Personal Narrative: An Interview With A Youth Pastor

I sat down with Ryan Govig in order to interview him on his communication experience as the youth pastor of New Life Reformed Church. Even the beginning of Ryan’s educational background which launched him into his youth ministry career hinged upon his communication relations. Ryan was an average C-student majoring in business. In his spare time, he volunteered with the youth groups at New Life, but hadn’t intended to become a youth pastor himself. When the head youth pastor at his church decided to leave, Ryan’s peers recognized the potential he projected and encouraged him to apply for the position. Eleven years later, what started off as a simple word-of-mouth communication initiation has turned into a career intentionally focused around

Each of the board members on the Consistory act as contact people for their respective committees that they represent. Therefore, Ryan interacts with the Consistory member who represents the youth ministry committee branch whenever he wants to relay important news or request church funding for youth group expenses. This Consistory member then relays everything that Ryan emailed him about to the rest of the board at Consistory meetings. Ryan is technically not the superior of any employees in a monetary business-like sense, yet he strives to achieve a balance between being a leader and a relatable peer to the adult sponsors who volunteer for him. Though not on a regular basis Ryan tries to hold sponsor meetings. Three or four times each semester and also makes an effort to meet with each sponsor individually. During this meeting time, he treats his subordinates to a meal, encourages them in their personal and faith life as if he were holding a youth group session for his volunteers, and then goes through a list of business