How to not go insane in youth ministry:
Follow these three easy instructions and repeat.
Last weekend I got to spend time with a bunch of other middle school pastor’s at the Youth Cartel’s Campference (theyouthcartel.com). If you work with middle schoolers and haven’t been I highly suggest that you check it out next fall. Several times during the weekend I thought to myself, “It feels so good to know that I’m not crazy for loving middle school ministry.” Youth ministry can make us feel crazy sometimes. The Campference had three things that are universal antidotes to going crazy in youth ministry.
Community – This weekend I was surrounded by people who understood my calling. I couldn’t do youth ministry if I didn’t have other people who affirmed my passion for teens. We need to be reminded regularly that our ministry matters to others and to God. Community reminds of this. Your community doesn’t have to be other youth pastors. It can come from ministry parents and your leadership team. Wherever it comes from you need it! You shouldn’t be doing ministry alone.
Rest – Sometimes the most sanity forming thing we can do is to get away and rest. At the campference all the programming is optional so I didn’t feel guilty when I got away for a nap. When you rest you are reminding yourself that God is in control and it isn’t all up to you. This truth brings sanity to our crazy lives.
Learning – One definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. I do that so often in ministry. I think I have it all figured out. When I become a learner I open myself to the possibility that there are other ways to think about and practice ministry to teens. I got the chance to learn from some pretty brilliant people this weekend and I am already trying to figure out what changes we need to make.
Community, Rest, and Learning…Three things that will keep us from going crazy in youth ministry. Which of those three do you need most right now? How are you going to get them into your life?
