of first impressions. I'm glad you're here, let's get started. Going to be a fun one Today. 01:01 We're calling this from first week to first year and the idea being, you know, we're going to talk to you this morning, today and kind of hear about what you're doing, what you're hoping for, and then reconnect in exactly a year and talk through. You know what it's been like, because so many people you know have questions about being a pastor, being a director, being in these roles what is it really like, what does it really mean? And I think even for people who have maybe been doing it for a really long time, they're going to be able to resonate with like oh yeah, I remember, you know, I remember, I remember those things. So so, yeah, tell me you know, introduce yourself and tell it, tell those listening, like what it is you're doing exactly, and maybe you could even share the process of entering into this role, as the weeks have led up to this moment. 01:53 - Speaker 2 Okay, yeah, so right now I just got a new position, a new role here at Redemption Mesa as the next-gen director, and what that looks like is me helping and leading, or me being the main lead of youth and also young adults, and so, yeah, that's the new position that I just started this week. I'm currently working for Gobert Public Schools and Gobert Christian Schools as a substitute teacher, so that's another job that I do, and then I'm also in my master's degree, doing my master's in leadership with Grand Canyon University, and then, of course, I'm married and so still doing husband duties, and not even a year in yet, just 10 months, and even though it feels like a long time, but that's currently what we're doing right now, living in Gilbert. 02:49 - Speaker 1 Wow, you just rattled off a whole lot of different things you're doing. 02:55 - Speaker 2 Does it make? 02:55 - Speaker 1 you nervous at all thinking about all those different things, or like how you've been feeling. 03:00 - Speaker 2 I think that that's just the reality of things right now. Um, there's a lot of things that I'm doing, um, but I'm also thinking that it's only for a season. Like, God willing, I'll be done with school here in a in a couple, in six months. So June, june, uh, 2026 is potentially my anticipated graduation date, and so that's going to be over at some point, you know, and that's going to be Brenton, even hopefully a year from now. Like, I mean, my wife and I have been praying and preparing as well for this, but hoping that we will have a kid as well, um, but that's going to be different as well. But, yeah, there's a lot of things, but, um, learning how to do like, uh, have a healthy life balance for sure. 03:46 - Speaker 1 Yes, well, that is the trick to. You know almost any job, but especially in ministry. That's the trick. So can you share a little bit of the you know, the journey that led you here? Like you know, for those listening again, it's like what kind of conversations were you having? Is this something you've been pursuing? Was it kind of out of the blue, like how did this happen? 04:12 - Speaker 2 Yeah, no for sure. 04:13 So my wife and I have obviously been. We've been attending Redemption Gilbert for a while now and because we just started, or since we just got married in the beginning of January, she wanted to finish out her young adults ministry with 710 there at Redemption Gilbert and my last season with Alpha, which was my ministry that I was doing at Redemption Gilbert, was in the fall. My leaders were very much caring and were telling me to focus on my marriage right now and not focus so much on leading Alpha again here anytime soon, just to take some time. Basically Not to say that they were taking that position away from me as far as being an Alpha coordinator, but I think the main focus was their wanting for me to just focus on my marriage, which I was honestly, looking back, it's beautiful just to see that. Hey, you know what I'm focusing on? Building good habits and making sure that we're learning and growing in this new season of marriage, because a lot of it is new for us. So we're learning about our health habits, which is our sleeping schedules, our eating schedules, working out, working in itself, there's a lot of things and so, yeah, this year I haven't done any ministry at all with the church, but my ministry is my marriage right now, which has been something really beautiful to get, and God has been teaching me a lot. 05:40 But I feel like this has been a season for both my wife and I too. But I feel like this has been a season for both my wife and I too. We've been praying a ton as far as God opening up an opportunity of what he wants us to step into next. Not to say that we wanted to fulfill an empty void, because it wasn't an empty void. We just knew that we love serving people and we have a passion to serve people, but we weren't sure. What does that look like? Are we doing ministry next separately, together, where at? We just didn't know and we were asking God for direction and guidance on the next thing for us. We weren't really looking forward to moving to a different church either. So we really love Redemption. Gilbert and we've been there for some time now and we did an internship program there and we are extremely thankful to our leaders who have poured into us and we have been taught a ton of stuff and now we want to put them into practice. 