enroute

For the last few weeks, I have been wrestling with two words that are used almost interchangeably in student ministries circles. The two words are found in the title - Impact vs Impart.

For many years in student ministries, I was really focused on the amount of impact that I had with students or people in the church. I really believed that this was the key to successful ministry. How much impact could my “talk” have? How much impact does our curriculum have? How much impact does that annual missions trip have? How much impact…

Here is where my wrestle comes in…I believe that in ministry there is a place for impact but I think that we (myself included mostly) put too much stake in the value of impact. Impact appears to have short term value, not that it can’t have long term value, but on a general standard, the majority of impact is short term. I think of it like this - when I am in a minor car accident, there is some impact with something else. Over time, I fix my car and the memory of that minor car accident isn’t at the forefront of my mind.

In ministry for example, we hear a great speaker and we are impacted only to forget what impacted us a few weeks later. We go on a retreat and our group experiences deep community only to struggle with each other 10 days later.

I believe that we, as youthworkers need to focus on a deeper and really more costly ministry focus and that is in regards to concept of imparting. Jesus made a mark on this world and especially those who followed Him because he imparted or “gave away” Himself to them. The disciples seem to be changed because they were able to watch Jesus and understand who He truly was in the good moments and the not-so-good moments.

To impart our lives to someone seems to have a long lasting effect on them and in return we have really given away something that is important to ourself which is simply us. To impact a group of people without ever imparting our lives to someone could simply mean that we have “entertained” them for the moment and that moment usually fades over time.

Maybe that is one of the reasons that God desires that we function in community with one another? I would love to hear your thoughts in regards to impact vs imparting —

- Matt