Going the distance

Group, Jul/Aug 1998 by Kjesbo, Allen

Are you in youth ministry for the long haul?

Learn what longtime youth workers know about effective ministry that can help you now.

A veteran youth leader asks 30 youth ministers with 10 years or more experience to reveal their secrets to longevity

Is long-term youth ministry an oxymoron? Not to GROUP readers, who average nine years of youth ministry experience. Of course, many youth workers drop out long before they reach the nineyear mark. And I know from personal experience that many novice youth ministers crave contact with veteran mentorspeople who have a decade or more under their belts. Of the 60 or so youth leaders at a recent conference for 10-year veterans, more than half the participants lacked the required experience. So why did they sign up? I called them, and they all said something like: "I wanted to unlock the secrets of long-haul ministry."

Not long ago I interviewed 30 longtime youth pastors for a doctoral project. The project was more than an academic exercise-this year marks my 40th birthday and my 15th year in full-time youth ministry. The six keys I discovered through my research have inspired me to remain true to my calling-I'm a "lifer" in youth ministry. And I hope these six keys will help keep you on the team.

You must know you're "called" to youth ministry. Talk of "the call" peppered all my interviews, crossing all denominational lines. The lingo and experiences were different, but the core value of the call was the same. Some traced their callings to mile-marker experiences-memories that now offer them refuge during times of frustration, or give them vantage points to more clearly see the future. Others felt called to youth ministry when they committed their lives to Christ. Still others saw God shape their callings over time as they plunged into youth work All said their callings are their bedrock for long-term commitment.

A sampling of what they said to me:

"While preparing for a career in business, I worked at a Christian camp one summer. At the camp I experienced what it was like to partner with God in working with young people. The experience changed my life direction, and my call was affirmed by others."

"I always had a sense that working with youth would be my life direction. But I never thought about it in terms of ministry. When I became a Christian, the direction for my life's work emerged. I got into youth ministry by chance and never got out of it."

"I had a call to go to seminary. Along with that call was a specific call to my current church. Through the educational process, I've come to see that youth ministry is not just what I do-it's who I am. Sharing Jesus is at the core of who I am. I'd need a call away from youth ministry to leave it."

You must enrich your call with continuing education. In a sprint there are no refreshments along the way. Not true in a marathon. A marathon youth pastor must lookbeyond the ministry immediate needs and allow for periods of spiritual and vocational refreshment.

Long-term youth ministers are committed to lifelong learning. They seek training both inside and outside the Christian tent. Some said the best training in management, administration, adolescent development, and family systems is in the secular world. In the Christian world, "lifers" most often mentioned Sonlife training as a key to their longevity. It provided a structure for them to grow in ministry. (You can contact Sonlife at 800-770-4769.)

Of course, youth workers need more than great ministry training. They have an ongoing need for spiritual revitalization. At a national conference for youth leaders, one of my interviewees said: "I came here concerned about ministry strategies. I was not even aware of my own spiritual condition because I've been working so hard to help others find grace. Here I've cried as I've been touched by grace. This has made my heart tender, allowing me to see my need for God."

You must make marriage and ministry a good partnership. Married youth leaders who've thrived long term have involved, supportive spouses. Almost all those I interviewed said their spouses share their calling. This doesn't mean your spouse must be actively involved in your ministry. It does mean he or she must affirm and support your vocation if you're going to make it for the long haul. Youth ministry can exact a heavy toll on family time and attention. If your spouse simply tolerates your ministry, you won't last long.

Youth ministers I interviewed said:

"My wife feels called to youth ministry. Her eye for detail complements my ministry gifts. She can make a general plan work. And she never competes for attention or craves the spotlight."

"My husband goes on youth ministry trips with us, encourages me when I am discouraged, and sees youth ministry as having a positive impact on our family's spiritual life. He covers the bases at home so I can do what's needed in the ministry."

"My husband doesn't feel called to youth ministry but knows and understands my love for it. He's had to share me with the church for many years and is at peace with that."