Ok, now I think I get it. Finally, I get it. The difference between being a "Youth Pastor" and a "Real Pastor." I've been wondering for years. Now I know.

A youth pastor can have weird things in his office and people love it.

A real pastor has to have an office that convinces people that he knows what he's talking about.

A youth pastor gets to eat pizza after school everyday with teenagers and people think he's doing his job.

A real pastor has to take people someplace where you don't get your own napkins out of a dispenser or order your meal at the counter.

A youth pastor enters late for worship and everybody thinks you were ministering to a kid.

A real pastor enters late for worship and everybody thinks you didn't have your sermon done yet.

A youth pastor says "I don't know" and everybody thinks he'll figure it out and then get "his own church."

A real pastor says "I don't know" and everybody wonders how he got "his own church."

A youth pastor has to care how much money is left in the years youth budget.

A real pastor has to care how much money was in the offering today.

ON THE OTHER HAND....

A youth pastor has to act his age and understand theirs.

A real pastor has to act his age and let other people understand theirs.

A youth pastor has to show up with plans for 50 or 5 because you don't know how many will be there.

A real pastor teaches the same thing to 500 or 5 because you are speaking to individuals instead of having to win the attention of a crowd.

A youth pastor takes kids to summer camp and people assume it is your vacation.

A real pastor shows up for 3 days at summer camp and people think it's great that he cared enough to go all the way down there to support the youth ministry

A youth pastor has to know when a cool word ceases to be cool and what word replaced it.

A real pastor has to know what "propitiation" means.

A youth pastor has to play games with kids.

A real pastor gets to play games with a youth pastors head.

And so, after careful consideration, I figure it's a wash. Neither is better. It's all about hearing God and doing what He says. I like it.