To be a professional youth minister takes a lot of work. It’s something we all know, but what it means to be a professional youth minister isn’t always clear.
Courtesy of ** RCB **/Creative Commons License
I can show up to work in jeans, and throw pizza parties. And, I’m responsible for the spiritual journey of the thousands of teenagers in my zip code.
Many times people see the pizza, but not the burden of a professional youth minister. That needs to change. To go beyond pizza and lock-ins youth ministry needs to be taken seriously. To do that you need to:
A big question people will think but not ask is, “Why are you a youth minister?” To know the WHY you need to have a vision. What is God calling you to do?
To develop your vision statement:
Essentially youth ministers exist to grow disciples of Jesus Christ so that they’ll have a positive impact on their community and the world. Know your purpose, embrace it and share it.
A huge challenge in professional youth ministry is learning how to minister to multiple audiences. One moment you are addressing teenagers, then parents, then your volunteers and then church members.
Identifying the different audiences will help you:
Surround yourself with people who can help you address each audience. When people see you are meeting them where they are they will take you more seriously.
No one gets into youth ministry to fill out forms. But, paperwork, budgets, and other systems are important to youth ministry. They help you stay efficient and productive. When people see that you are organized they’ll assume your responsible.
Again, surround yourself with people who understand these systems. Ask them to advise and even take lead. In the end you’ll not only be more organized but create more margin in your life.
As you grow older and more experienced your responsibilities will need to change. Your ministry will grow in new ways and so will the world around you. By embracing change and looking to grow you’ll ensure your ministry never loses relevancy and impact.
Cast a personal vision and set goals. Get yourself ready for the time you might have to walk away (Even if it’s decades off). That means delegating, growing leaders and replacing yourself. It’ll be hard, but in the end you’ll be blessed.
Being a professional youth minister does not mean wearing a shirt and tie. It means conducting yourself with an attitude and manner that says, “Take me seriously.” People will look to you as a professional and see that youth ministry really does matter.
[reminder] What have you found as the biggest reasons youth ministers aren’t taken seriously? [/reminder]