06:36 But we didn't know if we were going to still be serving at Redemption Gilbert or what that looked like. But yeah, so we've just been praying a ton for that. We really still weren't sure what that looked like. And so it's funny because my wife and I had gotten prayer, and it was at an Anglican church, and one of the things that stood out to us was they had talked about change and that change was going to happen, but we didn't know what does that look like? What does that mean? Change in our marriage, change in our family dynamics, change in ministry? Like change is just that's too broad, like. What does it look like? 07:17 And so, yeah, so we've just been praying a ton and, of course, after spending so much this year in just prayer, and of course, after spending so much this year in just prayer, josue had called me, which is the lead pastor here at Redemption Mesa, and he had talked to me about how I was doing. Well, he asked first how I was doing, and then he asked me what it would look like for me to join their team here at Redemption Mesa. I'm like, okay, tell me a little bit more about the position. And he told me that there has been such a huge need for a young adults pastor, and so he asked me if I would like to take lead on that and also to help out with youth. And so I was like I didn't want to. I didn't give him an answer right then, and there I told him that I really wanted to pray and ask God first. Like, let me talk with my wife, let me go ahead and pray about this first, because I just need some clarity and I need to also just ask God if this is really what he wants for us. And so that's what I did. 08:17 And it's funny because a few years ago he had reached out to me, but I just didn't think I was ready for that and I told him no. And I think one of the beautiful things about him reaching out this time too was like there wasn't a lot of pressure on me, and he was super transparent and honest with me and told me hey, like, if this is not what you think is what God is calling you to right now, like you can always say no as well. I've gotten a no before and I'm like it's not that I'm trying to not take the position, but I want to be in obedience to God first of all, and I think that we can so quickly answer for ourselves, but if it's not God's calling for me, I really don't want it, and so, as I've been sitting with that and thinking about what I should do, if I should take the position or not, I talked to my wife about it. We were both really excited for it because we love Redemption Mesa. We feel at home, we feel like we belong. The people are amazing. We have good relationships here too. They're not that far away from Redemption Gilbert, and so, yeah, I just continue to pray about it. 09:22 I talked to several different people about it as well and processing it with some of my mentors and just even my therapists, and I think God was my last week, and I think the hard thing about it is that when I feel I feel strong, my emotions just are there, and I think the reality of it was that I wasn't going to be there anymore. It was like this is the end of LDP, even for me, which was a leadership development program that I was in, and there has been so much good that has come out of this, you know, and part of me is like I didn't. I I hate leaving, because relationships are important to me and the amount of people who have loved on us. Their redemption has been so beautiful. The community is so great that it's just like man, I'm going to have to start all over again somewhere else. But then again, looking back, it's not like we're really saying goodbye. It's more of like we're still going to be working with Redemption Gilbert and they are our family and, even though we're not going to be as close, they're still going to be around and we're all one big, huge family. And so it was just God affirming me over and over again that what he has me here is is something good and that's what he wants. 11:05 And so so, yes, and now we we started here on sunday. They announced us here and I didn't think of how big it was gonna be either, just me transitioning here. But it's been. It's been going very well. Um, obviously it's still fresh and new and I don't know it all yet, but I feel at peace about it. I feel like this is where God has brought us and where he wants us. Yeah, we're super thankful and we're super honored of God just opening up this opportunity, but it still feels unreal, kind of like what we talk about. My wife and I we share a constant like, can you believe that we're married and we're still even processing all that? But just seeing God's hand upon our lives over and over again, I think that's what keeps amazing me. Like God, why are you this good to us? Like we don't deserve any of this, but he's been so, so, so, so good to us. 12:03 - Speaker 1 So, yeah, we're extremely thankful yeah, when you say it was, when you're saying that the announcement was bigger than you thought, or are you saying it? It felt bigger, like it was more emotional than you imagined, or how, what? What happened there? 12:18 - Speaker 2 um, I think, um, so my wife and I, we obviously were super excited, excited to come on as a team, but I feel like just people everywhere just started to text us or even come up to us and were super excited for us and congratulating us. And we're like, yeah, like we're just being obedient and we're just coming on, but like I don't know, just maybe the being center of attention that's not what we look for or we think of at all, but just people reaching out and texting us just like, oh yeah, people do find out quickly once it's announced and once it's like even on social media and I don't have social media but like just that's how people find out and people are super thrilled and happy about us. That it's like all right, like I love the support and I love the communities coming around us. But once again, it's just like it's really not about us, it's about God and being obedient to the calling and super excited for what God's going to do in and through us. But we wouldn't like, we didn't get here on our own or through our own abilities. 13:25 That was all God doing. Because I look upon it right now and it's just like, especially Veterans Day yesterday, I'm all like to have thought of me. At some point I was stationed in Fort Riley, kansas, focusing on military training and living that type of life. To look back and say, hey, at some point I'm going to be a youth leader or a youth director, next-gen director. That would have never dawned on me and it's like who would have known? I would have never known. And this is how good God is. He's changed my life in so many ways and I can't take any credit. That's all Him. 14:29 - Speaker 1 Yeah, I'm just that, a great affirmation and an amazing encouragement, etc. But it also, but it also and remember this, it's it's all those people who care about you and who know who you got, who know you guys and know who you are. They're kind of saying yes and amen to the news because, because they see those gifts in you and, and so to step into that and what an amazing, like I said, what an amazing stamp of approval. I guess on the news and on the on the new role is having all those same people reaching out and saying, oh my gosh, you're going to be amazing. I'm so happy for you, um, and I think that we want that and I think it it is a testimony to you guys, living your lives, um, honestly and but also in community and letting other people know who you are. And, as I'm just saying all this out loud, it just reminds me that it's just such an important piece of our journeys is is being known and letting others know us and letting others walk with us and and being transparent, because it allows for these types of things to happen, right, even Pastor Josue who, if people are listening, josue was on an episode a few episodes ago. So you are working with him in the church in a bilingual setting, which is amazing, amazing, amazing. But even for Josue to recognize the gift in you, to ask you, to invite you, uh, to call it out, to keep pursuing, like what a what an amazing story. 