Shore Youth Ministry

Flexible in Ministry

Sorry for the recent lack of posts: my schedule has been rather hectic. This weekend, the Tabernacle hosted a Women’s Conference. Over 240 women came on Friday night and Saturday for this conference, the first we have held. Gloria Gaither was the speaker, and her daughter Amy Gaither Hayes did the music. All in all, it amounted to me (the Youth Director) working 18 hours helping this women’s event.

There are times when you will be asked to help the church with a non-youth event. Whether it is the business side (budgeting and committee meetings), Sunday mornings (worship leader or the occassional preaching), or other areas of ministry (adult events or church-wide outreaches), you will be asked to help. Although not as fun as pegging students in dodgeball, these additional roles can be beneficial to your student ministry.

Here are 3 reasons to help with a non-youth ministry event:

• Meet new people. At times, we can be so absorbed in our ministry that we fail to branch out and meet new people. Events serve as a church mixer, giving you a chance to meet people either new to the church or those not involved in the youth ministry. These people could be future volunteers or supporters for your program.
• Generate excitement for your program. As seen above, your involvement in these programs introduces you to new people. If you get a chance to talk about your ministry, go for it. In the past year, I have received so much encouragement from little old ladies who, aside from me talking to them, have no connections to the youth program.
• Keeping a servant’s heart. Remember, you and your ministry are just one part of the church. Supporting and helping other ministries, especially those that may not have as many volunteers or resources, is important for the greater good of the church.

The youth ministry is not a standalone group outside of the church body; it is a vital piece of the puzzle. Be sure that you are supporting (through time or prayer) the other ministries of your church.

NOTE: A prerequisite for any non-youth event is that it does not conflict or affect your ministry. Spreading yourself too thing and neglecting your own area of ministry is an easy (and too common) pitfall for youth pastors. Remember, you are the youth pastor, not the Youth and Seniors pastor.

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