Journey of Starting a New Ministry: week 3

(Over the next few months, maybe longer, I will be writing weekly posts on my journey of starting a new youth ministry position. The focus will be on general tips and suggestions for any youth minister starting a new position, but I will add-in moments specific to my situation. My goal is to offer advice to help other youth ministers and not write an online journal of my own personal experiences. In order to make this series of articles as beneficial as I can, I would appreciate your feedback and thoughts. And remember as you read about my journey in a new youth ministry that every situation is different; therefore, these ideas are just ideas and suggestions. You need to know your church culture and adjust your week-by-week to fit those needs.)

week 3

This week was more about little things than anything else.


I intentionally tried to make a few small changes in my my week. Over the past few weeks I have spent a lot of my time in the office rearranging and organizing. While I was unpacking and organizing, I was fitting in the necessary ministry work whenever I had a chance. It meant working on the lesson after a box was unpacked or whenever there was room on my desk. But starting this week, I tried to move from this less scheduled (possibly unscheduled) work week to a more structured one. 


While I was trying to maintain a semblance of office hours and such, the framework during my work week was pretty loose. I wanted to take this week and start moving toward the more structured layout of planned and allotted time for ministry work. In my last ministry I found a good breakdown of when to accomplish certain tasks, and now I need to start doing that here. Because I know I have changed and the environment is different, I am intentionally going to try a few different “schedules” within my work day.


I know ministry does not solely happen inside the walls of my office, I added a few chances to hang out with some students to my week. I was not sure how they would respond or if they would make it - since it is prime vacation time and fall sports are starting practices. I offered two different times to get together for lunch during the week. During each lunch we had a great chance to talk and get to know the students and let them get to know my family a little bit. I want to continue lunches or dinners throughout the year as an informal way to build relationships with the students and their friends. 


Being in my first month of ministry, I know there are certain changes that need to wait. One of the changes I want to implement is going to have to wait at least a few months, if not a year. But I started working on developing and putting onto paper an explanation and game-plan for this change. I know it will take a little time to process and implement, but I want to be ready when the right time arises.

Sunday was a crazy day for me. I had a lot of little conversations with people - all good. I think out of the two services and Sunday School, I was only on-time for 1st service. But I am not complaining, I loved the chance to talk and listen to people.



Week 3 Bulletpoints:
- continue talking with students & parents
- spend more time getting to know the youth coaches
- start figuring out how to structure your work day


Goals of the near future:
- improve the ministry with a small/simple change
- learn the passion/heart of the youth coaches
- encourage youth coaches
- learn more names


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Previous weekly perspectives: week 1, week 2, 

Book Review: New Breed by Jonathan & Thomas McKee

Youth ministry cannot happen without volunteers. They are the very heartbeat of what helps students connect with a loving God. Yet, most lead youth ministers will agree that finding, working with, and training volunteers is one of the toughest parts of youth ministry - if not the toughest. For all of these youth ministers who desire to gain a better grasp on volunteers, Jonathan and Thomas McKee have teamed up to offer a handbook for the 21st Century volunteer.

Thomas has over 40 years of experience in volunteer leadership and Jonathan has a variety of experience working with volunteers in church and para-church ministries. Together they have written a fantastic book on understanding and equipping the new breed of volunteers. This new approach (or philosophy, you might say) to volunteers is needed due to the changes that have taken place among those who volunteer. You cannot approach volunteers like you would a paid staff member, nor can you approach volunteers today the same way you would have 20 years ago. So, how do you approach this new breed of volunteer?

According to the Jonathan and Thomas, there are three different levels to working with volunteers: the recruiter, the manager, and the leader. Each level has aspects that are unchanged by time, but also contain aspects that must be adjusted for the 21st Century volunteer. Being a recruiter means you have to understand those you want to recruit, which is why chapter 1 is so valuable. The next three chapters are focused on how to (and how not to) recruit, along with some tips on where to look for volunteers that you might have otherwise missed.

Being a volunteer manager is about motivating and empowering volunteers. The second section will offer you ample suggestions for doing just that. But, unfortunately, being a volunteer manager is not always that easy. Jonathan and Thomas spend an entire chapter on how to manage (or fire) the high-maintenance volunteer. Finally, there is the aspect of being a volunteer leader. The final two chapters focus on leading a successful group of volunteers. You will find sound advice, encouragement, and helpful tips that you can put into practice within your ministry.

If the book ended on page 140, it would be a fantastic book on working with the new breed of volunteers. But the book does not end there, no it has over 30 more pages of resources. These are samples, suggestions and other reproducible helps that will transition the information from the book into your ministry. This last section transforms this fantastic book into an invaluable ministry resource for youth ministers. Plus, this is not a hard book to read, which is great for the busy youth minister. All of these factors add up to a must-have for any and all youth ministers.

My advice (rating) – go out and buy it (4 out of 5)

Every Youth Worker Needs: a receipt scanner

(Youth ministry is not an easy ministry. And in this series, Every Youth Worker Needs:..., I want to highlight a variety of things that might make your ministry a little easier. This ongoing series will include ministry tips, book suggestions, technology helps, and many other nuggets of advice.)

Every Youth Worker Needs: a receipt scanner
Unless you work in a very unique congregation, you have to turn in receipts in order to get reimbursed. This administrative task is always time consuming and boring. Not the reason you became a youth minister at all. But we all know that if we do not do this on a regular basis, monthly at least, then it becomes too overwhelming and then it does not get done. At the end of this train of thought is no reimbursements for items purchased (or what we ministers like to call "donations to the ministry").

