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
We are excited to finally roll out the new SYMC website for 2011. The new site has the speaker line-up (although there’s more to come there), the great Training options, and all the registration details you need to know. There’s so much there you’ll have to check it out what Doug and the rest of the gang have planned.
We are so excited, I hope you join us in Chicago, March 4 – 7 2011.
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!
Yesterday I was on an hour long live radio show with Faith Radio in Saint Paul, Minnesota. We talked about the book I wrote with Reggie and Abbie called, The Slow Fade. They asked me a bunch of questions, people called in and sent emails to ask questions. If you’re interested in listening to that interview via podcast, click here.
Here?s a thought-provoking twist on an old game that you can use at a youth group meeting to help kick-off your fall and to generate a great discussion about community and commitment to each other. With this new twist on the classic Hide and Seek, from back in the day, your youth will have to make a decision that will provoke deeper thoughts as to: “Why we hide sometimes,” “Why do we not seek others out” and “How does it feel to be ‘found’.”
Hide and Seek (with a twist)
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 [...]
Ur YM has kicked off for the fall or is about to. How’s ur voluntold team looking?
Mark DeVries in his epic book, Sustainable Youth Ministry, says u should have 1 adult volunteer (engaged and relational I would add) for every 5 of ur youth. How’s that going for you?
Some of u are doing great. Skip the rest of this blog then and go back to chatting on FB.
For the rest of you: having trouble getting enough good volunteers?
Three reasons why: 1) Have you asked the right people?
2) Have you given them a specific job description with clear cut expectations, boundaries, plans and purpose?
3) Are you spending more time with ur teens than w ur volunteers?
Let any one of these three facts go awry and that’s a place to start figuring out why ur begging and pleading for help. Why ur pulling out hairs u can’t spare from ur head. Why uve even resorted to asking the SP if he would like to help “chaperon” the MS lock-in. Ur are one desperate YP if it comes to that!
Stephanie
PS-u can always tell when i’m posting from my phone. grammer, spelling and abbreviations don’t seem to matter to me.
I don’t know if you taken your summer vacation yet, but I want to go on this trip:
I personally can’t wait for the new Star Tours ride at Disneyland. It’s needed a revamp for awhile, but it’s still one of my favorites.
Over on SimplyYouthMinistry.com we launched a great bundle this morning. The Super Awesome Bundle 2. It’s 8 great resources for $49. As the bundle sells it get’s better. Check out the bundle page for all the details.
Here’s a little video we made about how we came up with the bundle. (Why do I always end up in these videos?)
Quantities are limited, so don’t wait too long.
Also 10% of the sales go to help the Center for Parent / Teen Understanding.
I’ve been a little crazed of late and haven’t given the blog the time it deserves (I have some fun posts coming very soon, including my Comic-Con wrap-up), but for now enjoy this bit of Summer Happiness.
The gang over at Improv Everywhere are at it again, this time re-enacting a scene from Star Wars on a subway. Actually I think I really saw this at Comic-Con last year.
I love the David Crowder Band and was excited to see they released a new EP today. It’s a 4 song acoustic set and it’s great.
Track List:
You can get it from iTunes today:
Summer Happiness (Acoustic) – EP – David Crowder Band
I love the Chronicles of Narnia books, and I can’t wait to see what the film makers do with this book:
I’m hoping they have more on this movie at ComicCon this year.
I’m not quite sure what I can add to this, but my son thought this looked like a good idea. I think I should be afraid.
Last summer I signed my daughter up for one of the free day-camps they do at the Apple store and she learned all about photography. She had a great time. I was excited to get an email this morning about this summers program. It’s all about making movies this year. I’ve already signed her up because spaces go fast. Did I mention it’s FREE? I thought I’d pass it along to any of you who may have kids between 8-12 who would love a fun activity for a few days this summer. They are even having a film festival for all the films the kids make. Should be fun.
If you’re in San Diego we are doing the early session at Fashion Valley on July 19 – 20. Maybe I’ll see you there.
One of my favorite TV shows is coming to an end this weekend. After Sunday we won’t have the survivors of Flight 815 to lead us through a mysterious island complete with time travel and side-ways universes. I admit I was a little late to the LOST party, I didn’t start watching it till last fall, and thanks to Netflix streaming I got through the first 5 seasons in time to join in with everyone else when the season 6 premiered in February.
I love the story of these messy people and the journey they have been on. I look forward to the final act and see how they end up. I hoping I’m not disappointed, I’m trying to keep my expectations in check.
If you need one final LOST fix your should check out this amazing art by former Simply Youth Ministry creative director, Ty Mattson. They are great.
If you want to dive into theology and what we can learn from LOST, there’s a great book by Chris Seay. His book covers some of the ideas of faith and connection that are expressed on the show.
Check it out HERE: The Gospel According to Lost
For all you lost fans, enjoy the finale, I know I will.
I realize I missed posting on Star Wars Day this year (May the 4th be with you.) But I still thought these were fun even if I’m a day late.
The star wars saga told in Legos in less that 2 and a half minutes:
and if that’s not enough, visit JibJab to put your self in the saga!
May the 4th be with You!
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