The Uncommon Leader Podcast
This podcast is for individuals who are ready to engage their heart, mind and soul in growing themselves and others to:Think positively, Live healthy, Build faith, Read more, Stay strong, Work hard, Network well, Worry less, Love always… AND Lead Uncommonly! In a fun interview format I will be engaging leaders from various walks of life who have a great story to tell and experience or have experienced similar challenges that we face every day. We will banter about relevant topics in Leadership through fun conversation and dialogue. We will examine current subjects and events and introduce simple, yet impactful steps you can take to make a difference… all in less than the time of your commute, your lunch, your workout or your walk to 10,000 steps a day! I might even sneak in some solo podcasts on those topics that I encounter with my coaching and consulting clients.
The Uncommon Leader Podcast
Empowering the Next Generation: JoJo Gallagher on Marriage, Ministry, and Youth Leadership
What does it take to guide and support the next generation in a world of changing values and fleeting authority figures? Join us as Joseph "Jojo" Gallagher returns for his third inspiring episode on the Uncommon Leader Podcast. Joseph opens up about his recent life changes, including his marriage to Amy and his transition from van life to a new home, all while embracing a new role with Boulder Valley Young Life. He shares invaluable lessons from his journey, delving into the challenges and joys of training leaders in youth ministry. Joseph's heartfelt stories and experiences shed light on the importance of engaging both students and parents, and the transformative power of committed relationships and supportive communities.
Discover how Joseph and Amy's marriage has not only enriched their personal lives but also their spiritual growth, adding depth and meaning to their work in youth ministry. Joseph discusses the mutual support and intentional living that have helped them grow as individuals and as a couple. He also emphasizes the significance of divine intervention in shaping their paths and how these experiences have humbled them. In this heartfelt conversation, Joseph touches on the shared journey of marriage and how it refines and uplifts both partners, offering listeners a glimpse into the profound impact of committed relationships.
In addition to his personal growth, Joseph dives into his dedication to serving youth in challenging environments. From becoming a lunch monitor to organizing summer camps, he highlights the importance of creating safe, welcoming spaces for middle and high schoolers. Joseph also shares the critical role of volunteers in Boulder Valley Young Life, illustrating the impact of consistent presence and genuine service in school communities. He calls on listeners to partner in this impactful work through financial contributions, prayer, or direct involvement in their own communities, emphasizing the eternal impact of changing even one life. Joseph's insights and stories provide actionable encouragements for embracing discipleship and creating supportive environments for youth.
Want an opportunity to support Joseph's ministry? Donate before August 31, 2024 and I will match your donation dollar for dollar! Here is how:
- Go to https://giving.younglife.org
- Select your amount
- Search CO212 and select "Boulder Valley" when it pops up
- Leave account designation as "Operating"
- Type "JoJo Gallagher" in the sponsoring field
- Complete payment details
Or, to give by check:
- Make out check to Boulder Valley Young Life
- Write "JoJo Gallagher" in the memo line
- Mail to PO Box 3341, Boulder, CO, 80307
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Did you know that many of the things that I discuss on the Uncommon Leader Podcast are subjects that I coach other leaders and organizations ? If you would be interested in having me discuss 1:1 or group coaching with you, or know someone who is looking to move from Underperforming to Uncommon in their business or life, I would love to chat with you. Click this link to set up a FREE CALL to discuss how coaching might benefit you and your team)
Until next time, Go and Grow Champions!!
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The places that middle schoolers and high schoolers can meet to be safe, to be seen, to be acknowledged and to have good influence around are very limited and every Friday night we provide an environment and a local home to play games, to sing songs, to do silly skits.
Speaker 2:Hey, uncommon Leaders, welcome back. This is the Uncommon Leader Podcast and I'm your host, john Gallagher. Today I've got the unique pleasure of interviewing a very special guest to me. It's my son, joseph, also known as Jojo Gallagher. This is Joseph's third time on the podcast and each time he comes on he brings a richer and more inspiring conversation to the listeners on the podcast. And each time he comes on he brings a richer and more inspiring conversation to the listeners.
Speaker 2:Over the past year, joseph has been on a whirlwind journey. He got married, he started a new role with Boulder Valley Young Life and he moved into a new home after living in a van on purpose. Today, we'll hear from him about the growth that he's experienced on that journey. I'll be asking Joseph about his work in encouraging and training leaders who guide middle and high school students, and we'll talk about the challenges he faces, from navigating inconsistencies in authority figures to engaging students and parents in meaningful ways. As a proud father, I can't wait for you to hear this heartfelt discussion. You'll hear actionable encouragements for embracing discipleship, a vision for creating supportive environments for youth and ways you might contribute to his mission. So listen all the way through to the end and find out how you might help. Let's get started, joseph Gallagher. All right, I know everybody knows you as Jojo out there in Boulder, colorado, but I'm going to stick with Joseph as I go through the interview today. Welcome back to the Uncommon Leader Podcast, son. How are you doing?
