In the Zone

I'll never forget the e-mail I got one morning. It was from a parent of a new student who had been attending youth.  The parent had no connection to our church, yet the student had been consistently coming and interested in learning more about Jesus.  The student became more involved in our program as the weeks went by.  I was excited about their potential. That's what made the e-mail heartbreaking. It described, in detail, how this student was being bullied by some of our students after youth group was over.  It concluded with the following sentence:  "I want the student to be involved in things like church, but if this continues, I cannot allow him or her to come back." I quickly e-mailed the parent back that it was not acceptable behavior and would be dealt with.  I even thanked them for letting me know.  I never saw this student at youth group again.  When I saw them a few weeks later, he or she simply said, "I'm not allowed to come anymore.&quo

          “It’s time to move on.   It’s time to get going.   What lies ahead I have no way of knowing.   But under my feet, the grass is growing.   Yeah, it’s time to move on.   It’s time to get going.” From “Time to Move On” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.            You don’t often see me quote secular music, but that song, and those lyrics, by Tom Petty, tell the whole story.   It’s time for me to move on from Immanuel Baptist Church. A few weeks ago, I announced my resignation as youth pastor of Immanuel Baptist effective August 7, 2011.   Sara and Elizabeth and I are leaving to take a youth pastor position in Western Kentucky that is much closer to Sara’s family.   After her dad’s death in December, it became increasingly important for us to get closer to the family. Know that it was not an easy decision to make, and came only after much prayer and discussion and fasting, but I feel it’s the best decision for my family and I.   As I wrote in my resignation letter, it has been