Jeanne Mayo

Jeanne Mayo has been one of my youth pastor heroes from afar for a long, long time. First, because she is an awesome youth pastor (Ministries Today gave her the title America's Number One Youth Pastor). Secondly because she is a female. Being a female pastor in a leadership position, it is really difficult to get that one-on-one significant face time with those who have gone before you that you have mad respect for. I'm not going to whine about it, but sometimes it pretty much makes me want to scream and other times it makes me want to give up. Anyway, Jeanne is doing this year long mentoring program known as the Cadre. To give you an indication how much she is sought after for her wisdom, you have to apply for it. I gave it a shot and got in, along with 19 others. We do a once a month conference call and meet with her personally twice a year. Last week (Monday and Tuesday) was our first time together. I was utterly blown away. First, she definitely knows how to throw a party. Second, her one liners were awesome. I've found that's the way I learn best, throw me a powerful one-liner and let me meditate on it. So, here are my two favorite from last week. They aren't hugely profound at first glance, but meditate on them for a while and I'm sure they will blow you away. Here you go.

"Sometimes it's not so much what is spoken, but what is sensed that matters."

Do people feel the grace, mercy, love and concern that I speak of? They've heard that they really matter to me and to Jesus, but do they feel it? When people are around me, do what they sense match my spoken words? The answer is, for various reasons, sometimes yes and sometimes no. Then, on ocassion, I think people sense the right stuff, but they need it spoken to them as well. Do I tell people I love them enough, even though my actions may scream it? I need to do better at both.

The other quote is what I'm glad to say that my senior pastor has mastered. I just don't think I've ever heard it put into words quite like this...
"Create attitudes (and culture), don't wait for them."

If you want an encouraging atmosphere, then be encouraging. If you want positive attitudes, then be positive. If you don't want gossip to run rampid in your ministry, then don't gossip. If you hate when people slice and dice each other in the name of leadership, then don't do it yourself.

Anyway, my time with Jeanne was off-the-chart. She's the real deal. In fact, the last night we had a Q&A time that started at 10 p.m. (yes, p.m.). She said she would stay up as long as there were four of us. She hung in there until 6:30 a.m. Needless to say, she is passionate about raising up and speaking life into youth pastors.

The moment of "sensing" that I will never forget is when we were talking one-on-one and I was giving some general background on my life and ministry. It was part of the bigger story, but in the midst of it I told her that my dad lives with me and struggles with being bi-polar. It was just part of the story, but at that moment she stopped me and looked into my eyes and asked me "How bad is it?" I was so taken back that I was like "How bad is what?" "His bi-polar?" I then went on to talk about how rough it's been since May. Friend, when she stopped me mid-sentence I was floored. What she said with those four words "How bad is it?", spoke volumes about who she is. She breathed into my life, "I heard you and I care".

I'm thankful to be a part of a church that encourages, allows time for and pays for us to receive the training to be the best that we can be. Thanks SMT.