I have recently come across a great little gadget that makes the process of organizing and totaling receipts much simpler. At least that is what the internet and "gift buying" news segment says. As I have watched this product in action and have seen the software to organize the items on the receipts, I have to say I am impressed.

All you have to do is slide the receipt through the scanner, if you have the travel version - which is cheaper and probably all a youth worker needs. Then after all of the receipts are scanned, you go into the program and determine which items go under which categories and which items do not need to be added to the report. Once this is done, you just print off the report and turn it in to the finance committee. (Who will probably be in amazement that a youth worker is so organized and uses spreadsheets.)

Go to this website to see the receipt scanner by neat

(I do not own one of these time saving devices, so consider it on the list of things you can get me if ever you want to get me something.)

Book Review: Getting Fired for the Glory of God by Mike Yaconelli

Getting Fired for the Glory of God is a collection of writings from Mike Yaconelli. Beyond his writing, it contains audio and video of Yaconelli speaking. This is some of his best material collected together in one little book. What makes this collection so good, beyond it being from Yaconelli, is that his children compiled it all. This book is a tribute to the legacy he left on the youth ministry world.

If you have never read Yaconelli's work before, you need to pick up a copy and dive right in. You will be challenged, encouraged, and pushed. You might find yourself wanting to read "just one more chapter." For those who know Yaconelli's work, this book will be a reminder of his passion and love for youth workers. Plus, as a bonus, you will get to hear and see some of his most passionate messages.

The truth and honesty within the pages of Getting Fired need to be read by anyone in youth ministry. Take every opportunity to get a copy of this book into the hands of youth workers. If you can't get a copy for every youth worker, you need to at least show them the videos and let them listen to the audio.

My advice (rating) – buy more than one and give out copies (5 out of 5)

Budgeting & Saving Money - 2 YM Today articles

A lot of ministries are either in the process of putting together their budgets for next year or they are in the process of tweaking the budget that got turned down by the finance committee. If you find yourself in one of those two places, I hope you will be able to benefit from some information I wrote earlier this year.

The great folks at YMToday took my youth ministry budgeting series and turned the information into two separate articles. If you would like to read the original series, just click on the link and read each blog post in the series. Or you can read the articles, which are broken down into budgeting and saving money.

Saving the Ministry Money

Creating a Budget

After reading the articles, I would like to hear what you think. What have you done to budget for the upcoming year? Is it dramatically different this year due to the economy? How have you saved money?

2 recent articles: Six Days of Work & Who's Keeping You Accountable

Here are two articles I've recently written and had published on youthministry.com. If you haven't read them yet, take a few moments and do so. Then I'd love to hear your feedback/thoughts, just leave a comment.

Six Days of Work

Sabbath rest is a two-part deal: taking a break from your work and working efficiently the other days.

Who’s Keeping You Accountable?

By asking for help, you're acknowledging to yourself that you want to make a change in your life.

5 Year Youth Ministry Contract: Students (5 of 5)

This is post #5 of the 5 Year Youth Ministry Contract. If you have not already read the first four posts, you'll want to read them before reading this one. Read the introduction first, followed by my thoughts on the youth minister difference, my thoughts on the church leadership & staff difference and then my thoughts on the church membership difference.

In this post, we will look at the difference a five-year commitment would make for the students.

The Students Difference

Anyone who has been in youth ministry for more than a few years knows that the best ministry happens after you have been at the same place for an extended period of time.

This might be the biggest difference of any we've talked about so far. I think the students will greatly benefit from knowing the youth minister will be there for at least five years. Will it make it easy for them to open up emotionally right away? No. But it will make it easier for them to trust the youth minister and know this relationship will last more than six months.

Students are used to people coming in and out of their life, which causes some of them to shut down emotionally and relationally. They do not want to open up and allow an adult to know what they really struggle with if they do not know they adult will be around in nine months. When a student knows the youth minister will be around for years, they do not have to worry about having another broken relationship with someone who claimed to care about them.

Beyond the improvement in the student/youth minister relationships, I think there is an even greater benefit for the students - one they will not immediately identify. In fact, this benefit might be one they are never able to verbalize until well after they are out of the youth ministry. The unidentifiable benefit is the intentional long-range planning for the ministry; including a systematic progression of lessons, purposeful retreats and events and an intentional discipleship ministry. Not to mention the improved ministry of the volunteers, thanks to more training and encouragement.

As students remain with the same youth minister year after year, there will be more opportunities for ministry. When talking with their friends, the students will talk highly of the youth minister and create some instant credibility among their peers. This credibility will allow the youth minister more access to minister to those friends and become a positive influence into their lives. The more students and friends of students are benefiting from the youth ministry, the impact of the youth ministry will increase exponentially. And when a tragedy occurs, the students in the community will know they can turn to your youth ministry for support and direction.

One last benefit comes from a deepening of the relationship between the youth minister and the students. As the relationships grow, I believe it will result in more memories for the students. There will be more opportunities for ongoing jokes, funny moments and more laughter. And this increased joy at youth ministry events will not only benefit the students, but also the youth minister and other adults involved.

Are there negatives for the students?

One of the only negatives I can think of would happen for those students entering high school after the youth minister's fifth year of ministry. They would be entering into a high school ministry ready to minister to their needs, but there would be no guarantee the youth minister will be there for their graduation.



