Eventually it was gut-check time. While giving time and talent is great, that’s only 2/3 of what I’m called to do, and I’m either going to be 100% Catholic or not at all. There are no fractions when it comes to living out the Catholic faith, so I began to offer up my treasure as well. And now, I can safely say that my wife and I do the same. I know this is not an easy topic for those of us in ministry.
As many of you know, I will be running my first marathon here in Phoenix on January 15, 2012. For the past 11+ weeks I have been training and will continue to do so for another 7 weeks. After thinking and praying about it, I have decided to offer up my marathon as an opportunity to raise some money for Life Teen’s Annual Appeal. For those of you unfamiliar with Life Teen, we are an international Catholic ministry who believes that Eucharist-based ministry has the power to transform teens,
I once heard someone say, “If you want something bad enough, you’ll find a way to make it happen.” If we want to lead teens closer to Christ, let’s find a way. If you have a small budget, who cares? Lead teens closer to Christ anyway. If you don’t have a Youth Room, who cares? Do good Relational Ministry anyway. If you don’t have a cool Music Minister, who cares? Lead teens in prayer anyway.
If you’re really honest with yourself, you probably have more time in your days and weeks than you think. Imagine if you took that time you spend each day mindlessly surfing your TV or the Internet and used it to do relational ministry, plan more creative Life Nights or connect with fellow staff members. How would that change the way your life and your ministry looks?
Cutting cable wasn’t easy, especially for this sports-loving, ESPN-addicted man. But believe it or not, I’ve managed to live without it, and it’s transformed my life.
You see, in ministry, when we throw things together at the last minute we’re basically telling those we serve, “My time is more important than yours.” And I don’t think any of us want to communicate that to teens. So, if you’re a youth minister who’s struggling with leaving things to the last minute, here are some tips to help you get things done (before the last minute).
If you’ve been in youth ministry long enough, chances are you’ve been to a conference in which multiple speakers listed off books that “all youth ministers must read.” Most of these are very great spiritual books that lead us to be holier people so we can lead others to deeper holiness. But let me recommend to you three unconventional books that can still make a huge impact on you personally and in your ministry.
One of the most common complaints I have heard from Youth Ministers over the years goes something like this, “I really love ministry, but I’m struggling with the rest of the parish staff.” If you’ve been in Youth Ministry long enough, there’s a good chance you’ve had some difficulty with other parish staff members. While some may be supportive, others may not get why you are “never in your office,” or maybe they don’t see the transformational power of shaving cream, duck tape, and red vines. Regardless of the conflict, relationships among parish staff members can be improved.
Throughout my life I’ve been on a lot of teams. There have been baseball teams, basketball teams, and now that I’m old – slow-pitch softball teams. Some of these teams I’ve played for and others I’ve coached, but perhaps my favorite team was my youth ministry Core Team. There are few things more rewarding than working together with other dedicated Catholics to lead teenagers closer to Christ. As you take time to evaluate your ministry this summer, consider these 5 things that make great Core Teams.
I recently posed a question on my Twitter and Facebook pages to a variety of youth ministers asking, “What things do you wish someone told you before you became a youth minister?” After receiving a variety of responses, it was evident that there were many recurring themes. For those of you who are thinking of becoming youth ministers, and even for some of you grizzly veterans who have seen one too many high school productions of “Grease,” here are 10 things I wish someone told me before I became a youth minister (with a little help from my friends).
As I’ve traveled around over the last couple years and talked with many Youth Ministers on the phone, I often ask how things are going with their ministry. The most common response that I get is, “pretty good.” While it’s good to hear that things are not going badly, it’s also troubling that many are satisfied with “pretty good.” As Youth Ministers, we should constantly be looking for ways to improve our ministry. After all, I think we’d agree that God and His teens are worth