Giving youth pastors the tools they need to make and shape disciples.

The Correlation Between Chaos and Commitment

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I was talking with one of our volunteers about people and why thy are’t very committed to our youth ministry. I told him “you can draw a line from the chaos in their lives to their commitment level”. The more chaotic their lives are, the less committed they are to anything else other than their chaos.

Let me first define what chaos is not. Chaos is not going through a divorce (although it is), a family death, or other serious matters. Chaos, in this instance, is self imposed drama. Chaos is: a young adult in an on again off again relationships with someone from another church and they can’t decide which church they want to go to or a person who “has” to work non-stop and does not schedule their time or money well.

Other signs of chaos

  • never returning calls or text 
  • aways late
  • self defeating social media posts
  • lack of spiritual fervor

As leaders, we cannot stop chaos from happening, and the people who are in chaos are not bad people, but we need to help our volunteers manage their chaos. Here are a few tips.

1. Don’t recruit volunteers already in chaos. 

It sounds harsh, but if you get a volunteer already in chaos, they will be short lived. When it’s a choice between commitment to an aspect of the youth program  and their chaos, they choose chaos every time. Wait until your prospective volunteer hits an even level then approach

2. When a volunteer is in chaos, be grace-filled

We are only a step or to away from our own chaos so we should look at those in chose with a less judgmental eye. It’s easy for us to see that someone else’s chaos is screwing up our program. The program is not the real ministry, the program is an excuse to help others (our kids, and volunteers) in their moment of chaos.

3. Offer choices to your volunteers

Chaos happens, but you don’t have to kick a volunteer to the curb. Instead of relieving them of their duty consider these options

  • Offer to counsel them through the chaos
  • Ask them if they would like less responsibility.
  • Ask them if they would like to take a break. Set a time and check in on them often.

As I said earlier, we are only a few steps away from a chaotic moment ourselves so let’s remember scriptures call to chaos free living

Money Chaos

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”              Hebrews 13:5

Family Chaos

And one of the company said to him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said to him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? And he said to them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses. Luke 12:13-15 …

Sin Chaos

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,” Hebrews 12:1

Everyday Chaos

“No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.” 2 Timothy 2:4

What kind of chaos is keeping your team from being fruitful?

How do you deal with chaos on your team?

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