What other differences do you think a five year commitment would make for the students?
Do you think the students would benefit from having a youth minister with this commitment to a local ministry?


Posts in this series:
1. The Introduction
2. The Youth Minister Difference
3. The Church Leadership/Staff Difference
4. The Church Membership Difference
5. The Students Difference

5 Year Youth Ministry Contract: Church Members (4 of 5)

This is post #4 of the 5 Year Youth Ministry Contract. If you have not already read the first three posts, you'll want to read them before reading this one. Read the introduction first, followed by my thoughts on the youth minister difference and then my thoughts on the church leadership & staff difference.

In this post, we will look at the difference a five-year commitment would make for the church membership.

The Church Membership Difference

It can be difficult for church members to be quick to fully welcome a new youth minister on staff. When the church has a history of having multiple ministers with short stays, it becomes an automatic disadvantage for any new youth minister entering into ministry at this church. Most members assume the new youth minister will only stay long enough to find another ministry, like past youth ministers have done. I think a five year youth minister contract would offer many benefits for these members.

Knowing someone is going to be around for a few years allows you start the relationship with a little more trust than normal. Most members will not question the youth minister's motives or actions as often as they otherwise would. Being able to have this higher level of trust for the youth minister will allow the members to support and encourage the efforts and changes being made by the youth ministry team.

I believe the willingness to volunteer within the youth ministry would increase. From my experience, I have seen that some people are apprehensive to volunteer to work in an area where they do not know the leader well or where they feel the leadership might change often. This apprehension would be countered with the five year contract. Think about the difference it would make to have a stronger group of volunteers at the beginning of your ministry. Not only would the youth ministry benefit and grow, but the congregation gets a huge benefit: more members using their gifts and doing ministry.

Finally, I think this five year contract would give the members a sense of relief. Most members do not know what expectations/requirements are put on the youth minister by the church leadership. This contract would give them the reassurance that a certain level of ministry professionalism will be kept in the youth ministry. The members will still not completely understand what all is entailed in the youth ministry, but this will be a good start to help them understand that youth ministry is more than just glorified babysitting.

Are there negatives for the church members?

Since the youth minister will be around for a few years, there might be some members who will not work hard at getting to know him. The assumption might be that there is plenty of time to get to know the new youth minister, so why put effort into it now. Someone else might think that the only reason the youth minister spends time with the students is because its in the contract. And there might be someone who decides their help is not needed within the youth ministry, because the youth minister is going to be here for a few years.



What other differences do you think a five year commitment would make for the church members?
Do you think the church members would benefit from having a youth minister with a five year commitment to a local ministry?


Posts in this series:
1. The Introduction
2. The Youth Minister Difference
3. The Church Leadership/Staff Difference
4. The Church Membership Difference
5. The Students Difference

5 Year Youth Ministry Contract: Church Leadership (3 of 5)

This is post #3 of the 5 Year Youth Ministry Contract. If you have not already read the first two posts, you'll want to read them before reading this one. Read the introduction first and then read my thoughts on the youth minister difference.

In this post, we will look at the difference a five-year commitment would make for the church leadership & staff.

The Church Leadership/Staff Difference

When a youth minister joins a staff it takes time to become part of the group. It takes time to fit in, to learn how the other staff function, and to build a relationship with each other. The staff relationships are vital to the overall ministry of the church; the better the relationship, the better the ministers work together. If the youth minister was committed to staying at least five years, that would allow enough time to grow these relationships and then see the ministry improve thanks to them.

I think another big difference this commitment would produce is a "forced support" from the leadership. There are situations when the church leadership (mainly elected leadership, but could also include the families with the power) is not supportive of the youth minister and that only causes negative results. If the leadership knew the youth minister was going to be there for at least five years, they should have a greater desire to see that ministry succeed. This desire should lead to being supportive of the youth minister and working with him through all situations (good and bad).

There would also need to be more intentional communication (because sadly, the tendency is to have little intentional communication between the youth minister and the church leadership) on what the youth minister is planning and what the leadership expects. Clear expectations and guidelines would help the youth minister understand what the leadership is looking for. Knowing what the leadership is looking for would help the youth minister to be aware of what information to present, as well as how to present it.

Another benefit for the church leadership will be an opportunity to watch the youth ministry grow and mature over the five year period without trying to decide if the youth minister is doing enough those first few years. They do not need to evaluate each and every event or ministry program individually based on how "successful" they feel it is. Understanding the youth ministry is heading toward a certain goal, and knowing the youth minister will be there to see the process through for at least five years, can ease any worries they might have otherwise had. And this time-frame will lend itself to more strategic evaluations of the youth ministry, encouraging the completion of structured and timely goals.

Another benefit of this agreement could be a more focused training and minister development. The staff and leadership could spend the five years helping the youth minister grow professionally and personally. This could include in-house training, as well as providing opportunities to attend conventions and seminars. Part of good leadership is mentoring younger leaders. With a five year commitment, the youth minister would have ample time to be mentored by older/wiser leaders.


Are there negatives for the church leadership and staff?

There is the possibility that the leadership could use this five year contract as a chance to get the youth minister to do what they want. This would happen when the leadership "kindly" informs the new youth minister that the next five years could be great or miserable, depending on how happy they are with the youth ministry.

