Riding Out The Storm

Courtesy of NASA Earth Observatory/Creative Commons License

As Hurricane Sandy works her way through the Northeast I shudder thinking about pass storms that have affected my house.  This summer there was the Derecho and last year Hurricane Irene that ravaged my little neighborhood.  Fortunately, there wasn’t any serious damage to my house; however, riding out those storms was a nerve wracking experience.

In your ministry there will be moments when you need to ride out a storm. Maybe it’s just busyness that you are facing or maybe it’s a tragedy that hits the community.  No one likes to go through these moments because they are emotionally, physically and spiritually exhausting.  To endure the storms in ministry you need to make sure you have:

• A Support Team – It’s easy to focus on the task at hand and shut everyone out when facing an issue.  When you face a problem on your own you put the burden completely on your shoulders.  You need to have people who will pray for you, advise you and help you out when you are in over your head.

• Arsenal Of Resources – If you have a hurting teen do you know who to refer them to?  If you are dealing with a busy season, do you have a schedule to keep you focused?  Having an arsenal of resources is having a plan for the situation you are facing.  While you cannot prepare for every situation, you need to make sure you prepare for as many as you can.

• Faith In The Lord – In the end it’s God who is going to give you what you need to persevere.  Setting aside time to check in with him is important because you’ll feel his presence.  You need to open yourself to his grace, love, strength and wisdom.

No matter what you are facing you can’t go at it alone.  Even if you’ve been through several different storms in your ministry you need to make sure you lean on God and focus on what he’s given you.  While youth ministry is tough, you can persevere and witness the fruit of your labor.

How do you endure storms in student ministry?