Speaker 1:I'm doing good. I am here a couple hours behind you in Boulder, colorado, with my lovely wife who is doing grad student emails right in front of me. So we're having a slow, warm day here in Boulder, so I'm just excited to be here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, excellent, as I was recording this. Certainly we're going through a heat wave everywhere, I can think, and all the different things that are going on. But, yeah, that's one of the big changes since at least you're last on live, which was three years ago, and then I had you on again right after you got married and had your sermon on there, in terms of some of the passion in your faith. But this is the third time you've been a guest on the Uncommon Leader podcast. I have robes for those who end up on five times, so become part of the five timer club as you go forward, but you're the first. You're the second person with three appearances, excited to get a chance to chat with you today, joseph, and I want to start off with this just like that. It's been a while since we've had you on. You mentioned your wife there, amy. What's been going on in your life the past couple of years since you were on live on the podcast?
Speaker 1:Yeah was. It was definitely the the first time I was on the podcast there was no idea of a wife in sight, so that was a very, very fast transition. Very there's a lot of people I haven't talked to in a small group together for a year and we got to dating and just asked a lot of good questions and had a lot of good people around us. So engagement was only six months after that and marriage was only five and that's a celebratory one-year dating anniversary when we were married and that's a celebratory one-year dating anniversary when we were married. So when you do it like that, it's easy to have a quick change over the past couple years, when you do a big moment like that and I do not regret it one bit, I don't believe everyone should get married like that but when you have people around you that you just trust that life into you, that won't flatter you, that will call you on your crap it uh makes it really, really easy to have moments like that happen. But that is also, uh, one of the things I was doing while I was getting married.
Speaker 1:Um, like in the engagement process, I was also starting a new job. I became an associate for Boulder Valley Young Life. And Young Life is a nonprofit that is a Christian organization that goes into public schools and is essentially a Christian big brother program. It is my job to meet kids where they're at, whether they're Christian or not, and just influence them with stories and experiences from my life and hopefully they get to experience the gospel through our words and our actions. So that is primarily what we do. I mean, our motto is meet kids where they're at. So that's another thing. So new job, new wife, new home. I can't remember if I was living in a van last time I talked. I'm not living in a car anymore, so a house came with the deal. So I'm, I'm looking, I'm looking like I've really upgraded since the last time.
Speaker 2:Uh, your followers have, I think. I think that's so awesome and, joseph, I've. I've often read that the three most stressful things you'll do in your life are start a new job, move into a new home and get married, and so you've managed to accomplish all three in the past couple years since we last chatted. How have you handled that, joseph? How have you grown, both personally and spiritually, over the last couple of years?
Speaker 1:Yeah, um, I'm definitely a lot more humble, I would hope to say um that is.
Speaker 1:That is my desire to be more humble, because I think I was a little hard-headed. When I last spoke to you on this, I was young and eager, I was 22. And I don't know. The world was at my fingertips and I thought I could conquer anything by my own strength and wit and charm and charisma. And I never would have said that about myself. But in hindsight it becomes more sober when you recognize oh, I really was just not so smart, pretty arrogant person and to have all these things happen, there's nothing out of my doing that I could possibly boast in. There's nothing that I could have said like I did it by myself.
Speaker 1:I built this whole story by myself. Everything happened out of the sovereignty of a Lord that cares for me and loves me. Like meeting my wife happened in a coffee shop in Boulder, colorado, where there is not a lot of Christians, and I met a very, very godly woman that loves Jesus and happened to think I was fine. So that was purely by the sovereignty of the Lord. When I was looking everywhere for a job that fit my calling, my giftings, my passions, my burdens, it wasn't from me going on Indeed or hitting the newspapers and seeing what jobs are posted. It was a friend inviting me to come to a banquet where they were hiring a position for my job.
Speaker 1:And when it comes to, yeah, just all the different things that I could ever say in Boulder, colorado, I could probably write a long thesis about how there's nothing I've done. That is anything am I doing. It is literally the, the supernatural that has really got me through this. So, yeah, that's when I say that I'm more humble, it's just a greater understanding that there's literally nothing I could really boast in myself that all these things that before me have been here because of me, nothing I could have done.
Speaker 2:I think it's certainly a measure of the power of prayer, because I know that your mother and I often prayed those nights. You were in the van for your safety then and that you'd be able to find a home that was more secure, and I know you chose to live in that van. That was something that was kind of an experience. I know you chose to live in that van. That was a. That was something that was kind of an experience for you, almost like your Europe trip. So that's not a, it's not something that you necessarily had to do, if you will, but it's something that you wanted to experience.
Speaker 2:Um that still doesn't make it any less concerning for your parents making sure you're okay, and I'm sure you've got some stories from that. Maybe we won't focus there, but let's focus, as you talked about how powerful that marriage milestone was for you. How has marriage impacted your life, both challenging and rewarding in terms of what's there?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a really good question about challenging. So I am going on eight months of marriage, so very exciting. Uh, I don't really believe in honeymoon phases. That's why the first thing that, uh, I've really thought about is that amy and I don't really believe in that. We are both pretty, um to the point, like marriage is a job. Um, we delight in each other and we, we love each other very well, but, uh, this is not for us. Um, this is something that we get to share with others.
