I love fried chicken and running. That’s not a good combination. Yes, running helps burn off fat and calories. But, fried chicken means working harder. In the end one will win out. My money is that the unhealthy habit will succeed. When an unhealthy habits competes with a healthy one, unhealthy will eventually win.
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Your habits will impact the amount of time you last in ministry. You need healthy ones and you need to eliminate the unhealthy. That’s easier said than done. But, first you need to identify them. 5 you should eliminate from your ministry are:
You will miss out on helpful insight if all the focus is just on your opinion. People will think that you only care about yourself. To develop better listening slow down your response. Repeat what the person has said. Then keep to the subject at hand.
Ministry on your own is unhealthy. Doesn’t matter your degree or background you need to support and love. Share the burden that comes with relational ministry by:
When you share the burden, you lighten the load. In the end you’ll go further.
Slow down. Build margin. Breath because youth ministry is a marathon. If you work too hard with no breaks you’ll just move yourself quicker to disaster. Take time to rest and hang with God. Don’t worry he’ll still bless you and your ministry.
You need to be on board with the vision of your church. When there is no vision or you are misaligned unnecessary tension builds. Disagreement on vision will cause a divide in the team. A non unified staff is the perfect recipe for a unhealthy church.
Leaders are learners. If you refuse to learn you will only limit yourself. Eventually those limitations will wear you out. You need to find people who will invest in your development. Take advantage of opportunities outside your field. Read books and just keep growing.
Youth ministry is a challenge, but it’s not impossible. While developing healthy habits are important, you also need to know which ones to avoid. You’ll help yourself grow stronger as leader.
What other habits should leaders eliminate?