I had a thousand things on my plate, so I hemmed and hawed about whether or not I should go to the diocesan training for youth ministers. On top of a busy schedule, the topic didn’t draw me in, but I knew I needed to go. I knew if I went, I’d feel better about where I was because
you aren’t meant to do ministry on your own.
We forget that working for the church is more than just showing up for a job. It involves sharing and living out God’s Truth. To do that we need to be working with others. But that isn’t always easy because people do not always go with the flow. I constantly find myself saying, “I’ll do this because…
- No one else can do it as I can!”
- No one is as reliable as I am!”
- There isn’t anyone who cares as much as I do!”
Even if there is an ounce of truth in any of those beliefs, all we’ll end up doing is limiting ourselves. Working in ministry means working in the community, and that’s why we need to:
COLLABORATE WITH COWORKERS EVEN IF THEY AREN’T FOCUSED ON YOUR AREA
Another myth we believe is, “If they focus on their area of ministry, and I stay focused on my area of ministry, then we should be fine.” The reality is that areas of ministry intersect and you shouldn’t ignore it. Churches share spaces, resources, and personnel. Parishes need intergenerational ministry to help them grow. Parish staffs need to avoid competing systems and miscommunication by:
- Checking in with one another personally and professionally. Know what’s going on in their lives.
- Offering up resources and tools that have helped them grow as leaders.
- Praying for and with one another.
- Dreaming together about what the church could and should do.
- Investing and advocating for one another by showing up to each other’s events volunteering if assistance is needed.
When a staff works well together, the rest of the congregation will pick up on the community, and in the end, everyone wins.
BUILD UP A TEAM OF VOLUNTEERS WHO CAN LEAD ALONGSIDE YOU
While you might be the paid professional or the person who is in charge, it doesn’t mean you are the only person who has to do the work. Successful ministries are ones where the leader recruits, develops, and commissions other leaders. They are also successful because they’ve built a community with those
Spend time getting to know what’s going on in their personal life. Shift your meetings to be more about collaboration and team building. Make sure that people know how to work with one another, and it’ll give you the margin you need to lead at a higher level. The disciples weren’t just a group of doers; they shared life.
SHARE LIFE WITH OTHER YOUTH WORKERS WHO KNOW YOUR STORY
You need other people in your field to share life with because they are going to know what it feels like to struggle with:
- Getting volunteers to serve alongside you
- Convince teenagers that your program is something worth going to
- Advocating people in your parish that your ministry does matter
They’ll be there with you in solidarity, and they’ll have the ability to give you insight and ideas that you might not be able to see. One of the reasons I’ve been in ministry for as long as I have is because of other youth workers. Knowing that I have a community has been a reminder of God’s presence in my life.
Over the next year, Marathon Youth Ministry is going to focus on building up the community. If you aren’t a subscriber go ahead and do that, it’s free and a chance to discover some of the things coming up in the future. We’ve also got MYM University a cohort where like-minded youth workers gather together to tackle specific subjects like:
Volunteer Development
Building Small Groups
Tackling Confirmation Preparation
Registration is now open until September 1st, 2019. To learn more, go to http://marathonyouthministry.com/mymu/, but if you are ready to enroll, click the button below.
What is your biggest struggle when it comes to collaborating with others?
Enroll Today