WHAT EVERY YOUTH PASTOR WISHED THEIR PASTOR KNEW

WHAT EVERY YOUTH PASTOR WISHED THEIR PASTOR KNEW

After having been in youth ministry for over 10 years, I have had my share of great and not so great pastors to work with and be around. I have talked with many a youth pastor and shared over a table at Taco Bell (the ultimate YM hangout) the frustrations and laughs of pastors. Many just don’t “get” youth ministry and end up fighting us along the way. I have my top 10 of what Every Youth Pastor Wished Their Pastor Knew About Youth Ministry:

1. YM is not Adult Ministry – don’t expect it to act like it. YM is unpredictable as we deal with so many variables from teenagers, adults and school schedules.

2. YM is not about the numbers – true YM is about discipling and seeing teenagers lives changed for Christ. This is something that may not be seen sometimes for years to come. It is not about “How many we have”…

3. Because we are not in the office does not mean we are “taking time off”. We are out there in the trenches where the teenagers are.

4. YM is not the dumping ground for what the church doesn’t want to do – Please don’t give us the chores that the adults don’t want to do around the church. If only I had a nickel for every meeting I was in that the phrase, “that sounds like a good project for the YM”, was used.

5. We are more than “babysitters” in the church – we are ministers called and equipped to lead.

6. Include us in the Ministry of the Church – Communication is key to unity. Information reduces anxiety. Keeping each other informed out our ministries only helps us.

7. Please allow us to fail – let us try new ministry approaches. Remember what is now “tradition” was once “new and cutting edge”. Also, when we fail, love us back to where we were. Don’t belittle us in front of church or it’s members. Praise us publicly for taking risks in the name of Christ.

8. Mentor us – Make sure we are getting fed. Let us go to conferences, pray with us, hold us accountable, challenge us and teach us from your wisdom.

9. Be teachable – Please be teachable yourself. Don’t assume that you know more than us. We just might have something intelligent to add.

10. We also need a sabbatical. YM is a tiring and rewarding ministry. But we also need our time to be refreshed, renewed and time to be with our family.

That is my top ten list. Have I missed something? Let me know.
What do you wish your Pastor knew or understood about youth ministry?

The Eternally Cool One,
Pastor J