Speaker 1:Um, if marriage was for us, then I don't think that. Uh, yeah, I don't think that we would be doing our jobs the way we do our jobs. We wouldn't be going to our church the way we go to our church. We wouldn't be. You know, amy wouldn't be going to school the way that she's going to school right now.
Speaker 1:Like, everything we do is an opportunity to share what we were made to be, and because I'm with Amy and because she's with me, we get to be better versions of ourselves, because we have another person that gets to sharpen us, I guess, to call each other out, that gets to magnify our gifts. Yeah, so I think that eight months of marriage have been, with that perspective actually really hard. Um, like it is something that when you're very intentional about it, um, you really get to see who you are and what kind of leadership styles that you have as a man, and amy gets to see who she is and what kind of qualities that she has as a woman, and like with all those, like with that as our forefront. It is it. It is very difficult, but does not mean it is not the greatest, most fun thing. I've ever said yes, to do so.
Speaker 2:How have you balanced some of the you know, the other things, the friendships that you may have, uh, the work, uh, and and differently? What are a couple? What are a couple of specific intentional disciplines that you have to ensure that you work your marriage the way you're talking about it, and it could be tips for others as to how they do it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think the first part about that with handling the marriage and ministry and work balance is clear expectations that are communicated. Amy knew what she was signing up for and I didn't uh try to bait and switch her with something else. I didn't try to uh tell her it was gonna be not that stressful. I didn't try to tell her that uh, yeah, but you're gonna get the full brunt of my time. Like I was not being switcher.
Speaker 1:Uh, it was from the very beginning like this is gonna be a hard job. Like my job has me traveling. Like just recently I went to canada for three weeks straight and that was something that we clearly communicated very, very early on um, where we prepared ourselves ahead of time, where I said, amy, I'd have to go wash dishes in Canada, something that not everybody has to do, but that is what I was called to do and because of good communication and clear expectations and also belief in each other's callings, it is something that makes it so much easier. If Amy didn't believe in me and what I'm doing at young life and didn't believe this is exactly what god made me to do, then this would be a lot harder conversation. This would be a lot harder to uh, you know, support, enable one another to do exactly what we were called to do.
Speaker 1:Um, and the same thing with amy and her being a full-time grad student and all the expectations that come from that, and the hours and the late nights and assignments and frustrations with the system and whatever it might be. If that was not the thing that I believed that God was calling her to do, and having those expectations clearly laid out to me, it'd be very, very hard for me to support her and enable her to do the very thing God was calling her to do. So that's, uh, that clear communication that that expectation is. It's a super glue in our marriage and also consistent date nights oh, there you go.
Speaker 2:That's what I wanted to hear yeah, let's say never.
Speaker 1:I heard from a lot of wise people never stop dating your wife, and I think even you and mom really led that up very well. Uh, you guys were very affectionate and very much went on date nights and that was something I held onto. So Amy and I do weekly date nights, so Very cool.
Speaker 2:Well, I think that's pretty powerful. You know, just on the front end, that open communication right up front so that there aren't any surprises or, you know, in essence trying to change somebody once you get into marriage. That's advice not just for young people, but for those who are even you know, maybe older and thinking about getting married as well as get. Make sure we understand those things up front. And I agree, date night is is another important.
Speaker 1:I even say one more thing about it is we did something that was unconventional about clearly laying out expectations is we went through premarital before we got engaged. That was something that we valued from the very, very beginning, and I know that's not something that's very common, but I see the tide shifting for young dating couples that it is a lot harder to break off an engagement. It is not fun. It is not fun to call off a wedding, and Amy and I knew that and, more than anything, we wanted to be aligned. We wanted to know that this person is going to enable me to do better what God has called me to do, and I want to be the person to enable her to do better what God is calling her to do.
Speaker 1:Family baggage uh, you know desires get passions. You know what hill am I gonna die on? What? What hill are you gonna die on? You know politics, finances, you know is. You know your religion actually your life is, or is it just something that you want to be a part of your life? Is it something that you feel like you know? Is this actually something that you want to do or you just like you know something that you know that this is what's meant to do or that you're meant to do. So I think that's another thing I like to talk about, that Cause I think even that foundation makes this past eight months that much more fruitful and that much more just, intentional.
Speaker 2:So even going through the counseling prior to becoming engaged, so that you know very, very cool we're going to come back with that idea.
Speaker 1:By the way, had a lot of crazy friends. Do it first.
Speaker 2:Hey, the people you hang around with. If you remember that story when you were young, I told you you're the average of the five people you hang around with the most. So when you have friends that are there to hold you accountable as well, you need that. Everybody needs that in your life. Let's switch over to kind of your career then, as well as a Christian big brother, if you will, in terms of working for Young Life as an associate.
