I have lived in Florida and faced Hurricanes that were devastating, but the warning system is early and gives us a chance, usually days, to board up windows and such. I now live in Alabama, and it’s tornado season. You do not have days to prepare. You may only have minutes. We found this out too well a few years ago when our church was destroyed.
Trouble in Youth Ministry can feel like a tornado, sudden and destructive, but, most likely, you could have prepared for it like a hurricane. Here are four warning signs a storm is coming to your youth ministry:
1. Being consistently unprepared
If your youth meeting is consistently starting late or ending late, parents will notice. Consistently not showing up at important events or not checking in, your Pastor will notice. if you are consistently over spending and overspending on events that flop, your finance people will notice. Be consistent, and be consistent in the right things, and the storm will pass you by.
2. Social media flubs
Be careful what you post. Statements can be misinterpreted. Inappropriate pictures will be see and commented on. Your You Tube videos will be seen, shared, and commented upon. Puts some boards up, safeguards, to protect yourself. Don’t post, tweet, or share stuff that draws attention to all the wrong things or that will mar your character or reputation. I am not saying not to be yourself. Wisdom cries out from the street corners. Listen to the Holy Spirit and the common sense God gave you.
3. Not keeping yourself spiritually healthy
You would think we would know better. We, the pastors, the teachers, the leaders, are prone to not keeping our spiritual lives healthy. This is not just about prayer and Bible reading, those are necessary to keeping our spiritual lives energizes, but we should also look at fasting, serving, and silence as practices that make us ready to hear the voice of God, especially when storm is coming.
4. Lack of communication
If you are not sharing your vision about youth ministry, it’s probably in flood zone already. If you want to build it higher, you have to promote it and your passion for it. Communicate regularly with your pastor, your parents, and your students, because if you do not, well… you’ve hear the phrase “the calm” (or the quiet) before the storm”. Yeah, it’s coming and it might be too late to prepare.
There are more signs to know a storm is coming and you should share them here. Have you found yourself in a “storm”? How were your prepared? How were you unprepared?