Enjoyed reading Jeremy’s post over on REYouthPastor talking about burnout and youth ministry. He asks some good questions, and I’d love to read some of your thoughts on the subject or burnout. Here’s a clip of his stuff, head over there to read the whole thing and comment if you would like:
Pain is part of the youth pastor job description. Does experiencing pain and exhaustion season a youth pastor? One of the biggest negative aspects of being a youth pastor is that working with students stunts our emotional and life growth.
Many youth pastors try so hard to dodge the ?burn out? bullet.
We try to take more days off, vacations, see a psycho-therapist, take a monthly spiritual retreat, and pursue spiritual formation but it seems like we are only left with more exposed pain, exhaustion, and burn out. There is this belief that if you burn out, you are a bad youth pastor because apparently you didn?t take enough days off or establish healthy boundaries. I think the exact opposite is true.
America?s best youth pastors are the youth workers who have learned and persevered through their many painful and hurtful church experiences. The youth pastors that persevere make it, but the youth pastors that live in the past and become jaded don?t make it.
My point ? the best youth pastors are the youth pastors who burn out or get burned because very early on they learn to forgive and to let go.
JG
1 September 2010
posted by Scott Rubin
Some of your churches are like mine, and you encourage some of your volunteers to ?take a breath? during the summer months. We push the pause button on our small groups in June & July so that our faithful volunteers can vacation, rest, and be ready to jump back into investing in junior highers once the school year begins. Honestly, our ministry is less effective during those months, and I miss those volunteers like crazy, but for us it?s the best choice in the long run. (and, it probably explains why so many of our volunteers have stuck around for years & years!)
So last week, I was anticipating the ?re-arrival? of our school year volunteers. I said to our staff team, ?Who?s one person that you?re really really looking forward to serving alongside of this year?? It was fun to hear people?s answers? and look forward to this fun we?re going to have together this year, as we point middle schoolers towards Jesus.
Later that day, I decided to take 4 minutes & jot a note to one of those volunteers? and tell them how much they?re valued around here ? and why. It?s a habit I?m trying to ?re-create? ? because honestly, I?ve gotten a little sloppy with it! (Which is crazy, because when I get an encouragement note, sometimes I?ll carry it around with me for a few days!) Thoughtful words are really meaningful to me — and in about 4 minutes, I can put some fuel in someone?s tank just by jotting them a snail-mail note. In a mailbox full of credit card offers and cable-tv-advertisements, a card from you would be a welcome site!
This may make the live bloggers a little miffed, but apple announced they will live stream their event tomorrow. I love that they made this move.
From their site: Apple will broadcast its September 1 event online using Apple?s industry-leading HTTP Live Streaming, which is based on open standards. Viewing requires either a Mac running Safari on Mac OS X version 10.6 Snow Leopard, an iPhone or iPod touch running iOS 3.0 or higher, or an iPad?. The live broadcast will begin at 10:00 a.m. PDT on September 1, 2010 at www.apple.com.
I’ll be sure to log in, how about you?
UPDATE: Here the link for the live stream: http://events.apple.com.edgesuite.net/1009qpeijrfn/event. Here are the system requirements: Safari 4 or 5 on Mac OS X Snow Leopard or Safari on iOS 3 or later. Sorry PC friends.
There are a lot of changes happening in our student ministries right now. In the midst of the crazy summer so many other components are moving in different directions. Many of the changes are great, and needed. And it will be exciting to see how God will unfold all that we have been praying for. But there are a few changes that I (as the wife) do not like so much and don’t understand. It is these changes that I don’t know what to say, and not say, and just what to do. My pride wants to shout at my husband, “Hey, did ya think it all through? Are ya real, REAL sure about that one?!” And my favorite, “Listen to me, listen to me, just listen to me!” BUT…..I know I shouldn’t.
I don’t know if I’m alone on this one, or what?? Anyone else fear change as much as me? I totally trust my husband and his call to this ministry. I do believe he is brilliant and gifted and a wonderful leader. Buuutttttt, what do you do when you don’t agree with it all?? Nothing? Pray? Vent, and visit this site?
I did take a big step (for me) this weekend. Our Pastor asked us to choose one area in which we would come to God daily for the summer and ask his guidance. I was certain that I was going to ask for wisdom concerning all these changes happening for us [...]
As a youth pastor in an urban setting, I need to be able to resource my youth group ona budget. A lot ofthe guys Italk too say the very same thing. I’m going to take the next week or so and talk about some resources and ways to be an Urban Youth Ministry Baller on aBudget!
My boy Scott Mills from LifeWay was feeling me when he wrote this….
As a student minister, I am sure you have to tighten your belt these days and make more youth ministry happen with fewer dollars. With the economy like it is, everyone has to make the most of what we have ? at home, at work, and in our ministry
Did you know that LifeWay has many options for Bible Study? We have options for all budgets, but you will not lose anything when it comes to solid biblical teaching that is built on a strategy for developing students spiritually. All our Bible study resources line up with a solid strategy to help students KNOW God, OWN their faith, and make their faith KNOWN. (www.lifeway.com/studentstrategy)
Here is how these resources compare per week if you have 1 teacher and 20 students:
Ok, it’s been about 5 months since College Ministry 101 was released and I just saw this. How dumb am I? If you haven’t checked out the book yet, and desire to read the introduction and first three chapters, click here. Kinda cool that you can get an idea – and some ideas – even if you don’t buy the book!
Next week, the blogging will pick back up. I promise. I just needed a little break…
Related posts:
Subscribe to the Network
Hi Chuck-I just found this blog and the collegeleader.org website and I am breathing a huge sigh of relief right now. My husband and I just recently moved back to Texas to a town that is divided in so many ways. We were very involved volunteers with our college ministry for the past 2 1/2 years in Phoenix (about 200 students) and loved every minute of it. Now we are at a church that is just starting a college ministry, and the burden on my heart for this age group feels like weights are lying on my heart. There are 19000 enrolled college students in this town with a population of 100,000. That’s just the enrolled ones. The largest church here in town (and it’s really big) only has 200 in their ministry. I feel and see the need for the church and churchmembers to get involved! Thank you so much for what you are doing. I don’t feel so alone in my thoughts and feelings anymore.
Kelly
Hi Kelly -
I just wanted to chime in and thank you for caring about college students and helping your church start the process of caring about college students!
Believe it or not, 200 is really pretty big – especially for church-based college ministries. The sad thing is that many, many churches around the U.S. have really struggled to get a foothold here – church-based college ministry is definitely the most underdeveloped area of the field of Campus Ministry as a whole. Fortunately, there are several churches that have found ways to succeed where so many have struggled! And though I don’t know where you’re located, it sounds like a place where some good things might be happening – and yet much more can be done! I hope so!