Speaker 1:What's a typical day like for you as a Christian big brother? Yeah, so, a Christian big brother, that's a. It's a. It's a fun, like you know, airplane view of what I, what it feels like what I do. My job has enabled me to do some of the coolest things that I've always wanted to do but felt like I was never able to do, which is go and volunteer at my local public school. So that is something that I like to do day in and day out in North Boulder.
Speaker 1:So in Boulder, colorado, there's a school called Centennial Middle School that I'm specifically assigned to be like hey, I want to build relationships in this school. So, in order to build relationships with the school, it's more than just showing up and saying how passionate I am for middle schoolers. It's actually leading out an action and saying hey, I not only care about middle schoolers that are inside the school, I also want to serve your school. I want to be a part of the foundation of the school. So what I did was I met with the principals and said hey, how can I be as plugged in as humanly possible as a community member of this environment? I say I work for Young Life. I'm not trying to build a Young Life empire inside of your school. I'm actually just trying to serve your school and be a part of the community just like anybody else, and what they did was they allowed me to lunch monitor, they allowed me to chaperone dances, they encouraged me to become a substitute teacher, so now I get to be in there for full days in classrooms. They've offered me to be a para, which is like a para educator, somebody that literally helps inside the classrooms with students that need more help, that need more attention, that need, you know, that might get missed in a 30-person classroom, like those things that I do as a Christian big brother really just come as regular things that everyone else can do. Uh, young Life just enables me to do that in a way where it gets become, it becomes a part of my nine to five. Uh, so that's one example. Uh, we'd love to throw events.
Speaker 1:Uh, the biggest thing about today's middle schoolers and high schoolers is that the places that they can meet in a, in a safe place, point. The places that middle schoolers and high schoolers can meet to be safe, to be seen, to be acknowledged and, you know, to have good influence around, are very limited, and every friday night we provide an environment and a local home, uh, to play games, to sing songs, to do silly skits, and not just as people that try to be like them. You know, I'm not trying to pretend I'm a middle schooler, that I understand them. Uh, I'm somebody that is older than them and wants to say like, hey, I want to be a part of your life, not because you know of some sort of agenda, like I want to be a part of your life because I care about you, because I see you for who you really are, even though no one else might see who you are. And in those environments, just showing that, in those environments, earning those rights to be heard from them, being able to be the one that they can laugh the hardest with, being the one that they can cry the most with, you know, being the ones that they know that I won't let them down because of the consistency that I've been in their life. So that's a little bit of a bird's eye view. And also, we get a summer camp with these kids.
Speaker 1:When I went to Canada, I was helping run. I was helping run a camp up there. It was on a random island in the middle of like nowhere off the East coast of British Columbia and it was like orcas and seals and just crazy middle of nowhere town with no you know garbage company to pick up your trash. You had to boat all your food in, you had to vote all the campers in and I was there, uh, helping other leaders, other volunteers, create moments with kids to where they can go and have the best week of their lives and be able to have those moments created. So yeah, it's. It seems like a silly job but it's the greatest job I could ever do.
Speaker 2:Not even close to silly. I know that. Creating moments with kids, uh, in a, in a world that is uh unchurched, uh in in the space that you're in, uh, that is unchurched, and again being someone in their life look that I. I think there's so much need. I often use the term leadership sad in our country, in our communities, in our homes, in our schools and in our churches as well. But the work that you're doing, joseph, is so important and I know it's not easy as well. What are some of the biggest challenges you faced, not just in the job itself, but kind of working with teenagers today? What are some of the biggest challenges you faced, not just in the job itself, but kind of working with teenagers today. What are?
Speaker 1:the big challenges. Yeah, I think one of the biggest challenges is that authority right now and from the perspective of kids, is not consistent, that there's a lot of inconsistencies from adults nowadays saying like, hey, I want to show up for you, or like even inconsistencies in friendships. Saying like, hey, like I love you no matter what you know, like I'm sure a lot of kids have heard that. I'm sure kids have heard, hey, I'm never going to leave you. Hey, no matter what you do, I'll never look at you different. That is one of the greatest inconsistencies that kids have received, because from the world, that might be something that they actually want to follow through on, but that is not what kids are receiving, whether that's from their parents, from their teachers, from their best friends, from their girlfriend, their boyfriend, from social medias, from influencers, from influencers all these different people that say who they are is exactly. You know that, those kinds of consistencies that people should be entitled to. You should be entitled to know that you are loved, no matter what. You should be entitled to knowing that you are truly enough on who you are and how God made you. But kids are not receiving that and that's a challenge. I think another challenge is that people just have this perspective that any way is the right way, any way is the true way, and that is one of the most damaging perspectives that anyone can do. Like your truth is your truth, my truth is my truth. It is actually one of the most people think it's a unifying perspective and that's what kids are latching onto. Saying my truth is my truth, your truth is your truth. It is the most divisive, isolating perspective that a kid could ever have. So when I walk up to a kid and saying, hey, that thing that you're latching onto that social media platform, that influencer, that friend, that's not good for you. This truth that they are trying to feed to you, saying that your truth is your truth, that everything that you feel is exactly the way it is, that is one of the most isolating things that kids are experiencing and it's working. Kids are actually feeling like my truth is my truth. So therefore, you can't tell me otherwise. It is.