Another possible downfall of this type of agreement might happen in the fifth year of ministry. If the leadership is unsatisfied with the youth ministry, then there is a possibility of being extra tough on the minister or backing off and being distant. Either way, it would cause the ministry to suffer and the minister to be hesitant to come to work each day.



What other differences do you think a five year commitment would make for the church leadership?
Do you think it would benefit the church leadership to have the youth minister make this commitment to a local ministry?


Posts in this series:
1. The Introduction
2. The Youth Minister Difference
3. The Church Leadership/Staff Difference
4. The Church Membership Difference
5. The Students Difference

5 Year Youth Ministry Contract: Youth Minister (2 of 5)

This is post #2 of the 5 Year Youth Ministry Contract. If you have not already read the introduction, you will want to go here and read it first.

In this post, we will look at the difference a five-year commitment would make for the youth minister.

The Youth Minister Difference

When I begin a youth ministry, my desire is to stay at that same ministry for years (preferably until I retire) because I know the value of long-term ministry. I also know this is not always the mentality youth minister's carry with them into a new ministry. Some youth ministers see youth ministry as a stepping stone toward senior ministry or a chance to gain experience before taking on a different form of ministry. Without the determination to stay long-term, a youth minister will lack the desire to make it through some difficulties. The dip (to borrow a term from Seth Godin) will be too great and will cause the youth minister to quit too early.

This mentality would have to change if a youth minister committed to staying at a local congregation for at least five years. When you are committed to a five year minimum, you are challenged to work through the difficulties. You are challenged to have a vision and plan for the future. You are challenged to acknowledge the naysayers. You are challenged to resist the desire to coast through the ministry. You are challenged to rely on the leadership for support and guidance.

Most youth ministers I know have some of their greatest struggles within the first three years of their ministry. During this time, there are some major changes to the way ministry is done and who is doing it. Even without trying to make a big splash, a new youth minister cannot help but accept this aspect of ministry. Youth ministers need not try to minister the same way a previous youth minister did, because her strengths may not be your strengths. During these first few years, there will also be people in the congregation who desire to do what they can to keep the ministry from changing. For some ministers, these first few years can be too stressful and challenging - ultimately resulting in a rather quick exit from that ministry position.

When you are committed to staying for five years, you have to find a way to work through this stressful period. The youth minister must learn to make changes with the understanding that he'll be there for five years. The changes that happen need to be made by the entire youth ministry team, not just the youth minister. And since you know you'll be there for five years, you will make very strategic changes - moving toward a very specific end result.

Another difference would be in your interaction with students, parents and leaders. There should be an increased level of communication and intentionality in how you treat these relationships. Knowing you will see at least two classes through all four years of high school should motivate the youth minister to be more intentional about lessons, events, and overall discipleship. You are guaranteed to be there for at least a handful of difficult times and tragedies involving your students or their families. It would be beneficial for a committed youth minister to allow the parents and leaders to know your vision and plans of the ministry, listen to their input and modify the ministry as needed.

With a longevity of ministry in one location, you will gain a higher level of credibility with schools and businesses in the area. The people in the community will know you are not going to come into town and then exit within a year or so. This should afford you a higher level of credibility right from the start. You will be able to build a strong relationship with the school systems and collaborate with them.

Beyond these differences, I think the biggest difference comes before the agreement is ever made. If you are committing to staying at a local congregation for at least five years, you are going to spend a lot more time praying and thinking about the congregation before saying "yes." You should spend time finding out more about the congregation, the area and people you will be ministering alongside. If you are to truly think about the commitment of moving your family to a new city/state, you want to know as much as you can before you move. You will research the schools more, you will ask more questions, you will dig deeper into who the congregation is. You will spend more time seeking God's wisdom - making sure this move is the best move for you, your family, and the congregation.

Are there negatives for the youth minister?

One possible downfall of this type of agreement would come in the fifth year of ministry. If the youth minister is unsatisfied or is ready to leave, there is a possibility he will try to coast to the end. He may mentally and emotionally "check out" and become lackluster about the youth ministry, waiting until the time is up.



What other differences do you think a five year commitment would make for the youth minister?
Do you think it would benefit a youth minister to have this commitment to a local ministry?

Posts in this series:
1. The Introduction
2. The Youth Minister Difference
3. The Church Leadership/Staff Difference
4. The Church Membership Difference
5. The Students Difference

5 Year Youth Ministry Contract: Introduction (1 of 5)

Recently, I got to thinking about youth ministry and the amount of time youth ministers stay at one local congregation. I have a friend who was at a church for only a few days and I know a few ministers who have been at their current congregation for a few decades. Most other youth ministers fall somewhere between these two extremes. Every minister has a different story to tell about why they left a ministry, but ultimately it comes down to two things: you quit or you were asked to leave. Yet, as I ponder this ministry commonality, I am left wondering if there is another way.

And my thinking led to this - How would ministry be different if the youth minister was committed to staying at least five years?

You can apply this same question to the senior minister, worship minister, children's minister, or any other minister a church happens to have. But for the sake of this blog, I will focus solely on the difference it would make if the youth minister made this commitment. There are four specific areas of ministry that will be affected which I want to focus on: the youth minister, the church leadership, the members and the students. Before we get into those areas, we need to look a little deeper at what would need to happen in order for this five-year minimum agreement to become a reality.