16:04 So so did you. Did I hear you right? You said you're three or four days in, uh, can I ask? So this is your first week? Yes, so first week you did a few things Sunday. You're at the office today. So what has it been like and I'm not trying to load your lips, but maybe this is a little unfair, because it's going to be like well, yeah, I'm just doing what I'm asked to do at the moment. Yeah, but how has it felt and what has it been like? 16:39 - Speaker 2 It's felt great. I think right now I like to observe a lot and trying to get the feel of where things are at. I'm also trying to just be mindful about who has been helping out in this position as well and who's done their part, but just trying to see the establishment of what do they have and what is needed. But I think right now I've just been in a, I've been in prayer mode for sure a ton, even driving here, even last night and the night before, like it's more of like. There's so many things that I would like to do. I have dreams. 17:16 I love watching the youth and the young adults show up and they're showing up and they're seeking, they're wanting more of Christ, which is amazing because you see a group of people who are hungry for Jesus and as much as I'd like to come in and do more things with them and stuff like that, I also got to remember that I got to go at God's pace and not at my pace and I can't just fully start uploading or filling up all my calendar, right, I have to make sure that I slow down and that I go at their pace because, once again, I don't want to get caught up in the busyness of life, I still want to make sure that I prioritize my relationship with Christ and that I would also still be working on my own spiritual disciplines. 18:16 Um and so, right now, I think I'm still observing and figuring out, okay, well, what are the things that are important right now as far as the dates and what we need to work on, and, um, I'm just excited to to get to know, um the faces here, the people here, getting to know the names and just being intentional and, um, relational with them. So I think that's the biggest thing right now for me. 18:36 - Speaker 1 Yeah, which is not a surprise, like it would be. 18:40 That should be what you're doing, and I think if again people who are listening probably even as I'm listening to you, I'm just thinking back to the different times I've started in ministerial roles and how fun it is to kind of get the lay of the land and figure out all the things and just be in meetings, and I love what you said about listening and just observing. 19:00 I also love what you said about I think this is what you're saying, but kind of how you said you're trying to be careful about maybe entering the role and maybe not coming in too quickly and upsetting the people who've been doing it, but trying to learn from them. That's maybe entering the role and and maybe not coming in too quickly and, you know, upsetting the people who've been doing it, right, um, but trying to learn from them. That's that's really wise and that, um, it's so important because you know those people have been serving and and loving and caring and you know, if you were to come in and just go like, oh, you know if you were to come in and just go like, oh, we're changing all this Right Right, that could be tough. 19:36 Yeah, for sure that could be tough, yeah, and what is your so? So, again, there's probably not a ton to talk about necessarily. In regards to this is what I'm doing my first week. It's probably pretty straightforward, but there's probably a lot we could talk about. As far as your expectations for what this next year could potentially look like and I want to get into that because I think that my hope is again that, as we're talking today, we'll talk again in one year and kind of reflect upon how it actually went, Because I think a lot of us, when we get into ministry, we've got a lot of ideas about how it should go or what should happen. 20:17 And the reality is that God doesn't work on our timeline and when you're working with other humans, you don't control all those people. You don't control the kids and the parents and the youth and everybody else. So there's a lot of moving parts and the youth and everybody else. So there's a lot of moving parts. But if you could pinpoint some expectations that you have, some hopes you have for the year I'm sure you've thought about it Could you share those with us? 20:47 - Speaker 2 You know what are you hoping to accomplish? Yes, so what I'm hoping to accomplish is well, at least in young adults. First, their group is called LIFT, and living in faith together is what that stands for. So that's what their young adults ministry is called, and I think that I really want to go ahead and display what that looks like, you know, and for me it's just being my genuine, authentic self. I really want to show this next generation of what it looks like to live a life in faith. I think that I want them to grow in their relationship with Christ Same with the youth, for sure. Same with the youth, for sure. But I think right now, even as I'm looking through these past few events that we've already had with them, I feel like I would like to see a revival happen here with the next, with the youth and young adults, just because I see that they're wanting, like I, I say more of Christ. They just need some guidance and direction, and I still obviously need guidance