Doing youth ministry is one of the greatest callings in the world. With that calling must come extreme discipline and sacrifice. To be in youth ministry and not be balanced is to place significant risks in many other areas of your life, especially with your family.
My first day as a youth pastor on my own following an internship in June 2002 is quite vivid in my memory. I spent the day setting up my office and upon completion of that propped my feet up on my desk and and said, "What do I do now?" I've been behind ever since.
In doing youth ministry all these years, there's a few things I've come to learn that I'd like to remind my fellow youth workers who have been doing this awhile and for those new to the profession to be aware of:
The last time I looked at my contract it stated that I'm paid for 40 hours per week. Anyone in ministry knows there's an "ish" that follows those hours. We all know that ministry is a demanding job and quite honestly it usually means more than 40 hours per week. My first two years in any position I logged every hour I worked to show how many hours I averaged a week and to put any doubters of "you're never here" to rest.
On slower weeks for me it may mean I put in 35 hours. During most weeks I'm usually in the 40-50 hour range and in the summertime, it can be well into the 70-80 hour week depending on what is going on in our ministry.
To stay close to the 40 hour week I have had to work really hard at my time in the office and to be efficient while I am there. I get into the occasional conversation that is distracting and can use the excuse of being on facebook too long as "ministry," but I work hard to be productive while I am in the office.
Little to never do I take my work home. You'll always be behind in ministry and when I get home, my family is the priority. Yes there are times students need us or an emergency comes up, but for most of us that is seldom and when I am home, it's to focus on my family. Let me remind us, family should be our priority.
I know too many people that have "successful" ministries and everyone in the church loves them, but their own children despise them because they are never home and working too much. Their marriages are masked brokenness. Can we call ourselves successful if we're losing our families for the sake of a successful ministry?
If we don't care to be present with our families we're limiting our ability to be successful in other areas of our lives.
Lastly, date your spouse. This has become so hard for us since we've had kids and the demands of ministry have increased, but dating your spouse should never be trumped by an some other event the church deems as more important. We've got to be flexible at times, but we have to renegotiate that time with our spouses.
The moment your kids say that your job is more important than they are is the moment you need to do an immediate priority shift in your life.
We need you for the long haul in youth ministry and these are just a few things to ponder for me today and to be reminded of.
I'm off to my sons baseball practice now.
You're loved.
That's a healthy perspective--your kids will thank you! I recently went to the memorial service for a great pastor from my youth, Stan Reed, from Sierra Madre's Bethany Church. It was evident from all the stories told from people he'd pastored all over the country that he devoted countless unpaid hours to his work, bringing people to the church from just about everywhere he was, even from the hospital at the birth of his grandchild! More than that, though, his kids children spoke, and it was clear they loved their Dad and loved him for making time in their lives and including them in his church work wherever he could.
At the end of his life, his public and private lives gave glory to God.
Posted by: Chris Johnson | 02/08/2011 at 04:47 PM