At this point in the discussion, allow me to make this disclaimer: I know we do not know the future and we need to be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. I am not saying this has to be a commitment with no way out. There may be a family emergency that needs your time (and may cause you to move back home) or some unforeseen situation. But if we allow these "what ifs" to keep us from making a commitment, then we could really not commit to anything, could we? You would not be able to sign your kids up for soccer because you do not know what your life will be like over those few weeks. You see, in reality, we make commitments all the time with the understanding there are no guarantees about the future.

A five-year minimum commitment would need both parties to commit. The youth minister would be committed to serving as youth minister for at least five years. There would be no looking for a new ministry during this time - you are agreeing to work through any struggle. At the same time, the church would commit to supporting you (as the youth minister) during the next five years. Even if there are struggles, the solution could not be getting rid of you. (Cases of moral failure, for example, would be a different issue).

I do not think this is an impossible scenario, but it would take some adjustments in the mindset many people have about youth ministry tenure. I strongly believe the benefits of this type of ministry commitment would far outweigh the negatives or needed adjustments.

Before we get into the four areas of difference, I want to ask you what you think. Do you think this type of ministry agreement/commitment is possible? Who would have a harder time making this commitment: the congregation or the youth minister?


Posts in this series:
1. The Introduction
2. The Youth Minister Difference
3. The Church Leadership/Staff Difference
4. The Church Membership Difference
5. The Students Difference

An Open Letter to Youth Minister Search Teams

(Though this particular letter is written specifically for youth minister search teams, most of the content will work for any search team.)

Dear Search Team or Committee

I have applied to your open youth minister position and would like to pass on some information from my perspective of the search. Before I begin by giving you some advice to improve your communication with those of us who have applied for your position; allow me to share these thoughts. First off, thank you for being a part of the group who will determine the next minister to the students. I understand you have a big decision ahead of you and it should not be taken lightly. I appreciate all of the extra time, effort and energy you have put into the process (not to mention all of the meetings). One last thing you should know about me - I am praying for you as much as you are praying for me. I pray God gives you wisdom, strength and the ability to discern the right choice.

As a search team moving along in the search process, I would suggest you keep these few things in mind. (In no particular order) You will notice that throughout this list I will use the word "appreciate" often; because none of these ideas are requirements for you, they are just things I would appreciate.


1. Use Technology.
You do not have to waste a stamp. Since we are living in an age of technology, with email and text messaging being more prevalent than snail mail, you do not have to send me a letter. You can send me an email letting me know you are not pursuing me any longer. This is especially true if all of our communication has been done via email.

2. Communicate, communicate, communicate.
At the beginning of the process, I understand it might take months for you to make any sort of decision. I do not expect a weekly email letting me know what number I am on your list of potential youth workers, but I would appreciate notification when the process moves forward. As we move farther down the process, I would appreciate knowing what is going on. As the list of potential youth ministers is narrowed, and I'm still on it, I would expect to be informed on the progress. Even if the search team has not met for a month, I would appreciate knowing.

If I end up being the "chosen" youth minister, I am learning a lot about the way the leadership in the church works. If there is a pattern of poor communication during the search process, I will be more likely to decline your offer to be youth minister. Why would I willingly walk into a situation where communication is not a strength for the leadership? On the other hand, when a search team communicates well during the search process, I will willingly join that team.

3. Honesty is a must!
For me, this is a huge issue. In fact, this might be the biggest issue I consider. And as much as you are deciding if I am the right person for this position, I am deciding if you are the right congregation for me. I do not want to work with a group of people who are not completely honest. When it comes to the search process, do not lie to me. If you are interviewing two other people, tell me. If you are worried that I will not work well with the senior minister, let me know. The worst thing you can do is make me feel that I am the person for the job while I am visiting, when you know that I am not.

There is no reason to drag me along, just to keep me as a "back-up" if the real #1 choice doesn't work out. If you want to pursue one candidate at a time, then be honest and let me know that at the beginning of the process. I will not be offended if you want to be specific and strategic in your search, even if it means I am not going through the first round of the interview process. I would rather know from the beginning what the search teams intentions are, then to believe a lie about where I stand. Being honest is one of those qualities Christians are supposed to possess, so it needs to be a quality the search team possesses as well.

4. Silence conveys a message.
I have found that when a youth ministry search team is silent for an extended period of time, it usually is not a good sign. Silence from your team conveys one main thing - I (as a youth ministry candidate) am no longer being considered for the position. I understand this is not always the case, but it is the conclusion I will come to when I do not hear anything from a search team for an extended period of time. Silence also conveys the message that your team is not willing to honestly tell me what you think about my ability to minister to the students in your congregation.

As I am patiently waiting to hear back from your committee, I would appreciate an occasional (at the least) update. Even if the search team is hesitant to have a difficult discussion with one of the candidates that is no reason to avoid communication. Some conversations will be difficult, but you should have known that when you signed up to be on the team - even in the church the hiring process is difficult. You need to know that I am not going to talk/think negatively about you if you phone and tell me I am not the right person for the position. I will respect your team and appreciate the manner in which you handled the situation.

If you are silent after I have already interviewed, I believe one of two things is happening: you are calling another candidate back and you are hoping if that candidate says "no" then I'll still be willing to come for another interview. Or you do not know how to tell me that I am not the right candidate and hope I'll find another position before you have to tell me.

5. Respect my time.
This comment goes along with the silence one - as you are going through your process remember that the candidates are waiting to hear back from you. Just because you only want to meet once a month does not make it appropriate to only contact the applicants every other time you meet. Do not drag out the process for any candidate longer than necessary - as soon as you know a candidate is not going to be the right person for the ministry the best thing you can do is let them know.

