My high school ministry is led by two people, myself and Melissa Brosch (in addition to a great team of interns and an administrative assistant). I interviewed with ten churches last year, and none of the others had this kind of leadership structure: two leaders with full-time salaries, benefits, equal authority, etc… Most churches would probably love to do this sort of thing but wouldn’t have the resources. Having this setup gives me the freedom to do things I otherwise wouldn’t be able to:
It frees me up to focus almost exclusively on the guys. I’m still a pastor to the whole group, but I’m not asked to do things that don’t come naturally (i.e. thinking like a woman). There’s just rarely a volunteer or part-time or “number two” person that can provide what a full-timer can. Imagine Mark Driscoll leading the Women’s Ministry at Mars Hill in Seattle… it just wouldn’t work. Would it?
It allows me to teach less and prepare more. So many pastors I know are teaching on Sundays and then trying to figure out what they’re going to say two days later (even if their topics are already laid out). It’s too much to ask of one person. Half the time pastors aren’t even pastors at all… they’re so busy coordinating events and doing other office work that they neglect the very things that they are called to do.
Over the next couple months I’m teaching on Sundays and Melissa is teaching on Wednesdays. We’ve got four other people on our high school staff that make all of this so, so, so much more exciting to be a part of. I’m so grateful that I’m not expected to be a Super Pastor every week!
ryanguard.net 
dude,
you should DEFINITELY read Mike Erre’s Death by Church. I’m in it right now and it talks about a lot of this stuff. Awesome. You still in Ohio?
“Death by Church” is definitely on my list of books I want to read- I just about snagged it before my trip out here actually.
Yeah I’m still in Ohio till the 2nd- loving the downtime!
This is another reason Project Hangout exists. A lot of churchs DO over extend the youth staff so Project Hangout can extend it’s time and resources to keep the pastors focused on their main gifts instead of stretched out over tons of things (mid sized churches especially). You do have a good thing going at Calvary! Keep leading and stretching them.
Wow. The leaders that developed that structure must be geniuses.
Yeah they’re pretty smart. It wouldn’t have happened without Michael Welles, Lois Chandler, Dave Mitchell, Josh Simpson, Mark Oestreicher, um… Gordon Kroeker, Renate Schnurr, and last but not least… the guy who lives in the bone yard.