Speaker 1:Kids are more isolated. Kids are more confused about their identity. Not just even talking about gender identity, not even just talking about kids are just confused about if they're even valuable enough. Kids are even confused if you know. Unconditional love is something that could ever exist. And that's where my team, my volunteers, are going into these public schools and saying, hey, like, we have a different story. We have the way to experience true identity, true fulfillment, true unconditional love, no matter who you are the very thing they want to experience. But this crazy movement of like you do you is absolutely taking this country by storm and is terrifying.
Speaker 1:I think another really hard thing is just the support of parents. It's really really hard when you have a town like Boulder, colorado. It is tied for one of the least church, least religious towns in the country. So when you are a religious person saying hey, like, hello, parent of middle schooler, I really want to speak life into your kid. Parents are like why would I ever let that happen? I aren't't. Am I not enough for my kid? Am I not leading them well enough? Am I not uh enough to for these kids to be better off one day? So I think parent buy-in is really difficult.
Speaker 1:Parents, I don't know, and the information age parents are learning more and more about how to take care of their kids, how to, you know, feed them better, how kids can be like, more active, how kids can, you know, have better education and all these different things. And these parents are so informed yet so insecure by other people saying, hey, I want to speak life into your kid because they feel lost. And it's almost like a fight for authority, a fight for feel lost. And it's almost like a fight for authority, a fight for influence in your kid's life. And even though it's not the greatest pushback, it's really difficult when I tell a parent like, hey, can we help you in this? And there's a lot of insecurity in that sometimes. So it's a difficulty in our town it's really hard. A lot of parents are not that way. A lot of parents are saying please come, please share, please speak into my kid's life. I don't know how, but that's not the story for all the parents and it can be very very difficult.
Speaker 2:Hey, listeners, I want to take a quick moment to share something special with you. Many of the topics and discussions we have on this podcast are areas where I provide coaching and consulting services for individuals and organizations. If you've been inspired by our conversation and are seeking a catalyst for change in your own life or within your team, I invite you to visit coachjohngallaghercom forward slash free call to sign up for a free coaching call with me. It's an opportunity for us to connect, discuss your unique challenges and explore how coaching or consulting can benefit you and your team. Okay, let's get back to the show.
Speaker 2:You're working with another tough leadership position. So one is dealing with societal norms that exist today that you're having to overcome with these kids their feeling of worthiness or lack of worthiness, if you want to call it that and certainly the challenge with how parents in homes that may be broken as well are leading. But you're also responsible for not only influencing them, but influencing a group of volunteers, which is one of the toughest jobs as a leader. So how do you influence and equip your team of volunteers to keep them inspired and motivated to help out?
Speaker 1:yeah, that's something that I feel like you know is the hardest part of the job and it's my favorite part of the job. Um, right now, boulder valley young life has 29 volunteers from mainly college age students and a couple post-college kids, but that's ranging from people that influence from or that are leaders for sixth graders to 12th graders. About four of them are full-time staff and the rest are volunteer on their own accord. They're not getting paid to be there. They're committing borderline up to 10 hours a week just to invest into the lives of kids. They're the ones that are going into the school to be lunch monitors. They're the ones that go and take the free time when they're not in class to go to football games and volleyball games. They are the boots on the ground. They are the scaffolding of this ministry and we could not be who we are without them. So not investing into these leaders would be detrimental and honestly foolish. So that is probably one of the biggest parts of my work week is investing into the leaders that I have.
Speaker 1:Me specifically, I have five team members that are in North Boulder working at Centennial Middle School. We have three girls and two guys, and I'm one of those guys actually, um, and it is my job and goal to enable them to have vision, have purpose and to be equipped to do the ministry Well. Uh, I could easily just say, go and do it. Here's the pamphlet. But that is not at all how we do it. I actually specifically show up and do contact work, contact work being, uh, going to schools, going to games and I go and do it with them. Uh, there's not a time where, if I'm not able to be there, uh, how, let me reverse that? Um, if I'm able to be in the trenches with them, I'm going to be there with them. If there's an opportunity to go to a grocery market before school where all the kids are hanging out at it, is my job to be right there with them, not as somebody leading the way, but as somebody that's encouraging to go and take the bold steps. Actually, a lot of the times, what I do is I encourage the conversations, then I walk away, and it's probably one of the hardest parts of the conversation, because I know that I could sit there and have, you know, make kids laugh. I know the way God made me, I know I'm goofy and I know it's easy to grab attention, but that's not my job. It's my job to go and encourage these leaders to go out.