We, the candidates, are not just waiting to hear back about a job. We are waiting to hear back about the city we will live in, the church our family will attend, and the people we will become friends with. Taking on a new youth ministry position entails all of our life and family. So, as you are considering your decision, please keep this in mind as you keep us abreast of the situation. And please try to meet as a group more than once a month.


Thank you for reading this letter. I hope it helps you have a better understanding of what the youth minister candidates are feeling and thinking during this search process. I pray God gives you wisdom and discernment in your search and you find the right minister for the students.

Sincerely,

A youth minister candidate



ps. I would like to suggest two books for you to read, if you have time. The first book is "Inside The Mind Of Youth Pastors" by Mark Riddle, published by Youth Specialties. The second book is "Sustainable Youth Ministry" by Mark DeVries, published by InterVarsity Press. Both of these books contain great insight into a better understanding what youth ministry is all about and how a congregation can help it succeed.

to quote someone else: group like Jesus' (Mark Yaconelli)

"If you have a group of twelve kids who don't understand your illustrations and one of them wants to kill you, you have a youth group just like Jesus."

A Mark Yaconelli quote, taken from Sustainable Youth Ministry by Mark DeVries.

How many times have you looked at your group of students and thought, "even Jesus couldn't get through to these kids?"

Often we forget that the disciples did not understand Jesus' messages, and He was the best teacher ever. Next time you get frustrated at the group of students you work with, be reminded that Jesus' group was just as frustrating. And look how they changed the world!!

New Contributor for the YouthMinBlog

Today is my official start to contributing to the YouthMinBlog "project/endeavor"

I'm excited to be a part of a great group of youth workers who are contributing to this ongoing conversation.

My first article is called "Microwave Ministry?" and its on the topic of how to evaluate the success of your youth ministry. Take a look at the article, as well as the rest of the site (there are a bunch of great articles waiting to be read). I would love to hear your thoughts...

Youth Ministry Budgeting: Tips for Saving Money (5b of 5)

(This is part 2 of the final post in a 5 part series on youth ministry budgeting. You can see the earlier posts here: 1 - stewardship. 2 - categories part a and part b. 3 - process. 4 - to buy or not to buy. 5 - tips on saving money part 1)

No youth ministry is immune to the economic hardship facing our country. And in order to be better stewards of our resources (and possibly stay afloat), we all need to learn to save a few bucks. Here is part 2 of my thoughts on how to save money. To see the first 5 tips, go here.


6. Involve more adults
Instead of doing things like ordering pizza or catering all of your meals, think about asking people to help cook and serve the food. It doesn't have to be food, it can be decorating for a special event, setting up, manning the tables.

This tip was shared by Sara Eden , so I'll just let her share some thoughts about it.

"The other thing we've done is moved away from the church providing dinner at youth group each week. Now what we do is ask people to sign up to provide dinner. The really cool thing is that it's giving people who don't feel led toward the traditional 'youth ministry volunteer' role an opportunity to serve the ministry and get to know the students (and allow the students to get to know them). The people who cook for us are invited/encouraged to stay and eat dinner with us and then students help with clean up. It's another step toward healthy inter-generational relations. God took something that was done as an economic measure and turned it into another awesome opportunity for ministry. He's so good like that!"

7. Donations
We all need items for the youth ministry: chairs, couches, lighting, sound equipment, electronics, transportation. Instead of going out and buying them, ask people to donate them. (Now, when you do this be prepared to get people's junk. So either you need to be very specific, simply say "no thanks," or just throw it away later.)

This is something a friend of mine, Bill Nance, said he has been able to do in his ministry, which has helped since he doesn't have a big budget and really needs to stretch it.

8. Think "in house."
When you are planning an event, the two biggest costs are always the speaker and the band. Next time you are planning an event, think about using someone from within your ministry to do the speaking or worship (concert). If that will not work, try to find someone local to cut down on travel costs.

9. Use Open Source software
Instead of paying full price for your software - you might want to look into some of the open source alternatives. Most of them are just as good as the expensive versions, and they are free.

More information about open source software will be in another post.

10. Stop spending money
This sounds simple enough, doesn't it? But there are more than a few youth ministries that simply refuse to stop buying stuff. You do not need that new Wii or flat screen TV. You may not really need new carpet right now, it could wait a year or two longer.

The best way to save money in your youth ministry is to simply spend your money wisely. Think twice before making purchases. Hold off on major purchases as long as you can.


Six more ideas on stretching your budget.

to quote someone else: Steven Case (dealing with complainers)

"Ask yourself this: How would you react if the complainer were one of your students?"

taken from Help! I'm a Frustrated Youth Worker by Steven Case

This quote/question really struck me as a great mental filter for youth workers. We all have complainers in the church and we all deal with complaints weekly. How do you respond?

It is also good to remember this truth:

"It's important to remember not to take criticism personally. People will complain no matter who sits in the youth minister's office. It's not about you."

also taken from Help! I'm a Frustrated Youth Worker by Steven Case

Book Review: Help! I'm a Frustrated Youth Worker! by Steven L. Case

A little while ago I posted about my connection to this book, and I said I would probably buy a copy and read it. Well, I got a copy and have read it and now I am sharing my review.



