Have you been brushing up the latest youth ministry techniques? Maybe you have been reading relational youth ministry strategies. At any rate, stop! That is probably not what your church pays you for.
Youth Workers where a lot of hats. Some of these hats are fun and we’re passionate about, some hats we wear because if we didn’t we’d get fired.
Here’s a short list of hats we want to wear and we do them whether the church paid us or not.
- Building relationships with students
- Preaching/Teaching
- Praying for kids
- Attending church and or worshipping
- Studying your Bible
- Loving kids
- Discipling kids
- Practicing Good Theology
If you’re called to youth ministry, you’ll do these things regardless. There’s no price tag you can place on what your called to do, you just do it. Besides, think about your yearly or quarterly reviews. Are you ever called on the carpet for any of these things?
My guess is, no. So, let me present a list of things you are probably paid for and we all should be brushing up on:
- Budgeting
- Training and Leading a team
- Fun activities and programming
- Numeric Youth Group Growth
- Ideas that will grow the church body
- Paper work
- Marketing
- Organization
- Understanding and Operating new Technology (aka Social Media)
- Handling Crisis
If you’re about to be hired or are changing churches, don’t get confused for what you are actually paid for. The former list is what happens in the midst of the latter list. We live for the former list and endure the latter list.
Here are a few of suggestions of books that will help you get a handle on your new role and responsibilities.
- Getting Things Done
- Switch
- Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?
- Prepared for impact
- My Youth Meeting Playbook
Get the things that must be done out of the way so you can do the things you don’t get paid to do but make your heart full.
In addition, if your struggling with either of these lists, I have a coaching program you might be interested in called The Ministry Mind. We meet twice a month to laugh, vent, plan, listen and get better at what we do. I’d love if you checked it out.