Speaker 1:We also do trainings. One of my financial donors, tom Carmazzi, who's a friend of yours I'm not sure if he's been on the podcast but he should be because he's an amazing man he's even somebody that offered to train our kids, train our leaders, and I was able to have seven volunteers from our team come over and he was able to go and coach them and equip them to be better leaders, to be more confident in who they are and more enabled to go and do the ministry for them, so that be able to cast vision, to be able to see beyond whatever they're being fed, just as the bare minimum of a volunteer, uh, to actually find out who they are and who God made them to be, and to go do that to the best of their ability. And trainings like that. We do monthly leadership meetings where we have a Thursday night once a month where we go and we don't just go straight into business, we go into worship, we go into time of breaking bread, we go into moments where we get to talk about the hardest parts about ministry. We get to go, then celebrate the best parts of ministry and we get to go and have camaraderie like that.
Speaker 1:Another way how I train these leaders is I do a weekly Bible study with all the men volunteers at Young Life Every week. It's not over Zoom, not over any other type of platform Zoom, not over, you know, any other type of platform, not over phone call. We all sit in a circle in a room and we have weekly Bible study where we get to not only talk about leadership and the hardships that are happening, but we get to unpack the Bible and equip them to be better, not just hearers but doers of the word word. So I feel like the more and more that you even ask me about. But I'm like man. I feel like my job is not really doing as much, just like being with kids, but my job is really just equipping leaders to go and do the job that I wish I could do forever you're growing champions, j Joseph, no doubt about it.
Speaker 2:That is so cool, so proud of you to think of what you're doing in that space and what you've learned and, to your point, not even consciously if you will aware of it all the time. And then the other side of that is you know that you're having impact on the lives of our youth today, the young lives that's so important for our futures. Is there a specific story, maybe, of a young life, brother or sister, that you have been able to impact? Or you've seen a story where your leadership has impacted, without sharing anything, necessarily confidential, but that's really impacted you in some way that you worked with?
Speaker 1:Actually, it's funny, I won't tell you specifically a story from Young Life, but it was the relationship that made me know that Young Life was the very thing I was made to do. And I'll tell you about my friend Trevor, who you got to meet at our wedding. And I'll tell you about my friend Trevor, who you got to meet at our wedding, and I could probably get teary-eyed about Trevor. He is my favorite kid in the world. He was not a Young Life kid. He did not come from a church background. The only background that we both lined on was climbing. He was a math and physics double major at 19 and is currently he's 20 and going to be graduating this upcoming fall. Brilliant kid.
Speaker 1:The only three things that he worships is spaceships, climbing and Taylor Swift Things that I'm like. I have one. I have one commonality with him and I knew it was that week that I praying like Lord, give me somebody that I can invest in, somebody that I can be a part of their life with. I met Trevor. I'm like, I believe, even though he's the most opposite person in the world of me, I know that I can use this platform of climbing to get to know him, to get to know him and we got to talk and complain about the same climbing route and we started becoming friends and, uh, he asked me to go climb outside with him and I earned that right to be heard. Uh, I earned that right because of the way we hung out, because of the way that I didn't care that he was listening to Taylor Swift when he was climbing, even though I poked fun at him. Uh, he didn't feel like I was going to judge him because in his free time, all he does is watch spaceships take off and his dream job is to work for Elon Musk and all he wants to do is build spaceships and send people to the moon and all these different things. Most people would meet him with aversion. Most people met him with, uh, you know the idea that he's not the person for them, but I saw him for who he was uh, as man, the image of the Lord and somebody that I wanted to get to know. And Trevor is not a Christian yet, uh, but as I continue to invite him into my life, I continue to share my story.
Speaker 1:I got to share my story with him about me beginning to date Amy, um, and how I'm not going to date her like the rest of the world, but I want to date her the way that God called me to date her. And he was curious and he didn't understand it because he's a child of divorce and he's only dated one girl. And he didn't understand because all he did was fight the entire time. He didn't understand what unconditional love meant. I remember I was there when I was dating Amy and he had his first breakup with his first girlfriend and I remember sitting on a porch at midnight in front of the climbing gym as he was weeping in my arms saying she said she was going to love me forever and I was able to hold him and be like dude. Let me teach you what real unconditional love was. And I got to tell him all about Jesus and he was very intrigued. He did not accept Jesus that night, but he recognized that whoever Jesus you know he heard about, he recognized that he had an opportunity to know who Jesus was through me.
Speaker 1:And as we started doing crazier climbing events, as I started to invite him to meet my friends, I invited him to have dinner. It was the first time I remember, the first time I ever invited him to do something that was not climbing related, and he was very surprised that I even wanted him to be a part of that, invite him to be a part of a pancake breakfast with all my other friends, and he got to be introduced to my friends and then he literally got adopted into our community group. And he got adopted into coming to Sunday night poker nights every week with all my church friends and I just saw him slowly but surely get ingrained into my life. There was not a day where I didn't think about, hey, I should reach out to Trevor. There's not a day where, you know, man, how can I have more conversations with Trevor about the gospel, gospel, how can I share more of my life?
