When You're Running Every Ministry at Once

When the DRE at my last parish left, I knew right away that something had to give.

We hired part-time staff to pick up pieces of the role, but my job changed overnight. I was managing a lot more people, and the children's program needed real attention. We were coming back from the pandemic. The person who built it had done a great job, and their leaving left a big void. There was a lot we had to figure out.

So I stepped in. And I'll be honest: the youth ministry took a hit because of it.

This isn't only a small parish problem. I see it in big parishes too. Someone leaves, and the person left standing picks up another ministry on top of their own.

What Gave Way

The first thing I gave up was being hands-on in youth ministry. I was more established there, so I trusted my volunteers to carry it.

There wasn't one moment when I saw the cost. It was a feeling. My volunteers were getting tired and losing sight of where we were going. Before the pandemic we had momentum. Now we were in maintenance mode, keeping things running instead of growing.

Look at what was on the plate: middle school, high school, children's ministry, First Communion and First Reconciliation prep, and Confirmation. That is just a lot.

Why Switching Back and Forth Wears You Down

Youth and children's ministry take different mindsets. You approach parents of teenagers differently than parents of younger kids. The catechesis is different. Shifting gears between them wears you down in a way a to-do list doesn't show.

What I Would Do Differently

I don't think I handled that season well. What I actually did was say, "I'll figure it out on my own. You guys take this." Then I left my team alone and carried the rest myself. That's a habit I have.

If I did it again, I'd sit down with my staff and key volunteers from both ministries and say, "Let's figure this out together." We'd map out how one person can move between these programs in a way that lasts.

Delegate the Decisions, Not Just the Tasks

We forget that decision making is exhausting, especially across several ministries.

So hand off the responsibility to make the final call. I had people who could have said, "Yes, we're doing this," or "No, we're not." It wouldn't have taken more of their time. It would have asked them to carry some of the emotional and intellectual weight of leading.

When volunteers think about the ministry at that deeper level, you're no longer the only one carrying its rise and fall.

What This Looks Like Right Now

I'm working with a parish where the DRE wants to help build the youth ministry. She's pulled together four or five parents, and once she set the direction, two of them took on specific jobs. One owns communication, so there's a reminder and an update every time they meet and no one is out of the loop. Another checks in with catechists and volunteers, asks what they need, and brings that back to the group.

Her pastor was the harder conversation. He didn't want to burn her out, which is a good instinct, but it had become the bottleneck. So we talked about trust. We set a timeline for her goals and a minimum number of people involved. If they don't reach that threshold, they can step back and figure something else out. Because he trusted her, he gave her a shot.

Can You Name Your People?

When you add something to your plate, ask who else can carry it with you. If you can't name those people, pause and ask, "Can we really do this?"

I wish I'd asked that sooner.

If you're carrying more than one ministry and need help deciding what to hand off, our coaching can help.