Are You Juggling More Than Youth Ministry?

Are you a SLASHER? No, not some creepy dude from a horror flick? A slasher is someone who does youth ministry and another job like:

• Information Technology 
• Maintenance
• Children’s Ministry
• Sacramental Prep
• Young Adult Ministry

Those other areas are full-time jobs but fall on the plate of the youth minister. The reason this happens can be due to anything from a limited scope of what youth ministry can do to a tight budget. The reality is as long as there are SLASHERS, each ministry will be limited. While hiring more people is the best solution it isn’t always the most practical and that’s where church employees have to get creative:

EMBRACE THEIR LIMITATIONS

Every if you are sharing children and youth ministry your attention is going to be scattered. When you have two areas of ministry that you oversee it’s important to acknowledge your limitations. To work through this obstacle it’s important to:

• Learn how and when to say, “No” and “Yes”
• Manage your calendar and budget more closely
• Trust that God has you right where He needs you

The limitations can make ministry difficult but it can also challenge your creativity and willingness to trust God. When you think outside of the box and know that God has you right where He needs you there is nothing that can stop you. If the limitations get tough that’s the time to talk with others and go to prayer.

FOCUS ON VOLUNTEER DEVELOPMENT

One way to expand your capacity and help you manage two different areas of ministry is by investing in volunteer leadership. That means entrusting the people in your church to lead others and make decisions on your behalf. That can be tough because it involves a lot of trust. To build the trust start with:

• Putting your best people in the biggest opportunities. We tend to focus too much on our weaknesses, but putting your best people in your biggest opportunities will not only boost their confidence but allow you to take a step back and focus on the problem areas.
• Delegate anything you can, even if you enjoy it. There will be tasks you don’t mind doing or feel guilty about passing off to others, but if they are holding you back from what you need to do then it’ll slow you down from growing. Give people ownership and pass off the responsibility.
• Treating them like they are family. Spoil your volunteer leaders and invest in them every way possible. By making them feel valued and important they will give back. Get to know them personally and build that trust so that you aren’t afraid to ask them to do more.

Building up your volunteer base might take you away from the teens, kids or any of the in-the trench work you were doing before but that’s okay. It’s not about you, it’s about growing the church and reaching more people for Christ.

CAN’T BE AFRAID TO OUTSOURCE

It would be great to create all of your resources in house, but even the largest staffs do not have the time or energy to make this happen. Don’t be afraid to invest in a resource that provides you content that is adaptable, and  bring in groups to run your retreats. The pressure is to be original and unique and there is merit to that approach. However, what teens crave more these days is authentic relationships. Outsourcing takes you away from the planning so that you can spend more time being present in their lives. (To read more on how to outsource click HERE)

The reality is that we’re all SLASHERS as long as “Other duties assigned” lives on our job descriptions. To get rid of it we need to focus on advocacy and investment. If you are a SLASHER and want to be solely focused talk to your pastor about how you can raise money and awareness to increase the investment they are making in the next generation. In the meantime, don’t let your limitations hold you back, keep thinking outside the box and bringing other people along for the journey.

If you are a SLASHER, what job positions do you hold?

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