Speaker 1:And it literally culminated to this moment where I'm like, wow, trevor's not just a kid that I just ran into at the climbing gym, he's not just my climbing buddy, he's not just somebody I can go and perform this hobby with. He is literally a part of my life now. Uh, so much so to where he was a groomsman at my wedding, so much so that he is somebody that I reach out to as much as possible. He was the person that I invited to into my house when it was just Amy and I and our first Christmas he came in and had Christmas lunch with us and watched movies with us and played games and he brought gifts and I recognized, before I even worked for Young Life, that is the very thing I wanted to do and when I shared that story about Trevor and how I wanted like he was the relationship that I recognize. It's deeper than just invite your friend to church. It's deeper than just, you know, just share the gospel and walk away. It's literally find somebody who doesn't know Jesus and invite them in. And yeah, and because of that story, I really think that's why people said you should work for Young Life. So because that's what we do every day.
Speaker 1:So right now, as I'm building a new ministry and as I'm building relationships, that is a story that I hope to remodel, and not just in me. I hope my leaders get to remodel that story. I hope my leaders get to invite kids into their life, kids that don't ever understand why this person would ever want to hang out with me. Yet they continue to pursue them. Yet they continue to show up to their games. Yet they continue to ask them about what's going on. That continue to be there when drama and dating issues pop up, that this one person just consistently shows up, no matter what. I hope to remodel that story, uh, with my leaders. I hope they get to have their own travers, I hope they get to have their own experiences like that and love that really do.
Speaker 2:I mean, I think there's a, there's a spot for folks who really work that and stick with it that long, that are discipling to others, knowing that the fruit ultimately comes from God. Who's going to change the hearts? But you continue to be persistent and do as you're told to make disciples and to fish for men, as you are doing in terms of some of those things, or climb with them or whatever it is it takes for you to do that to get in their lives. Joseph, your position with Young Life is not an easy one, both in the work that you do, the interactions that you have, but also there's a significant personal fundraising component where you have to raise most of your salary on your own to pay for the job that you choose to do. You know how do you approach that side of of your work, or your job as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, um, approaching giving was something that was very uncomfortable for me at first, uh, especially in, like college, uh, a lot of like because of the story that I'm talking about. Like a transaction, like an unconditional gift, uh was something that didn't make sense until I met Jesus. That there was a no strings attached, something like, hey, I just want to bless you. That didn't make sense to me, so giving was something that was very weird to me for a very, very long time, until I had a lot of wise people step into my life and tell me what giving actually meant, what generosity actually meant. And it was a lot of really wise people that taught me that, as I'm inviting people to help me raise my salary for my thing, that I'm called to do this is not me begging and pleading on my knees saying please make sure I don't go hungry, please make sure I have a roof over my head. It's actually like me pleading saying, hey, look at the work that's happening, you know, look at what could possibly happen if you were able to support me to do this job full time. Like, look at this climate of students that we are seeing, of suicide rates being higher than ever, of gender identity being the foretalk of every single conversation in education, because kids have no idea who they are, who they were made to be. When you think about all these struggles of kids being more isolated, more sucked into their phones and this information age of having like eight to 10 hours of screen time every day, of just consuming what the world wants them to eat, Just being blind sheep in this world, I'm like how much more could this world be impacted if you were able to support people like me, support movements like Young Life, to support your local school, to go and be a volunteer. If I was just on the horn to make money and to get money into my pocket, I think the job would be a lot easier. I know I think I can go to college game day and put a Venmo on my like a Venmo scan card and put it on the TV and I can make money easily. There's a lot of ways, but that is not the way I will accept to fundraise.
Speaker 1:The way I fundraise is look at this opportunity to part with the movements that God is that. Look at the opportunities to partner with the movements that God is doing today, you know. Look at the opportunity to enable kids to experience life for the very first time, even if my young life chapter in Boulder Valley, young life, even if we have only one kid come to know Jesus, even if we only have one kid, that has an eternal impact. I mean, one life for eternity. Uh, that's some God, that's some kingdom math. Uh, when you think about one eternal impact, that is that is priceless. Um, I would, I would throw it all away just for that. You know, that is, that is. That is a job well done.
Speaker 1:But as as God has put the vision on my heart to see not just one but many lives be impacted, it is easy to share that vision and say, hey, please, support me, please, not just in finances, please support me in prayer. Hey, support me by going into your own local public school, whether you're in Ohio, whether in Myrtle Beach, south Carolina, whether in California. How about you go and meet some kid where they're at and go be the most consistent friend they've ever had in their life and go share the good news with them. So when I look at finances, I look at it as a tool to enable me to go and do my dream job. But if the goal was just raise money, if the goal was just get this task off my list of raising my finances. It would be a lot more shallow, but that's not the way I look at it. I look at it as an eternal impact that you could possibly invest into. So that's the way I go about it, and the biggest way.