and direction too, myself, and that's what I'm asking the Holy Spirit to help us with. But I think my biggest thing is once again teaching the next gen how to have their own faith in Christ, because they just need guidance, and so I love how they're showing up and they're seeking Christ, but trying to give more of a direction. So what does that look like? Well, we meet up weekly with youth, and then also young adults meet up weekly with youth, and this is like a very hard time to come into as well, because right now they're already planning for friends givings and they're planning for Christmas parties and winter camp is coming up as well, and so putting all those dates in is great, you know, but the reality is like they still also need to know who I am, you know, and who my wife is, and so being a part of some of those events are going to be helpful for them so that they can get to know who we are and who are we like as well. Like how are we or how do we act, my wife and I, even outside of the church walls? You know what does that look like at our home? 23:11 You know, to live our faith at home, or like just being out and about and so hoping to once again build those relationships by either asking some of these young adults out for coffee and getting to know their story, you know, getting to know what they do what they, like, you know, building a relationship. I have to have rapport with them and the only way to do that is by getting to know them on an individual scale, because as a group it's kind of hard, and so we want to be intentional with each and every one of them, and I think the nice thing about coming from a big church and now moving into a smaller church it's like I feel like it's a little bit easier to be more relational, right, because there's not as many, but it's awesome because once again, I get to know a little bit more about them. But I'm excited, like I say, it's really neat to see that they have a good they all seem to have really good relationship with each other. So I feel like there's a lot of unity here and they do a lot of community things here together, and not not just during the week, but also the weekends. They invite each other to birthday parties and all these other events and fun things like volleyball, and you know that's great. 24:25 You know I love that because they're doing life together, you know, and so, um, so, yeah, so getting to know them is is is one thing that I'm excited for. But once again, like I. Just I really want to point them towards christ and I need to figure out where is everybody at and um, yeah so that's your. 24:48 - Speaker 1 Would you imagine spending several weeks and months just um spending time with taking them out to coffee lunches, whatever getting to know them? 25:00 - Speaker 2 Yes, for sure. Getting to know them, like, I say, coffee, even inviting them over for dinner, or whether it's for lunch or going to birthday parties, Just because, once again, I think that's a great way of showing leadership, like, especially as a leader, you're showing them that you care, you know and just being there. Once again, I want them to come find us and also be able to share with us, but they won't share until they're comfortable with you and I want to get to know them on a deeper scale. But they won't share until they're comfortable with you and I want to get to know them on a deeper scale. But in order for us to do that, like it seems like there's, like it's like this is our icebreaker season, right, I'm just getting to know them all right now and so yeah, yeah, yeah, which is, which is amazing Again, it's such a fun, fun time, so such a good time Now. 25:57 - Speaker 1 So your father was a pastor, so you've grown up around ministry and kind of observing, being a part of as you mentioned. You've done some other different things leadership-wise Alpha the ministry Alpha if people aren't familiar, that's a great one. Leadership-wise Alpha the ministry Alpha if people aren't familiar, that's a great one. So you definitely have good and bad experiences. 26:25 Again, I don't even anybody who's been in ministry for a year is going to have good and bad experiences, so you've had both of those. So now in this role, again speaking of expectations, how are you managing some of those potential pitfalls? How are you thinking through time logistics, balancing all the things you're doing? How are you thinking through that? Who are you leaning on? How are you working through it on? Where do you, like you know? How are you working through? 26:52 - Speaker 2 it? Yeah, that's a good question. Of course, with all of this, there's a lot of concerns, and I shared that with Josue, you know, like I am willing to do this, but I want to let you know like some of my concerns and which was once again like I don't want to overfill my calendar I want to make sure that my priority over ministry is my marriage, you know, and my household, and also, of course, like my relationship with Christ, and so I asked Him specifically to hold me accountable, and so that's one thing that I've done. I've also told my wife, and I've talked to my wife and I keep asking her like she needs to be honest with me and transparent and like help me to learn how to say no to certain things as well, because, once again, I want to, I want her to be able to express as well, like if she ever does want to do something, because we have other relationships that we value as well, and we want to be able to point to that as well, but once again, we just don't want to do too much, and so, yes, I've had great conversations with her about this as well. 27:57 I'm same with my mentors and even talking, talking with my therapists and I want people to like hold me accountable. I want people to be able to confront me on certain things as well, because I'm also here as a student to learn and to grow, and I want people to be able to help me with that. And I want to talk to some of the elders here, and we're going to be starting an RC group as well, where we're going to be attending and we're getting poured into and I hope that we can gain or have a good relationship with them as well, so that we can express some of our issues and things that we're going through as well. But I think that we have a solid community that's willing to help us out with all