Best Practices For Navigating A Youth Ministers Work Week

As I entered the office the question that popped into my head was, “Where is everyone?” Was it a holiday? Were they all hiding from me? Or was there some zombie apocalypse that had just occurred and this was simply the beginning of the end? No, it was 7:30 pm, I was about to have a team meeting and it was weird to be in the office with no one around.

Office hours are a tricky thing, especially in the church world. For those of us in pastoral ministry, we get that you can’t do what you’ve been asked to do 9 to 5. As youth ministers and catechetical leaders, we have evening meetings and work during the weekends. We also can’t sit behind a desk because we’re visiting a school, grabbing a bite to eat with a volunteer or rummaging through dollar stores for game and prize ideas. We’re on the move and because of that, it’s easy to receive guilt, and pushback from those in our office that have more “regular” hours.

If you want to eliminate the suspicion; yet, hold onto to the flexibilty that ministry demands make sure you are:

COMMUNICATING EXPECTATIONS

As a supervisor, you need to set your team up for success, as an employee you can’t assume your pastor or supervisor knows what you are up to on a regular basis. Clear expectations set everyone up for success because they get everyone on the same page. It should be clear to everyone:

• Whether they need to work weekends during the liturgy.
• When it’s an “ALL HANDS ON DECK” type of meeting or event.
• When and where they can work off campus and whether they should ask permission first.
• How to track hours, and keep in touch so that there is no gap in communication.

While most leaders will say, “My only expectation is that you get the job done.” you still to provide details on how to execute that, especially if there isn’t a high level of trust. The more trust and the more clarity a team has the less likely there is a mishap on whether someone is working hard or not.

UNDERSTANDING BOUNDARIES

While you don’t want to compartmentalize your life you should create boundaries around what you do. These help you create personal time that allows you to rest and be present in the lives of others. While you don’t need a 9 to 5 schedule you should have a basic schedule so that people have a general idea of when you are around. For example:

• I work Sunday through Thursday. On Sundays I’m at the church most of the day and Monday – Thursday I’m around 8 am – 3:30 pm. 
• I am off Fridays and Saturdays except for retreats, conferences and special events. When that happens I take off one of the other days of the week.
• I will attend evening events or hold meetings at night but again I’ll subtract those hours from other days. 

There are some seasons when it’s non stop and those can be hard, but that’s when scheduling a vacation is important. On top of having these hours, I communicate them with my coworkers so that they know when to expect me. If I know show at a regular time they have the right to reach out to me and ask me, “Are you okay?” If you just swing it each week, you create mystery, suspicion and that does not go well for trust.

PROVIDING METHODS OF CONNECTION

Similarly to understanding boundaries, it’s important to give your coworkers and volunteers the appropriate methods of communication. I typically tell people:

• If you don’t need a quick response email me.
• If you need an answer right away text or call.
• If you want to have an in-depth conversation let’s set up a time to chat in person or over the phone.

Coworkers and certain volunteers have my cell phone number and everyone else needs to communicate via work phone and email. While it might sound restriciting it gives people an idea of how to reach me. At the same time if I’m not on campus, but if it’s during my typical hours they don’t have to feel guilty or nervous about interrupting something important.

REVIEWING AND TWEAKING

While you might develop a solid plan, over time it’ll begin to fall apart because the world around you is changing. Whether you like it or not things like:

• Getting married and adjusting to your spouse’s schedule
• Becoming a parent or taking care of someone leads to all sorts of changes
• Staff restructures or programmatic shifts that impact your position
• Holidays and major events happening in your community

Changes around you will mean you need to adjust your schedule. You’ll need to take time for yourself and with your supervisor to review your schedule. Talk about what has worked and what hasn’t. Come to an agreement and move on.

While the tendency is to go with the flow you need a structure to truly be flexible. Office hours, expectations and boundaries protect you from going off the deep end and they provide a forum to discuss what is working and what isn’t. If you need help with setting up your schedule and how to maximize your time, check out TIME SAVERS in the MYM STORE or reach out to us and set up a free consultation HERE

How do you navigate a flexible schedule? What best practices have you found?

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