eZine 10.14.2008

We recently received this email from a part-time youth worker named Araceli:

Maybe you are in a situation that’s similar to Araceli’s. Perhaps you’re one of the hundreds of thousands of youth workers who serve at a church on a part-time basis, or maybe you are an unpaid volunteer who’s just trying to hold things together. If so, you’re not alone! According to Jim Burns, author of Uncommon Youth Ministry, the average church youth ministry in America has 12 students in it, and it’s run by 1 (one!) adult volunteer.

Maybe you’re like Araceli and other part-time/volunteer (PT/V) youth workers; you want to find a balance between life and ministry so you can grow your group without your “real job” or your family paying the price.

The good news is, no matter how out-of-balance you may be, any PT/V youth worker can balance life and a growing ministry if they set clear boundaries and lead like the apostles.

SET CLEAR BOUNDARIES
See if any of this sounds familiar:

Without boundaries, we tend to over commit. Having too many commitments will always lead to broken promises. No PT/V youth worker can survive without boundaries. For the sake of your family, your “real job,” and your sanity, draw a line in the sand to help you manage…you.

Here are some boundaries that PT/V youth workers may want to consider:

1. Don’t bring youth ministry work to your “real” job. (Most bosses aren’t interested in paying you to run the youth ministry at your church…especially if it’s not their church, too!)
2. Prayerfully consider and set a number of hours that you plan on working. I’ve seen this abused on both ends of the spectrum. I’ve seen paid youth workers barely do their allotted hours and then… “time’s up!” Many of the excuses are noble: I need to make family a priority, I want to avoid burnout, etc. But this same youth worker is asking his volunteers to come and serve 5 to 10 hours above their normal job. Maybe he should consider at least doing the same. On the other end, many youth workers are supposed to do 10, but do 30, at the expense of their family, their job, and their sanity.

   Here’s the point: prayerfully consider how many hours you are going to put into this, volunteer or paid. If you want to give a little extra than what’s on paper, that’s between you, your spouse, and God. But decide that amount. If 15 hours is the number of hours that you decide, then set that 15 hours as a guide and stick to it. Don’t burn yourself out. Find out what works best for your schedule, commit to that amount, and keep your commitment.

3. Take one day off each week. God said to! End of discussion.
4. If you’re married or have kids, set and maintain an uninterruptable time with family. As nice as it is to plan a once-a-week family night… that doesn’t usually cut it. (“That was fun kids! See ya next Thursday!”) We need to invest in our families, daily, if at all possible! This dedicated time with the family can be in the morning before school, at the dinner table, or on the couch after homework and chores are done. Don’t let meetings, events, programs, cell phone calls, knocks at the door, or anything else interrupt this time with them. Your spouse and children will remember there was a time EACH DAY that belonged to them, and them alone.

A Lesson From Andy
Andy isn’t a PT/V youth worker, but he knows a little about ministry; 17,000 people in the Atlanta area call him their pastor. That’s right…17,000! Additionally, thousands of Christian leaders across the nation and around the world see him as
their mentor. Given that scope of ministry, one might assume that Andy routinely works 80-hour weeks just to keep his head above water, right?

Wrong.

Andy Stanley pastors North Point Community Church, and while many of his colleagues bury themselves under unmanageable loads of ministry, Andy enjoys time with his family…all because he sets boundaries in place to help him balance life and ministry.

Several times in public forums, Andy has spoken about drawing a line in the sand. Andy says, “I told God I want to be the best pastor I can be, working 45 hours a week.” That’s all. That’s it. Andy knows that ministry can eat up his life; there’s always another sermon to write, another counseling session to have, another family in crisis, another leadership summit, another….

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Divide your group into equal teams of at least 10 students and give each team a roll of string. Tell them they have 5 minutes to construct a “web” between their two posts. They can go as high or as low as they want, just have them wrap and wrap until time expires. Now….

WHEN: October 18th, 9:00 a.m. ? 2:00 p.m.

WHERE: Crossroads Church, Thornton, CO

DETAIILS: The Denver Youth Leaders Network is bringing Jonathan out to do his Connect workshop. This Saturday workshop equips youth workers, both paid and volunteer, to initiate contact with today’s teenagers. This training provides unique insight how to connect with kids one-on-one, equipping youth leaders with resources and ideas to help them reach the different kids they will encounter in this rapidly changing culture. Cost is only $15 a person.

WHEN: October 31-November 3rd

WHERE: Pittsburgh, PA at the Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention

DETAIILS: Jonathan will be doing two seminars at this year’s convention, one on speaking to a generation with a short attention span, based on his new book, 10-Minute Talks, and then he will be teaching a 90 minute version of his Connect workshop.