of this and making sure that we speak to them, and that because she has her own mentors as well my wife does, and I want her to be able to talk to somebody else as well. 28:52 It's good to have all these other perspectives and other people that are not part of Redemption Mesa, but from somewhere a different source, just because, once again, it's always good to have another set of eyes. You know like, hey, you know what. These are some of the things that I've observed about you and your marriage and you know you can take it and leave whatever it is that you need, but regardless, at the end of the day, these are people that love you and want nothing but the best for you. So I take um constructive criticism well and I don't take it personal. I know that you know they'll, they'll let me know because they love me and so so, yeah, so I think that, um, I've expressed my concerns and I'm honestly, like I say, pretty comfortable with where I'm at, because I think everybody is respectful about that. So, yeah, I'm feeling good about it. 29:43 - Speaker 1 What does your? You know having a longer relationship with Josue. What do you? How much do you think that played into you agreeing to this role? How much? 29:55 - Speaker 2 do you think that played into you agreeing to this role? I mean, obviously I think that had a big, huge role that played into it, because I'd consider Josue as my mentor. He's been pointing to me for quite some time now, especially when I was in Gilbert. I'd be able to share a lot of things that I was going through over there and he gave me his own perspective on things and I truly appreciated it, because sometimes he would be hard on me as well and that relationship has grown tremendously. And he officiated our wedding and I respect him a ton and you know I'm I'm thankful for him, you know cause we, yeah, he's, he's played a huge part of my life and I really do appreciate him and his family and so, um, yeah, what are your? 30:45 - Speaker 1 yeah, yeah, I know you, I know you're close. I just was curious cause do you think that you, just personally, would be the be of the mindset or the type of person that could how would I say it but the type of person that, when thinking about a ministerial job, do you think you'd be the type of you know, someone who could just send in an application and kind of get hired into a community that you didn't know? Or do you feel like you are more wound up to again relationally, like want to have some of those inroads and connections already in place? 31:21 - Speaker 2 That's a very good question, I think, yeah, I'm very relational and so I think that's why the idea of even coming over here kind of made it easier because, like I say, I'm comfortable. It's not like this is a uh, an environment that I'm unfamiliar with or same with Josue. He's not a stranger Like I'm. I'm familiar already with this campus, with the people here, and the people know us and it's just like hey, you know what, like that, that's no brainer, right, like I'm not stressing out about that, or it's like we're going to be able to fit in, or none of that. But, yeah, if I were to compare it to, you know, a whole different environment or a whole different job of, like I say, not having any connections, it is a little bit harder. 32:04 You do go through more feelings of like, all right, well, will I be able to do what they're asking me to do? How much is going to be requested of me, or the expectations. It's going to be different, you know. But Josue has mentioned this a ton, but it's very familial and I think part of that is the culture and the community and the environment here. But that's not the same for every workplace, right, it's not the same. So I would say that, yeah, I think I think this way of what you mentioned earlier having the connection and being more familiar with the people, getting the job like this makes it easier, for sure. 32:44 - Speaker 1 Yeah, I think it's actually important for people to think that out when kind of thinking through ministerial jobs. Yeah, because actually it goes the other way too. Because, you're right, josue and his team, they are trying to create a more relational familial atmosphere. Yeah, again, the culture, the climates, so it goes both ways for sure, but it is an interesting thing to think through. So a quick question too, I know this is would I be mistaken in saying that this has been a pretty quick process, or is that true, like relatively quick? 33:26 - Speaker 2 or would you say yeah, I would say like, yeah, pretty quick, for sure. I mean, he gave me time, obviously, to think about it and there was no pressure and to say like, hey, I need to respond right away. But I think I didn't reach back out to him until like after two weeks, just because I, once again, I'm going to make sure that this was was enough time for us to really think about it, because, once again, we had already been praying for it for so long, you know, and it wasn't like, oh yeah, we made the decision like overnight, of course not, but I think that a lot of the things that we had been praying for was God's way of answering our prayer, and so, um, again, you guys have already known each other for quite some time, so even if even if this round only took three weeks or a month, let's say, you guys have a back story of years, so it's a little different. 34:27 - Speaker 1 I am curious, though, is and again it might be too early to answer this question, so we might have to save this one for in a year. Okay, but would you have done anything different a month ago? And again, it might be too early to answer this question, so we might have to save this one for in a year. Okay, would you have done anything different a month ago? Like, looking back, is there anything that you would have added to your process, or not even that you would have come to a different conclusion? But or maybe I could say it this way too Is there, is there parts of what you did that you would recommend to someone else who's considering a new role? Like you know, again, highs and lows like, is there things you would have done differently, or maybe something you did that you thought, okay, that was really valuable differently, or maybe something you did that you thought, okay, that was really valuable. 