You do not have to be in ministry long to experience your first feeling of frustration, and you are not alone in that frustration. In Help! I'm a Frustrated Youth Worker! Steve Case offers some very practical advice for frustrated youth workers. He draws from his many years in youth ministry to provide a field guide for the youth worker struggling to avoid burnout. Not only does Case provide tips and suggestions for common frustrations, he also offers some of his own person stories as well.

Reading Help! I'm a Frustrated Youth Worker! is like being on the other end of an email conversation with Case. The book offers help and hope to youth workers who are frustrated, and I believe this is accomplished through the conversational style of writing. While reading one paragraph you will be laughing and the next you will tear up thinking about how you have been hurt by others. You will be drawn into the conversation, which adds to the usefulness of this book.

Having gone through a few seasons of frustration in my ministry, I identified with much of the advice offered. In fact, I wish this book would have been available when I first started youth ministry. Having this book back then might have helped me avoid a few mishaps. Case does not offer any quick fixes for the frustrated youth worker and I appreciate that, because there are no quick answers on how to deal with your frustrations in ministry.

Help! I'm a Frustrated Youth Worker! is a must read for every rookie youth worker. But, all youth workers will benefit from having a copy on the bookshelf, as a reference guide. During those times of frustration, you will find helpful advice in its pages.


My advice (rating) – go out and buy it (4 out of 5)

It's Not About You

A few months ago I wrote an article which was published on YouthMinistry.com. I thought I would share it with you guys...

It's Not About You

For you, the past is a memory. The present is uncertain. The future is not even worth thinking about.

Here is the entire article:


There I was, standing in the living room looking at my wife. Why is this happening to us now? This was the question that kept swirling around in my head. I could tell it was the same question in my wife's head, too. And I bet most of you have asked it a time or two. We all experience those times when it seems like God got something wrong. You feel like you are in the wrong place at the wrong time and there is no way out.

For you, the past is a memory. The present is uncertain. The future is not even worth thinking about.

There are other times in our life where we feel pretty certain about our future. The future looks so bright and full of possibility. Every part of your life just seems to go the way it is supposed to go. Then it happens. It might be a loss of a job. It might be a death of a loved one. It might even be a long-term illness or injury. No matter what it is, it changes everything. The future which you were looking forward to has now become a memory of what could have been. What do you do now?

Reminds me of Proverbs 16.9, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." As I was going through that course altering situation, I struggled with understanding the purpose behind the change. From my point of view, I was not pursuing selfish gain or ignoble purposes. I was serving God in a place I felt He had called me to serve and it was bearing fruit. Why would God take it away when it seemed like there was so much more growth about to happen. I had my plan for what should happen - God had His plan, too.

It might be difficult for you to see at the moment, but there is a "God-reason" you are in your current situation. And it may not have anything to do with you. Remember the account of Joseph's brothers selling him into slavery. God did not allow it to happen to teach Joseph a lesson or to even allow his brothers to get what they wanted. Every part of Joseph's roller coaster situation was for one purpose and one purpose only. Joseph tells his brothers, and us, the reason in Gen. 50.20, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." (emphasis added)

The current situation is not about me or you. It is about God's plan for your life. Are you living each moment like it is a part of your plan or God's?

Youth Ministry Budgeting: The Process (3 of 5)

(This is part 3 of a 5 part series on youth ministry budgeting. See part #1 - stewardship and part #2 - categories, part 1 & 2 for more information on budgeting.)

What process do you follow when putting together your youth ministry budget? If you do not take your budget seriously, then I bet you do not actually have a process you follow. What follows is a 9 step sample process for putting together a youth ministry budget.

1 - Pray for wisdom.
As you begin the budget process, you need to take time to pray for wisdom. Pray for God to guide you, and the other leaders, as you budget for the coming year. Pray that the youth ministry will be a good steward of its resources. Pray for God to provide the ministry with the right people and supplies to reach students with the Gospel.

2 - Start early!
Give yourself plenty of time to complete the budget. You do not want to rush through this process. I would suggest starting about a month before it is due. This will give you time to go through this process without being negligent. The budget is not usually the part of ministry that youth ministers enjoy, but it is a necessary part of ministry. Starting early allows you to work on the budget little by little. But if you wait until the last minute, you will rush through it and be consumed with it.

3 - Pick your team.
You should not be the only person determining the youth ministry budget for your ministry. You will want to involve other people in this process for a few reasons. First, you do not want the ministry to get in a rut of doing the same things each year just because you did them the year before. Second, the youth ministry needs to be diverse, including things you would not have picked to include. Third, you do not have time to do it all yourself, nor do you want that pressure. Have your team work on the budget on their own and set a date to get together to compare.

If you are part of a small ministry, you might want to include everyone on your youth team. It will give the youth coaches ownership in the ministry. If you are part of a larger ministry, you will want to ask a few of the youth coaches to be part of the process. In a few cases you may only need to involve the paid staff in this process, at least until you have a version for everyone to review before submitting.

4 - Review last year's budget
You will not want to skip this step. Take your budget from last year and look at what you spent and did not spend. Were there one time only purchases? Look for items that do not need to be included in this year's budget and categories that can survive (still be effective) with less money. Once you have done this, you can then start adding items that are new for this year and increasing money in categories that need more.

Do not skip this step. To save time, you might be tempted to just add a certain percentage to each category or copy and paste from last year. That will not help your ministry be good stewards of your money/resources. When you start working on your budget early (step #1) you do not feel pressured to skip this review of last year's budget. And you will notice that you like the new budget more when you review last year's first.

