You went into your youth ministry position thinking your roles and responsibilities would be solely on the teens. You learn that they are more than that and it doesn’t seem right.
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That’s the reality. Youth ministry is an ever changing industry and that means you need to be able to change too. In fact the longer you are ministry the more your roles will change.
The worst thing you can do is fight them. You need to embrace these roles because many of them will bring your ministry to a new level. While there are several we could discuss, there are three that simply cannot be ignored. They are:
You want to spend more time with the teens but that’ll leave you limited. If you want your youth ministry to grow deeper and wider you need to start investing in adults.
Look at the different roles and responsibilities that will expand your capacity. Recruit men and women who will not only serve alongside of you, but create and take the lead. When you can invest in your volunteer core you invest in expanding your capacity.
Start out by focusing on three people who are high capacity managers. Delegate and give them responsibility. Have them then manage three other volunteers. Over time you are creating depth, which allows you to reach more teenagers.
You were hired to youth ministry and everything else feels like a distraction. But, if the rest of the church is failing so will you. You need to get to know your coworkers, their ministries and start investing in them.
Look at how you can:
When your coworkers feel your support it will build trust. Remember you are a part of a team.
Parents can drive you crazy. They either come off over protective or disconnected. The truth is that parenting isn’t easy and they need you.
As a youth minister you need to stop blaming them and start encouraging them. Allow them to vent and give them the opportunity to reach out to you. Support them in their parenting if it means taking their side over their teen.
When parents see that you have their back, they’ll invest in you. When parents invest in you it will grow your overall ministry.
Over time youth ministers pick up many roles. And some will be more important than others. The trick is not to overlook, fight against or take them for granted. Lean in and embrace them so that your ministry can grow stronger.
[reminder] What are some other roles we tend to push against but know are right for our ministry? [/reminder]