35:12 - Speaker 2 Well, it's hard to say, because once again, we can I mean, we can think about that in so many different ways with all other jobs or other things in life but I feel like I think all of this was God's timing. For sure. I mean, if I can go back a month from now, like I don't know what the answer would be, to be honest. But I think when he asked and how he asked and how I process things like was all part of God's planning for all of this. So I couldn't tell you whether or not I would have done things differently or not, because once again, this came out of nowhere and I wasn't expecting any of this. But once again, I think God lined everything up and I'm here once again, all because that's how God planned it Uh, not necessarily how I planned it and so, yeah, I don't. 35:55 - Speaker 1 I don't know what else to say to that. I was just curious if you thought about that. Yeah, so again, maybe in with some more hindsight, you would have seen, you'll be able to say like, yeah, I, yeah, I was really glad, we whatever, but you guys are already living a very open and communal life. Yeah, and again, as we've already talked through, but you had such a resounding affirmation from your community that it's clear that everybody, myself included, unseized clearly that this is such a fantastic role for you. 36:26 So, maybe okay. So maybe getting a little more personal with you is what would you hope you know over this next year? What would be, what would be your hope that you know the group that you're ministering to, that they would see in you like what's your heart for them and what do you hope that they really understand about you, as you know again your role as director, but as you shepherd them, as you care for them, what would you hope they get from you? 36:57 - Speaker 2 I think the biggest thing for me is like, once again, I want to. I keep asking God just to keep me in the humble position, because I don't want them to see Abel. I want them to see Christ in me, and the things that I'm doing is just Christ at work. And so I think my hope for them is that I really am just a normal guy, just like everybody else. I'm a human being. I have good things, but I also have flaws, just like everybody else, you know. 37:27 And I think my hope for this next gen is for them to truly just to be able to see Christ in all the things that they're doing, you know, whether it's at work or whether it's at school, or with their friendships, with their interactions, with my interactions with them. Like I want them to be able to actually see Christ in their everyday lives. That's what I want, you know, because otherwise, without Christ, we really are just walking dead. But he's given us life, and so we have to focus on the positive and seeing like, well, where is God in my day? Like Lord, show up for me, have an encounter with me today, and I want them to be able to see that like God really is so, so good Life with Christ is just without him, like you really are empty, you know. 38:16 But I just I pray that these kids and I call them kids, even though they're young adults but that they would just have an encounter with Christ, that their lives would be centered around Christ, and I just want them to truly have a relationship with Him because, once again, a lot of and I'm learning about the backgrounds of the youth and young adults and a lot of them obviously they have their parents and families here, but I want them to be able to is their faith their own faith or is it just their parents' faith and that's why they are here? Yes, they still are showing up and that's great, but I want them to be able to understand what it is to live a life with Christ for themselves, a life with Christ for themselves, and I'm hoping that that's what they get, that this year they'll be able to build their own faith for themselves, because that's what they want, not because their parents want that for them. But yeah, I don't know if that answers the question or not, but that's my hope. 39:27 - Speaker 1 That kind of leads me into the next thought I have. Have you thought about success generally? What would be a good measurement of success over this next year? And then I also want to ask you a little bit. You mentioned revival, which I think is amazing, but what would that measurement look like to you and how would you be able to look out and go, oh, I'm starting to see some revival here, okay, and is that your metric for success? So I'm kind of poking at both these things. So what are your thoughts? 40:02 - Speaker 2 Yeah, that's. These are really good questions. Um, yes, success can. I think we can easily, and we have to be careful with this is that like, oh well, if the group has grown? That's how I'm going to measure my success. You know, yes, you know, the youth is definitely a smaller group here, but I think to be able to measure that once again, I don't know, I really don't want to focus too much on that, but I think I can measure as far as, like, where they're at with Christ, their own faith. 40:41 The youth is small, so even the team here we're talking about how, like, don't be discouraged if it's only one or two youth. Hey, I'm still going to be excited for that one or two youth that do show up, you know. And if they don't show up, that's okay, you know, still praying and asking God for help. But I think, once again, it's just like to be able to see their faith grow, and what I mean by that is, like, within their actions, how they're doing, their positivity. You know, like, just to be able to have a conversation, whether it's a young adult who is stating, like, praising God for just a week, the way that they talk, the way that you interact with them, like you get excited to see what God is doing in their lives. 