I used to be cautious not to get too attached to other youth ministers. What was the point? Every time I got to know one, I’d immediately think they were awesome and I would start to think about ways we’d collaborate. Then two years later, they’d leave.
Over my tenure, I’ve seen a lot of youth ministers come and go. Why do they leave? At the surface, it’s a variety of reasons such as:
- Moving because of a spouse
- Starting a family
- Taking care of a sick loved one
And those are the reasons I understand because life happens. But then there are the reasons that don’t make as much sense like they:
- Can’t financially swing it anymore
- See it as a stepping stone to a different career
- Use it as a temporary gig until a “real job” comes along
- Feel burnt out by the sometimes overwhelming pressures of the job
I get it. I’ve been there on at least one of these reasons. But I see them as completely avoidable.
Too many youth ministers leave youth ministry because we, the church, have not made youth ministry a viable career choice.
I’m not saying a youth minister should be in the same position in the same church for 40 years, but if we want to grow our parishes, we need to cultivate a healthy youth ministry. There are two keys to begin developing a robust and vibrant youth ministry:
1. STRIVE TO INCREASE YOUR INVESTMENT
When a church hires a youth minister, they’re making a financial investment in that person through salary and benefits. But the investment shouldn’t end there.
- What you pay them does matter. No one enters the ministry expecting to become wealthy, but they should be able to support themselves with a livable wage. There are many online tools (most job search sites have them) that figure average salaries for youth ministers for a given city or region. Compare what your church is offering to the average, and they compare it to MIT’s Living Wage Calculator at www.livingwage.mit.edu. You may be surprised by the results.
- Professional development goes a long way. Just as we encourage our youth to be life-long learners, we should allow and encourage our youth ministers to do the same. Classes and seminars geared to youth ministry development are essential but don’t forget about basic skills development, such as technology training or public speaking courses. Arrange for your youth minister to take the necessary time off to attend, and include professional development in the youth budget.
- Give them a budget they can work with. Youth ministers are known to be very creative in finding ways to stretch their budgets, but they shouldn’t have to rely on bake sales to fund the very basics of their ministries. When setting your church’s annual budget, include the youth minister in the discussion and have a realistic conversation about priorities. Invite the youth minister to talk about the importance of youth missions, outreach, summer camp and other youth activities to the overall health and viability of the church.
2. SURROUND THEM WITH SUPPORT
Youth ministers are a critical member of a church’s leadership team, after all, they play a central role in the spiritual growth of the next generation of church leaders! While many youth ministers are high-energy extroverts, they still need to know the rest of the church values their work.
- Help them build a volunteer team. Actively talk-up volunteering opportunities with the church and community members who might otherwise not interact with young people regularly. Find opportunities to build inter-generational friendships between the youth group and senior church members. They’ll both benefit from it!
- Check in with them regularly. Don’t wait for a problem to arise or a parent to complain about something to ask how things are going with your youth minister. Schedule a weekly coffee chat or send a text after a youth group event to ask how it went. Follow your youth minister on social media to better understand what’s on their mind or heart.
- Recognize their accomplishments. A pat on the back goes a long way with most people. Look for opportunities to commend your youth minister publicly. You don’t have to praise him or her from the pulpit on Sunday morning, but a mention in a staff or committee meeting or a short note on the church blog would mean a lot.
Let’s keep the discussion going:
- How do you show support to your youth minister?
- How are you helping to grow his or her faith and vocation?
- As a youth minister, what kind of support do you need most from your senior staff or congregation?