Work With Me Here

I have had the benefit of working with/for some extraordinary people in my life. I got to thinking about that last night and figured that my reminiscing was as good a topic as any for my ministry blog today.

While I was in high school I started working at Arby's. The manager there was great - I really liked her. When I am back in my home town of McCook and happen to eat there, I am excited to see her.

My other job in McCook was at Hinky Dinky and my direct supervisors were not quite as great - but what can I say? At least I got to work at a place named Hinky Dinky.

At college I worked at a Hyvee in the Chinese food place. The head cook and manager was a large white guy. He made surprisingly good Chinese food... for a white guy.

When I came back from the summer, I got a job working in the college's library. What a great job. I got paid to do my own homework and surf the internet. I suppose I also did a lot of library work - checking out and shelving books, making countless copies, helping clueless students. Linda Lu was my boss and was probably the best part of the job - one of the nicest ladies to ever exist I think.

Eventually I started to work in more "grown-up" situations. I got part-time youth ministry work with the Methodist Church in a nearby small town. It wasn't a great gig, but I got some good experience and worked with Randy - my favorite Methodist minister ever. I only know one. I have talked to him a few times in the years since I left that job when I graduated and he continues to be a great encouragement - mostly because he continually tries to "convert" me to work in his denomination. The pay is certainly enticing.

While at school, I worked ministry-related jobs every summer. The first summer, I worked at a camp south of Omaha that was run by the Salvation Army. To this day, I am not sure how or why I was entrusted with the job I had as Program Aide/RA. During the day, I assisted the week's leader and by night I was in charge of trying to keep the staff under control. The cool part is that my boss's - Greg and Poppy - didn't just throw me into it and let me sink or swim. They helped me out, told me about things I needed to address and gave me great practical advice. They set realistic standards and held me to them. They were incredibly encouraging and continue to be. They were and are exceptional people. It has been almost 10 years since we worked together and I would still follow their lead into anything with no questions asked.

The second summer I worked for the college on a camp team. I think Jason was my boss, but we were out on our own all summer, working more directly for the week's leader. Jason is still a pretty admirable fella, I just didn't work with him all that much. Sorry. I do have some stories about the camp deans from that summer. That learning was more about what not to do though. Those examples are left out of this series of remembrances. Those stories are probably also way more interesting. Sorry again.

My third summer I had an internship at Calvary Christian Church. I worked for Scott, and he is one of the best people I know. He is one of those types that is impossible to dislike. I imagine that even when he makes mistakes, they aren't frustrating, just endearing. That experience taught me how to be a youth minister as much as any coursework I completed.

The last guy I have to talk about is Trey. He is really the one that got me thinking in this direction. After I worked with him for a year, he left to work at MICAH and do some cool stuff. Never have I worked with a guy who is more laid back, yet purposeful. He was non-confrontational, but when he told me to do something (or not do something) I absolutely listened. During elder meetings he would doodle when things got boring. A few times, especially after he left, I tried to channel my inner Trey and doodle during meetings - a practice I occasionally continue. I am not good at it. Turns out his doodles were cool because he is actually a good artist. The image below is framed in my office so that I look at it daily. I would tell all my thoughts about the drawing itself, but that is for another time.

The image is a reminder of the points I want to make today - not because of its inherent message, but because of my association with it. It is not only the work you are doing that is of value, but who you are doing it with. Many of the people who shaped who I am as a minister are in the list above. They didn't merely treat me as an employee or trainee - they made me feel like a co-worker, someone who was just as valuable to the process and end goal as they were. They made me feel like they were learning from me as I was learning from them. They made me a fellow collaborator.

Many of the people who I have done ministry with continue to teach me, continue to work with me in spite of their physical absence. When I write, think, teach, preach, prepare, program, communicate: the echoes of our mutual history are easy to recognize.