41:24 I think that's what I really want to just lean in on is like, hey, you know what we got to praise God and worship God for any little small victory, whether it's young adults getting new jobs or, you know, pursuing something and achieving goals or just even taking the courage to, you know, once again, lift their hands up and worshiping God. Like just praising and worshiping God for, like all of these, these victories, you know, because, once again, like success, everybody has a different definition of success, but it's not about the numbers. It's, once again, it's like how are the young adults lives? Like, how are their, how are their faith growing, you know, and what are they doing? How are the young adults' lives, how are their faiths growing and what are they doing? And how are they talking, how are they acting. So I think that's how I would want to measure success. But, like I say, you've got to be aware and be mindful of not measuring your success for how many people are showing up or the size of the jerk. 42:29 - Speaker 1 Yeah, because there's. I think you'd probably agree. But there's so many metrics that you could use and it's not wrong to say that attendance is one of them, but it is one of many, it is not the only. So I think you're right and truly, and I would agree with you about this, but you just have. You have to spend time, you have to get to know them and you have to know. You know what you'll see fruit, and so you know spending that time with them is so huge. And then what? What are your thoughts? I'm curious. Just revival generally. You know like that's. You've been in church a long time. You've been in different groups. We throw that word around a lot. Yeah, do you have a sense of like? If you? 43:15 - Speaker 2 were to see a specific thing that would indicate revival, what do you think it would be? Um, it's funny because my wife and I have been talking about how, um, I think there is this thing within our society where living a Christian life is boring and we want to a youth youth worship night Sunday night, and Corey was talking about how many of us can go into this dry season of our lives. But when I think of revival, I'm thinking of like the Lord truly like pouring his Holy Spirit upon this place and we're filled with the fruits of the Spirit love, joy, peace, patience, kindness Like that's what we're seeing amongst the people here. That's what I want to see. When I think of revival, I'm thinking of like people are actually like producing, you know, once again, patience and kindness and love for one another, not because of us, but it's the Holy Spirit working in us and I think that's what I want to see. Like I say, I've observed them and it's great worshiping them. 44:20 Everybody has a different style of worshiping, but part of me feels like they're asking and yearning, and I don't know if they know what it is that they're really asking for, what they're praying for, but I see that that's what they're wanting and I'm like Lord, even for me, I'm still asking the Holy Spirit. I can't produce these things on my own. Come, holy Spirit, and give us revival, like I want us to ooze with love. I want us to be oozing with kindness for one another, gentleness, like that's what I mean. I feel, like that's what I'm picturing of what revival looks like you know. 44:58 - Speaker 1 So I love that. Yeah, you've kind of shifted the language to godly metrics, which is so true. Love, joy, peace, patience, kind is good, it's all good. Yeah, like, let's talk about the things that God says are the fruits of the spirit, you know, and again, these other things are, they're great. I mean, you know, being in the word every day is great, being in church on sunday is great, being a faithful attender, a tither, someone who prays for others and service, those are all amazing things. 45:28 But, yeah, so well, that'll be a fun question to talk through in a year when did you see greater love and greater peace and greater joy. So, with that in mind, looking over the next year, do you have, I'm thinking, logistics, like certain practices that you are really trying to get in place right now to help have a healthy year in front of you? And what would those things be? What are you thinking about? What are you and your wife talking about? 46:01 - Speaker 2 that obviously she has a passion for, and she would like to do Same thing with myself. Like I love to run. I still want to make sure that I'm staying active, you know, and these are all good things for us as well, but I would yeah, I just I don't want to stray away from some of those other things that are important or the things that we value as well. So I just want to the things that we value as well. Um, so I just want to make sure that we, um, we stay organized and that you know, we wouldn't. I mean, we have, we all have goals and ambitions, but I don't know what, what realistically it would look like here in my time as well, and it does this mean that this is only for a year, like we haven't talked about how long this thing is for? 46:45 But you know, you know, regardless, I'm still faithful that I can't plan my life too far out in advance, because I feel like I've done that in the past and then God redirects me somewhere else and I have to pivot. God-faithfully, I'll finish school here in next summer, but I don't know what that looks like after that. You know, and I can try to plan as much as I'd like, but I'm not stressed out or worried as well, because I know that God will open up an opportunity, you know, and obviously there are things that I have to take in action as well, but I'm hopeful, I have faith that God will show up, because he has done that over and over again and it kind of feels too good to be true of how great God is. So I'm like I really don't want to stress out or worry about all of these logistics, but I'm super thankful and I have faith in God that he will help us in this new season. 47:43 - Speaker 1 Yep, Can you tell me a little bit about? I think you had shared with me that your initial agreement is like 10 to 15 hours a week. 47:54 - Speaker 2 Yeah, so I think right now well, it's actually 12 hours a week is what is expected. 48:01 - Speaker 1 Okay. So I want to ask a little bit about that and I want to do it, you, you know, in a recorded fashion, because I actually think this is this is an area that all of us have to think through. So did you guys, did you guys really sit down and like chart out 12 hours, or was it left more? Like, hey, you'll probably be, you know? More ambiguous, like you'll probably be, you know more ambiguous, like, hey, you'll probably be here six hours on Sunday and then two hours for this meeting and two hours for this meeting. Like what? How did you guys do that? Or think through that? 48:35 - Speaker 2 Yeah, that's a good question too. 48:37 Um, so once, uh, we didn't try it out as exactly as far as you know what that looks like on paper, you know, I think that, because a lot of events, specifically like oh well, the Friendsgivings and the Christmas parties and all those things, like there's all these events happening and it's kind of hard to really set in stone 12 hours specifically. 