Speaker 1:How I do it right now is I go to my best friends. I go to the people that have known me for years. I go to the people that are in my local church. I could easily go to people that have a lot more resources, people that you know in their retirement, people that you know have money to give and don't have the ability to go and do it themselves. I could easily go to them first, but I go to the people first that I know are going to be praying for me. The people that know can tap me on the shoulder and say, hey, how's the ministry, how's the good work? And those are the people that I called on first. Uh, it's kind of funny.
Speaker 1:All, all three of my accountability brothers. The people that I meet with weekly are my biggest financial donors at all. Like they, they are the biggest financial donors that I have in young life, and these are young, 26, 25 and 24 year old men that only want to see me do the good work. And if people are saying that I don't have enough to give uh, I don't have, I don't believe in something well enough to give, you know, a 10th of my income to my best friend, uh, to go and do the good work, I mean, man, you should have a conversation with these guys, because they believe in the work that's happening in Boulder and all they they want to do is see it come forth. So, yeah, that is how I go about raising finances and I think it doesn't matter if you don't sign up. It does not matter to me, unless you believe and want to partner in the burden that I am pursuing here in Boulder Valley.
Speaker 2:Well, Joseph, I appreciate that call to action, both from a financial support standpoint I'm going to put a link in the show notes that allows folks who are moved to make a donation because of the kingdom math, because of the kingdom impact that you're having in your work. To me, that is the epitome of uncommon in terms of what's going on but also calling them to action, to pray for you and also to get engaged to serve as well in their communities. If that's one way they can do that, there's three different ways you can call them to action. I think it's a perfect way to end and let me just throw it out there because I feel moved to say it right now. God's been putting it on my heart as you talk to say you know, whatever contributions you get as a result of listening to the Uncommon Leader podcast, I'm going to go and match it dollar for dollar. So I'm going to put folks out there to challenge me in my giving as well and make it difficult and uncommon and uncomfortable for me to be a part of that.
Speaker 2:I'm calling on the Uncommon Leader podcast listeners. I don't do that often, I don't ask for much on the show, but if it's something that moves you to impact our young, our youth sixth grade to twelfth grade in this world. I encourage you to go out there and do that, so we'll make a way. Joseph, we'll be able to identify that and make that happen. So, proud of what you've done, not just because of your son, but because of the person and the godly leader that you are and that you are becoming as well, Joseph, I wish you nothing but the best. I'm going to give you the last word. Is there any advice that you would have for other leaders who are considering kind of working in a ministry space? I'll let you finish it off today.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if there's anything that I could possibly impart. I am 25 years old, I have been royally messing up for a long time and there's not a lot of profound things that I've said from realization. It is all from people that have spoken into me. Uh, it is all from people that have seen the value in me. So I came to a realization when I was gone in Canada that discipleship is priceless, or you could even input, input.
Speaker 1:Shepherding is priceless. I'm a firm believer that to be shepherded and to then shepherd others is the most priceless thing you could ever encounter. Me being a disciple of men that I hope to be like is going to enable me to go and disciple other men, to go, be like me and to continue on and then them going and making disciples, and then them going and make disciples like. That is the great commission and the greatest investment you can ever make in your life is discipleship. I don't care if you have to go. I don't know what it takes to go be a disciple, but it's worth the struggle, it's worth the prayer, it's worth driving, it's worth the money to fly out, it's worth everything to go and be a disciple. It is priceless and that is what I've recognized. I would not be the man I am today if I was not first discipled by my pastors, if I was not first discipled by my coworkers, if I was not discipled by my parents, if I was not discipled by the people that saw value in me and because of what they did, how can I not share that with others? So, if that is a, if we're talking about more kingdom math that I was talking about, I believe that is one of the the core. If Jesus says, go forth and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that is the great commission to go to every corner, not just when I think about it.
Speaker 1:Trevor, he is my Judea and Samaria. If you don't understand that. He's the person that's least like me. He's the person that I least expected and therefore he's the one that I'm called to disciple. You know, and I hope one day that he gets to experience the same joy that I get to experience when I say Jesus is my Lord. And if that is not my mindset, then hey, I hope that people get to adopt that as well. So that is, that is my. That was my last thing. I'll leave you on, dad, Dad.
Speaker 2:All right, jojo. Thank you so much for being on the podcast for the third time, and I look forward to the fourth time and many more to come. Appreciate you and love you, dude.
Speaker 1:Love you too, Dad.
Speaker 2:And that wraps up another episode of the Uncommon Leader Podcast. Thanks for tuning in today. If you found value in this episode, I encourage you to share it with your friends, colleagues or anyone else who could benefit from the insights and inspiration we've shared. Also, if you have a moment, I'd greatly appreciate if you could leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback not only helps us to improve, but it also helps others discover the podcast and join our growing community of uncommon leaders. Until next time, go and grow champions.