Bailey Newbern is a Ministry Assistant in Student Ministry at Liberty Live Church in Hampton Roads, VA. She is passionate about discipleship and leading up the next generation of girls, especially girls in middle and high school. She also specifically loves helping young girls and women navigate through depression, anxiety, and other mental health needs through scripture and prayer.
For the past almost seven years, I’ve had the honor of being a ministry assistant for multiple student pastors. It’s been a wild, exciting and fun ride! There is never a dull moment. I love the unique seat and perspective that the Lord has given me to see these pastors up close and personal, doing the work that God has called them to. Ministry in and of itself is almost always unpredictable and seeing how these men handle it with grace and mercy has grown my own relationship with the Lord exponentially. While it’s not always the easiest role, it is incredibly rewarding.
The role of a pastor is not just preaching a sermon once a week on a Sunday morning. It is so much more. The Bible explains that pastors are to shepherd the people He has entrusted them with. A pastor must provide leadership in his church’s and ministry’s mission and vision. He’s assigned to teach and preach to his congregation. This just names a few of his roles. Because God entrusts pastors with these roles and responsibilities, He also holds them to a higher standard. This is a heavy calling.
I trust that the Lord speaks to our pastors, and I know that God has called me to come alongside them to work together to bring that mission and vision to life. Now, I will say, with almost every student pastor I have worked with, I do have to bring them back down to earth sometimes. They love to shoot for the stars. So sometimes that means telling them we probably shouldn’t book a drop tower for the next big student ministry event (true story, by the way).
If you know anything about ministry, you know how messy it can be. We, as Christians, have the ability to seek out our pastors to help us navigate the most challenging, messiest of situations to help us process and seek the Lord through it all. So, it’s important that we love our pastors well. They are on the frontlines, doing incredibly hard work. Unlike a typical 9-5 job, ministry doesn’t stop on the nights and weekends. Our pastors are available around the clock to care for the souls of their people, even when that means they are cutting into their “off” time. I always want to acknowledge the sacrifice that they are making in order to further the gospel.
They pour out so much and sometimes experience the darkest of things. We must be fervently praying for the Lord’s provision and protection over their lives. We must pray that God gives them wisdom and discernment. Even if you aren’t vocationally assisting a pastor, you can still love, pray for, and speak life into him, as he is doing for us all!
