Thoughts from a Young Lead Pastor

Thoughts From A Young Lead Pastor, Jesse Skara

“You’re the boss now!” These were some of the most exciting yet terrifying words I had ever heard. Quite honestly, I never imagined myself as a lead pastor. I spent six and a half years serving as a youth and associate pastor in two different churches, and while I felt that God was going to refocus my ministry, I never imagined that He would point me towards a lead pastor role. 

Yet, here I am five months into my first lead pastor role in beautiful Fairview, Alberta. If you don’t know where that is, go to google maps, look at Edmonton, and scroll up for a while.

Surprises and Lessons

Surprises and lessons in ministry always sounded to me like something terrifying. They sounded like events that would leave my hair filled with Christmas-y Tinsel or being pulled out. So far, however, they’ve been exciting. Not because they’re always good, but because they’ve been pushing me towards growth. 

Through the summer, as we experienced the relaxed/non-existent COVID restrictions, I excitedly planned our Fall Kick-off Event. Originally planned for September 10-12, it had to be postponed for two weeks due to pool closure. No big deal, I thought, so long as it doesn’t snow we should be good to run it the weekend of the 24-26! 

As you are most likely painfully aware, the COVID cases surged and new mandates came out a week before our event was to take place. OUCH. All my planning and preparation, all the donations made towards the event, and all the volunteer hunting I had done to make this event possible swirled down the drain. This was a setback to be sure, but surprises like this force imagination and innovation. 

It’s surprises like this that remind us that our reliance can’t rest in our carefully made plans. We give 110%, but we must always be prepared to let God pull us in a whole new direction. To be so cemented to our plan could mean we miss out on opportunities that will be even more impactful to our community. 

Opportunity for Compassion

A second surprise that I’ve experienced was a phone call at the start of my week from a blind, Mexican, 28-year-old man trying to make his way three and a half hours north of Fairview on a small budget. He knew that the place to turn was the church. WOW. I had no idea what to do other than help him carry his suitcase into my office and make Facebook posts. 

I spent most of the day with him, had him over for dinner, and then spent half of the next day with him in my office once again while we waited for his ride to arrive. As I thought about everything that I had to do that week (including this blog post), I had to continue to remind myself that the most important task of my week was in front of me – listening to and spending time with this man who I would likely never see again. 

As a first-time Lead Pastor, as well as being young and inexperienced, I have it in my mind that I have to please everyone. Honestly, I’m going to fail and fall short. I promised that the first week that I led a service at Westside, in fact. If pleasing everyone or fulfilling the requirements that they have in mind gets in the way of or contradicts the mission Jesus gave us, I will have truly failed not just as a pastor, but as a follower of Jesus. We are called to love God and love people. I’m thankful for this surprise. I’m thankful for the opportunity to relearn where my priorities need to lie. 

Called By God

My leadership skills are, like me, young and inexperienced. I am constantly asking God for confidence. I know that God has called me and I fully expect that He will in turn equip me. Perhaps it means that He will shower me with confidence or perhaps it will be from situation to situation. 

What I do know, and hold fast to, is a word that God gave me about two years ago. The best is yet to come: for me, for the ministry that He’s entrusted to me, and to the church I serve, along with its surrounding community mission field. 

God’s work does not diminish but gets better and better. As a young Lead Pastor, this is exciting. He has life-changing plans in mind, and I get to be a part of them. 

So yeah, I’m technically the boss now, but my Boss is thankfully the one in charge and He has the best in-store. 

Jesse Skara is a graduate of Summit Pacific College. He served in Chemainus on Vancouver Island as Youth/Associate Pastor for almost six years before moving to Tumbler Ridge, BC, where he was hired as the Youth/Associate Pastor for one year before COVID hit. In May 2021 he accepted the call to Westside Community Church in Fairview, Alberta. Jesse is married to his better half (Kelsey) and they have three energetic and personality-filled kids: Jasper (4 yrs), Aziah (1 yr), Brooklyn (6 mo).

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