49:01 But just having a general idea of like what are the expectations right Of, like making sure that I do my part as well, what is being expected of me? 49:11 But I mean there's you just have to have, I mean, for me, one of the things that's going to be helpful for me to make sure that I am keeping up to that expectation is making sure that I follow up with Josue and letting him know, like, what am I doing right now, what am I, what am I doing for the church right now, this week, just to hold myself accountable and also for him to know as a leader, because, once again, like we can easily fall off that track and just say, hey, you know what, I'm just going to go somewhere and hide to make sure that I'm doing like quote, unquote work, but the reality is is like I'm more of like I would rather show up at the office because it keeps me busy and I know that I'm focusing now on certain stuff for these ministries right, but if I stay at home, like, I can easily get distracted with who knows what doing other things around the house. 50:03 But I think we have to be very careful with making sure that we're doing the right thing and having integrity, and when there's no set in stone on paper what 12 hours look like, I just have to. You know, I think he says it as well because he trusts me. But even then I mean I have to have accountability, otherwise, like I think we can easily go towards the wrong path with that. 50:32 - Speaker 1 So yeah, I agree with you, but I also think that with ministry, it's just so easy to. I really love what you said and I actually I'm going to love asking you about this in a year. But what you said about coming into the office and making sure you're clocking some of those hours, like in a in an office space or in a communal space where it's very evident that these are hours specifically for this ministry and this job, Right, and then outside of that, you know, you might also need to try to figure out how to block out some specific hours, right, cause you know as well as I do. I mean, it's like, well, what are you, what are you going to do if five kids ask you to lunch this week? Right, that's 10 hours, right, right, so you know it's. It can add up really quickly. But but that's the beauty of it too, is getting involved in people's lives and going to volleyball matches or going to birthday parties, like you said. Those things are so fun, yeah, and such a powerful way to connect, yeah, all right. Well, man, I'm really pumped for your role and I'm really pumped to keep talking to you about it, and I'm overly pumped. I'm more excited than I should be to look back over the year with you. 51:56 Yeah, because actually I think it will just be so valuable for people listening, because this can be an ambiguous journey. This pastoral gig, working in a church and a lot of the conversations I have are about working bivocationally. So you know, working part-time but then also having other part-time gigs. So that'll be another thing. You know, how have you balanced that? How has it gone? How is it? Where have the points of pressure been? And you know, wherever you find success, wherever you've been frustrated like there's so many potential, so many potential highs and so many potential. You know bumps in the road, but such is life. 52:43 - Speaker 2 Yeah, that's the truth yeah, yeah so any parting encouragements or any parting thoughts just for the next year for you, or kind of, as you get into it um, uh well, I just I, I'm asking everybody, I'm asking everybody for prayers, um, because, once again, like, like I, I, I a hundred percent believe in the power of prayer. 53:08 And if you could just continue to pray for me, pray for my wife, pray that, um, God would lead us well, but that we would also, um, prioritize our relationship with Christ, um, that he would protect our marriage as well, um, but that he would give us stamina, that he would give us energy and perseverance, because right now, we're super hype and we're excited about everything, but stormy seasons come as well and challenges are going to come, but we're asking God just to keep us well, sustain us, Lord. It's only because of Him and we His strength and we need His wisdom, and so I just ask for prayers. I'm asking as many people as I can just be praying for us because, like I say, none of this is possible without Him in the center of it all. So, yeah, I'm excited, like I say, for this year, but it's a good place to be at. So we'll see where I'm at in a year from now, and I'm excited to see what that looks like it's going to be great. 54:12 - Speaker 1 It's going to be great and I hope that anybody you know those listening will pray for you, you know for. 54:17 Abel for the Mesa community and if you want to know more about that Mesa community, you know you can listen to the episode we have with Josue to learn more about, uh, you know, the bilingual culture and that whole. I mean that in and of itself is a whole journey, uh, which is so beautiful. Um, it's such a joy to hear and you guys talk about it. So, man, best of luck to you and uh, we'll talk again in a year and see see how things have gone. 54:45 - Speaker 2 Thank, you very much, I appreciate you having me here. 54:47 - Speaker 1 Yep, yep, we'll be praying for you, brother. 54:50 - Speaker 2 Thank you. 54:52 - Speaker 1 Thanks. Thanks for listening. If you've enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe, leave a review and share it with another pastor or ministry leader who you think might benefit from this conversation. And if you're looking for more tools and resources to help you preach and lead with confidence, be sure to check out sermoncentral.com slash podcast. SermonCentral is the largest online resource hub for pastors and ministry leaders. From illustrations to outlines to media, you'll find everything you need to preach and lead effectively. So check out sermoncentral.com/podcast, where you'll even find a special podcast listener discount on our membership pricing. 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