#167: Elijah shares his journey to ministry

https://www.spreaker.com/episode/pastors-unfiltered-9-life-as-a-pastor-s-kid-with-elijah-beals-and-rachel-winfield--57033323 (Link to Previous Episode with Elijah)This week on Pastors Unfiltered, Tony and Pastor Brandon are joined by Elijah Beals to talk about his journey into vocational ministry and his new role as Venture Church’s Junior High Pastor.Elijah shares how he first felt called to ministry as a teenager, why he spent years saying “not yet” to ministry opportunities, and why finishing his master’s degree became an important part of preparing for what God had next. He also talks about studying business at the University of Washington, working in sports partnerships, serving with the UW Navigators, and having a career he genuinely loved before ultimately choosing to step away from it and pursue the calling he had felt since high school.They also address the obvious question: was working at his dad’s church always the plan? Elijah explains why it wasn’t, why he seriously considered opportunities at other churches, and what eventually changed his perspective about joining the team at Venture.Plus, there’s plenty of Pastors Unfiltered chaos along the way, including Mariners heartbreak, Dolly Parton, celebrity crushes, camper vans, Ezra and Nehemiah, youth ministry memories, and the return of a very questionable puppet named TJ.Timestamps0:00Welcome to Pastors Unfiltered0:40 The Mariners Sucked Brandon Back In1:36 Giving Away Tickets to an Incredible Mariners Game2:14 The “Spank and a Hug” Sermon3:17 Brandon’s New Bigfoot Hat4:07 Meet the New Broadcast Director5:01 Tony’s ADHD Medication5:23 Remembering Dolly Parton6:30 Favorite Dolly Parton Songs7:26 Bruce Willis Movies8:36 The Girls Started Their Own Podcast11:50 Why Most Podcasts Don’t Last12:35 Tony’s Seabrook Vacation13:36 Brandon Wants a Camper Van14:54 Brandon’s Goodreads Account15:14 Introducing Ruins to Revival16:08 The History Behind Ezra and Nehemiah17:39 Introducing Elijah Beals18:31 Elijah’s First Pastors Unfiltered Appearance19:49 The Story Behind Elijah Joining Venture Staff21:14 Why Elijah Turned the Job Down a Year Ago21:48 Finishing His Master’s Degree22:14 Feeling Called to Ministry for Years22:56 Why Education Mattered Before Ministry24:13 “You Never Feel Completely Ready”24:42 Brandon’s Own Journey Into Ministry25:45 Elijah’s Career in Sports Partnerships26:40 Looking Back at God’s Preparation27:27 The UW Navigators28:28 Bible Studies Inside Fraternities and Sororities29:22 Was Elijah Always Expected to Work for His Dad?30:15 Elijah’s Call to Ministry31:12 Telling Brandon for the First Time31:27 Brandon’s Response: “I Know”32:11 Tony’s Role in Elijah’s Discipleship33:00 Choosing the Call of God34:02 Coming Full Circle at Venture Seattle34:43 Experiencing Church Without Being “The Pastor’s Kid”35:05 Leaving a Job Elijah Loved35:49 A Career He Could Have Stayed in Forever37:20 The Importance of Youth Pastors38:15 Why Parents Need Great Youth Leaders39:42 Looking Back on Youth Ministry40:06 The Next Generation of Venture Youth Ministry41:12 Five Generations of Youth Pastors41:55 Tyrone Is Now Tony’s Boss42:49 Chick-fil-A and Pastoral Lunches43:20 Why Elijah Didn’t Initially Want to Work at Venture43:53 Leaving the “Dream Job” for Ministry45:14 Why Venture Eventually Felt Like Home46:27 Other Churches Were Pursuing Elijah47:24 The Only Problem With Venture’s Youth Pastors47:44 Introducing TJ49:01 TJ Interviews Pastor Elijah49:44 What Elijah Is Watching50:47 What Elijah Is Reading51:33 Waiting for GTA 651:58 Dating Advice From Pastor Elijah52:21 What Elijah Is Listening To53:50 Faith, Sports, and Junior High Priorities54:26 Should Tony and Brandon Guest on the Girls’ Podcast?55:03 What’s Coming Next on Pastors Unfiltered55:30 Closing