5 - Determine categories
Once you review the previous year' budget, your next step is to start putting together this year's. You need to determine which categories from last year will carry over to this year and which ones can be dropped. After you compare your categories to previous budgets, you will want to look at the calendar for the year to determine what events are upcoming. This will help you know if you need to add a category to cover the cost of your ministry's events. (Here are 10 possible categories to consider.)

Remember that your youth ministry budget will not look like the youth ministry budget for the congregation down the street or the high profile ministry in your town. You cannot compare the resources God has given your ministry with the resources God has given another ministry.

6 - Calculate 1st draft of budget
Once your categories are set and you know what you need to budget for this year, you are ready to calculate how much you expect to spend. There are two main ways to calculate your budget. One way is to estimate your costs based on the previous year. You would add a percentage to last year's budget without checking actual costs. Or you can research all of the items needed, looking for discounts where available and carefully calculate the total cost. I recommend the second method.

As you calculate your budget, keep in mind the cost of some items will increase throughout the year. It will cost you more to rent a van this year then it did last year. Other items are set by your ministry. You decide how much to pay a band or a speaker for an event. There will also be budget items that will fluctuate constantly throughout the year, like the price of gasoline.

7 - Evaluate your stewardship
After you calculate a first draft of the budget, I recommend you stop and reevaluate the budget based on stewardship. How can your youth ministry be a better steward of its resources? Did you include items that are not really necessary? Are you wasting money or ignoring potential resources you have access to?

8 - Get together with other youth coaches and leaders
Now that you have your version of the budget complete, it is time to met with the other leaders who were work on their version. You need to compare the budgets and look for category differences first. Allow each person to discuss why they included or left off certain categories and then, as a group, decide what is best for the ministry. After the categories are finalized, you will want to finalize the dollar amounts. This may take longer, but it needs to be agreed upon by the entire team. As you finalize numbers, remind everyone that you want the budget to be the best overall use of your money and resources - it cannot simply reflect an individual preference by any leader.

9 - Finalize proposed budget and turn in
Then, have one person type up a final budget proposal to turn in. This is your final draft; the budget you feel your youth ministry needs to be the most effective it an be in the coming year. After it is finalized and typed up, turn it into the finance committee or whoever is in charge of approving budgets. Make sure you turn it in ahead of time, do not wait until the very last minute.


What would you add to the process? How do you handle your budgeting process?

Book Review: Youth Ministry 3.0 by Mark Oestreicher

I picked up Mark Oestreicher's new book while at the National Youth Workers Convention a few months ago. I had been looking forward to reading this expanded version of a general session talk he had given the year before at the convention. Having heard the general session talk and read the numerous blog posts on this very subject, I had certain expectations of what I would find within the pages. For the most part, I was not surprised.

Oestreicher has been involved with youth ministry for almost 25 years and is currently the president of Youth Specialties. He has been around the youth ministry world long enough to know the good and bad, and to have been a part of both sides. Now that he mainly sits on the other side of the trenches, watching the youth ministry culture as a whole, he can see a little clearer the trends that have been happening lately and how they will/should move youth ministers into what he calls youth ministry 3.0.

Before jumping into what youth ministry 3.0 is, Oestreicher sets out to explore youth ministry 1.0 and 2.0. According to Oestreicher, youth ministry 1.0 was the era when youth ministry was focused mainly on the proclamation of the Gospel. Youth ministry 2.0 was the era when the main focus was programs. Youth ministry is not completely out of version 2.0, but there are some significant changes occurring across the youth ministry world. The biggest events, tools, or methods in these eras of youth ministry were reproducible. At least that was the thought among both the "big ministries" and "little ministries." The larger ministries were busy sharing their methods with anyone who would listen (or go to the conference). And the small ministries spent a lot of time trying to copy the success of the larger ministries.

According to Oestreicher, one of the biggest changes in the youth ministry 3.0 era is that this "copy & paste" mentality has to go. In youth ministry 3.0, it is not about using the same method/curriculum/program as another church. The new era of youth ministry needs to be about being present within your own ministry context. Being present is the key word for this new ministry era. When a youth ministry is focused on what God is doing within their own ministry context, the focus is taken off of being like anyone else.

Oestreicher does not answer a lot of questions in this book, in fact he asks and leaves a lot of them unanswered. And isn't that the type of book a youth ministry 3.0 youth worker needs to read? A book that does not tell you how to change 7 aspects of your current model to become a newer/better ministry. (I still believe we need youth ministry books that focus on practical application, they are just not the only ones we need) The end of the book contains three stories of youth workers who are struggling with this transition or attempting make this transition within their ministries. These stories bring encouragement and challenge the youth workers who read this book to step out of their current "safe" model of ministry and go where God is leading.

The best way to make the most of reading this book is to read it with a group of youth workers. This is one of those books that is a good read, but a great resource when you discuss its content with others. If you are a lead youth worker, get a copy for everyone on your youth team and take time to read and discuss. If you are a volunteer youth worker, then make sure the lead youth worker knows about this book. Youth ministries have been stirring for a few years now about changes that need to take place within the realm of youth ministry. Oestreicher has articulated these feelings rather well, and you would benefit from listening to his thoughts, along with the voices of other youth workers found throughout the pages.


My advice (rating) –
buy more than one and give out copies (5 out of 5)