When we start putting our ministry or the “important” grocery trip above a day of rest, we loose focus of God. We don’t “work” for God (He already did all the work on the cross) we are called to love Him and not place anything above Him. When we start to put in more hours in front of the computer instead of in front of the Blessed Sacrament our vision weakens and we start to see God through the world’s eyes instead of the world through God’s eyes. He doesn’t want our hours; He wants us.
Even the best youth ministers know that they aren’t going to be around forever; the smartest ones will realize this before it’s too late. A strong leader should be able to identify and perhaps even groom one or two people to take his spot . . . without feeling threatened. Leadership always needs to be evolving . . . otherwise our ministry isn’t growing.
“Eric, Jesus walked the Earth and only 33% of the world is Christian. How can you expect to do any better? God isn’t calling you to be successful. He’s calling you to be faithful.”
Boom. That was it. My pastor had just given me a spiritual roundhouse kick to my face, and it was the wake up call I needed.
For a long time I had focused so much on the numbers and all the things I was doing in ministry that I neglected to see all the ways God had been moving. To be honest, I had gained a Savior Complex.
Then there were the times when I was really desperate and would make grand promises: “We’ve got a mystery guest tonight. You won’t want to miss this.”
And how did the teens respond?
“That Life Night was good, but it wasn’t the best ever.”
“I thought you said there were going to be some surprises.”
“I don’t know if you dressed as Batman really qualifies as a mystery guest.”
This time of year, I start meeting with my Core Team to find out their intentions for the upcoming year. It’s a time of stress and worry – wondering who will choose to stay, who wants to leave, and who is interested in coming aboard. Core Member recruitment and retention can be one of the most important aspects for a youth minister to consider. When Core Members choose to stay – it’s a testament to your program and provides continuity and stability as your teens go from year to year.
The problem with quantity is that it points to us, while quality points to God. When quantity says, “Look at all the teens that are coming. I’m such a great youth minister.” Quality says, “Look at the depth of prayer in these teens. God must really be moving.” When we focus on quantity, we lead teens to ourselves. When we focus on quality, we bring them to Jesus.
Senior year in high school is a long series of farewells. The last dance, last pep rally, last study hall, last life night, and the list goes on. As a youth minister it can be a sad time. Some teens you have known for years and others for just a short time, but they all have made a difference in your life. When they head off to college in a few months, they will face dangers to their faith and their morals. It is important for them to know that there is someone at home praying for them
Like a 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback, (car in Gone in 60 Seconds film) your ministry may look, sound, and run incredibly. Sometimes we’re blessed with great ministries that don’t need complete redesigns. Bible Studies, prayer nights, Life Nights, socials, Mass, and other parish ministries are filled to the brim with young people. But even that car needs an oil change and tire replacements. Make sure you and your team are doing what is necessary to maintain the longevity of the youth ministry.
How important is the environment portion of your Edge or Life Night? If it wasn’t important, it wouldn’t be included, youth ministers wouldn’t use them, and I certainly wouldn’t be dedicating my first blog to it. Environment can be transformational in your parish Edge and Life nights. The teens will begin to anticipate the topic of the night, take ownership in their youth room, and it makes for a great conversation starter with the teen that’s hard to reach. Some practical environment
As a Youth Minister one of the biggest parts of your job description is to teach teens the faith. Now, if the previous statement came as a shock to you . . . umm . . . well . . . you may want to chat with your Pastor. If not, then you know the pressure that comes along with this. While many well-intentioned and “very wise” parishioners and staff members think this is easy, you know that, unfortunately, a classroom, a Catechism, and a chalkboard just don’t grab a teen’s attention