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Last Login: 1/2/2008 6:18:38 PM
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| | I am a 25 year old full-part-time-volunteer youth pastor, like many others out there I volunteer my time trying and wanting to do the role of a full time youth pastor in a part time schedule... when the wife lets me out of the house! I work a second shift receiving manager position 4 evenings of the week (the only night I don't work is the night we have youth), I work somewhat opposite my wife - so when our schedules match we take advantage of the situation and actually spend time together before we forget what each other look like, the senior pastor of the church just resigned, I am finishing school and getting licesnsed, and building a house with/for my father-in-law all while trying to maintain both my social and spiritual relationships. HELP! I know that everyone out there can sympathize for me. I don't need that!!! Some advice would be helpful though... I want to have an effective ministry, marriage, social life, church, education and credentials, and way to put bread on the table (without losing my hair - i've got too many years left). Any tips on how to do all of this from those of you have been in the same, similar, or worse situations?
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Last Login: 8/27/2008 8:50:11 PM
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| I'm currently in a similar situation. I've been the volunteer youth pastor at Calvary Community Church of Penndel for the last (nearly) four years. It has been one of the greatest gifts and challenges I have had over these past several years.
I'm not sure that I can give you too much advice. One bit that I keep trying to remember is, "I'm worth my pay." Right now my church is too small to support a youth pastor (we average around 30-40 Sunday Mornings and the youth group averages 15-25 Monday Nights), but that doesn't mean that if the money becomes available, I shouldn't be paid.
Ministry is a full-time job - including youth ministry. Doing it part-time as a volunteer leaves us in a position of doing as much as we can with the gifts and talents God has given us but also recognizing that we can't do it all - simply because we aren't paid.
Its important to remember that we are volunteers and that things aren't going to be "up to spec" entirely because we are such. This doesn't mean that we don't strive to make them so, but it does mean we give ourselves some slack when they aren't (I'd love to go to more sporting events, help out at a local high school, call teens more regularly to see how they are doing, develop deeper relationships with parents, spend more time preparing lessons).
David.
- DaveMackey.Net - Personal Site with Ramblings on various topics including Church, Christianity, and Mental Disorders.
- Christian & Family Films. - A hobby site of mine where I research Christian films.
- Hundreds of youth group games organized by topic. |
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Last Login: 8/31/2008 3:18:39 PM
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| Dude: You are stretched thin. Ya gotta set your limits. Better to do a few things well than a lot of things poorly. I volunteered to teach Middle School Sunday School and found out thru a bulliten announcement that I was now the Children's Ministry Director. But the prep time and teaching was all I had time for so I limited myself to that. It was hard to see sad faces when the kids asked if we were going to Aquire-The-Fire this year and I said no. The part-time youth minister we did have quit and it's just beyond what amount of time I can devote to that. I would have loved to take the kids too. I think my volunteer efforts may have given the church leadership a false sense that they had the youth ministry well in hand so they failed to act.
In any case, my priority is my marriage and family so I've got to work to provide as well as offer them my time a husband and father. That's that. If I could be released from the need to earn money I could spend more time with the kids but that's not happening. I have to let it go and believe that God will get it handled in the proper way.
I suppose you also need to decide on your goals for your life. I'm past that age (51) but you have to opportunity to decide if you're as pastor or not. If you are, are you willing to make the moves to a full time position some where or do you like where you live so you're stuck with limited opportunities.
Let the Spirit lead you and take the counsel of your wife and pastor too.
 Coconut Mountain Communications kevinophoff@coconutmtn.com |
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| hay does anybody no me and been on the trip to austine mession trip from:shawn may
shawn may |
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Last Login: 6/28/2007 6:50:10 AM
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| I would agree with battledtested! You have so much to do!!! I think that you have to set priorities. I went to a conference @ Willow Creek- I think it's called, that HUGE church in IL. One thing they spoke on was that youth leaders often spend soo much time planning and teaching that they get bogged down with stress and tiresome, losing their passion and excitement. My challenge to you is that you would try hard to live a balanced life and letting God being the center of that.
I am a Jr. High youth leader and our male leader is a father who has three kids who are involved with 50 million things and he works too. Sometimes he can't make it to certain events, but considering he is a volunteer we all expect that and know he is limited in his volunteer time. The fact he shows up to youth group every Sunday night, we appreciate that and anything extra is amazing too. It's expected that he says no, but he is a great asset to our youth ministry and the kid's love him. I guess my point is being involved is possible, but saying no sometimes is expected and necessary at times.
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Last Login: 6/20/2007 11:36:20 AM
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| Hey, there is good news!!!! Slow down and pray!!!! I don't sympathize with you because I've been there, done that and have the t-shirt!!!
I've been in this 20 years, full time youth ministry, have a wife that is fully ordained, in seperate churches for our full time ministry, but I am her part time youth guy in one of two of her two churches, and raising a 13 year old daughter!! Yes, that sounds like you, but at one time when a full time volunteer and part time paid youth guy, it was worse and ended up in divorce, oh well another story.
Stop, listen, and prioritize!! God, Marriage/family, Ministry!!!
My wife and I have been doing that for 17 years of marriage and as busy as we may be, we still don't go to sleep angry, and we still have date nights,etc. Don't leave your wife out of this puzzle of life you are trying to put together.
Seek some spiritual direction from a full time youth or sr. pastor about where you believe God is directing you, but make sure your wife is in the process.
Blessings, olduthguy |
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