“Don’t fight the problem, decide it.”
–George C. Marshall

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.”
–Theodore Roosevelt

Making decisions is a very vital part of being a effective youth pastor.  I think the biggest thing that hinders people from making decisions is fear of failure, fear of success, and fear of rejection.

If youth pastors make the wrong decision we have parents, senior leadership, students, and other congregational members down our throats.  In the youth ministry context, what are the dimensions of decision making?

Every day, week, month, quarter, and year youth pastors are having to make many-many mini and big decisions.

I argue there are two levels–spiritual and practical, that help guide youth pastors to make the best  decision possible.

Spiritual

Obviously youth pastors are in the spiritual/church business, so we need to consult God about our current decision.

In decision making, youth pastors can seek God by:

- Praying asking for God’s will and to remove our agenda and intentions.

- Read, mediate, study and pray through Scripture.  Look for characters in the Bible who are going through the same problems you are going through.

-  Seek wise counsel and senior leadership that you trust and respect.  More importantly they should have a strong tract record in dealing with making difficult decisions.

- Enter solitude.  Get away from the busyness.  Leave the church office, turn off the cell phone, disable email, and shut down your social media sites and just listen…..

Employing and discerning the spiritual side of decision making acts as the behind the scenes portion of “deciding”.  Inviting God into your decision is huge because He can do anything and everything, it is just a question of when.

Practical

After  inviting God into your decision mess, action needs to happen.

6 steps in decision making in the youth ministry context

1.   Seek God – Repeat this step as many times as necessary. (For more info see above)

2. Define problem – It is imperative you know what you are trying to solve or figure out.  Clearly defining the problem will give you a clear target. 

3.  Know what you want and your outcome – Clarify what you want and need and keep fixated on your target.  Then, try to predict how your decision will play out.  Worst case scenario, you make another parent mad at you.

4.  Just do it – just make a decision and move on.  Don’t get stuck in the past.  I call this paralysis by analysis.  There is NEVER a perfect decision.  If God hasn’t spoken to you, go with your gut.  Researchers have concluded that your instinct is your best decision compass.

5.  If what you are deciding is not working, change your approach – check your pride/ego and try another strategy that might work better.  The best outcomes come from multiple failures.  There is nothing more painful to watch than a ministry leader who keeps making the same mistake over and over again because it was “great” idea on paper.  The only great ideas in youth ministry are ideas that work.

6.  Follow through – Finishing the decision to the end is key.  Finish well.  Often, we don’t follow through because we don’t know what we want, and when we do know, we’re afraid to take action.

© 2010, Jeremy Zach. All rights reserved.

According to Bobby Clinton from Fuller Theological Seminary, only 30% of leaders last….

Why do youth pastors tend to leave churches? Youth pastors…

*burned up– exhausted physically and spiritually

*run out– get fired because senior leadership does not like you

For Example:

Click here to view the embedded video.

*given up– lost heart and motivation for youth ministry.  youth ministry seems like a job rather than a call.

*eaten up– conflicting church leadership values and conflicts with staff

*dried up– no evidence of fruit in youth ministry and students seem spiritually dry

*Flaked out– ministry gets to hard and youth pastors bail or get extremely lazy

*sold out– give up on “the church” and lean to liberal theology to solve all of their problems

*sinned out– committed a sin that caused them to step down i.e embezzlement and affairs

*financed out–  not getting paid enough and cannot provide for the family

How can youth pastors or youth leaders lead well when the odds are against us?

NIV Acts 20:24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me– the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace

1.  Personal time with Jesus

Ministry flows out of our relationship with Jesus. God has given His chosen leaders to lead with His power (Acts 1.9).  Youth pastors need to intentionally carve time out so they can spend a lot of time with Jesus so He can empower us to do the work of the ministry.

2.  Find and Exude Passion

If you enjoy what you do, it should show.  And no you don’t have to be an extrovert in order to demonstrate  excitement about ministry.   Dave Kraft thinks “Passion will have more of an impact than personality.”  What in ministry makes you tick?  I am not talking about drumming up some fake emotional energy to get kids superficially excited about Jesus.  My worry is that many youth pastors don’t have a fire about equipping a youth generation that can and will change the world.

“The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.”  – Field Marshal Ferdinand Foch

Passion gives you a sense of excitement about the direction of your youth ministry.

NIV 2 Corinthians 4:1 Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.

3.  Know Your Priorities

What are your theological and ministry of philosophy priorities?  Reggie Joiner argues that doing less will enable you to do more.  Knowing your priorities will protect and combat “other” good ideas about how to do youth ministry.  Priorities give clarity to why you do youth ministry the way you do.  They also verify why God has selected you to do his work at your particular church right here and now.

4.  Know Your Personality, Call, and Gifting

Take a few personality tests.  My two favorite: Strengths Finder and Myers Briggs.    Have a written down statement that articulates the reason for your being.  Know your call so when things get tough you are reminded of why you are doing youth ministry even though it may seem like babysitting and your senior pastor is a dufus.  What are some spiritual gifts that leaders in the church have affirmed?  Remember, all gifts are from the Lord.  What type of ministry things do you tend to excel at?  Speaking?  Study? Execution?  Building programs? Sheparding?  Discipleship?  Evangelism?

NIV Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

5.  Find A Steady Tempo

I tend to bulldoze things.  I like craziness and actually do my best work in chaos.  Although there is a reason why God rested.  We were wired to take a break and turn off the system.  Youth pastors need to find time to relax, retreat, reflect, recharge, read, record, and do more reflecting.  The youth pastorate whether you like it or not goes at a fast pace.  If youth pastors don’t know how to stop, youth ministry will kill your soul, family, and faith.   Dave Kraft in Leaders Who Last suggests leaders should 1.  take a full day off, 2. plan a full day alone for a spiritual retreat on a monthly basis, 3.  Make sure to have fun each week and do a lot of things that make you laugh, 4.  limit the number of evenings I am not at home, and 5. Go to conferences (like NYWC, or Simply Youth Ministry Conference).

** I heavily consulted four sources in this post:

Kraft, Dave.  Leaders Who Last.

Trump, Donald.  Think Big and Make It Happen In Business and Life.

Clinton, Robert.  Making of  a Leader.

Seven Practices of Effective Ministry.

© 2010, Jeremy Zach. All rights reserved.

Youth pastors are notorious for doing and saying dumb stuff.

Top 5 Things Youth Pastors Do:

Eat really unhealthy

The youth pastor schedule is not ideal for eating healthy.  We eat what kids love to eat– pizza, hamburgers, fries, corn dogs, tatter tots, and ice cream.  Read more…

NIV Zechariah 7:6 And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves?

Proverbs 3:7-8  7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.  8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

Don’t Read Our Bible

I have this theory:  the younger the youth pastor, the less they ACTUALLY read their Bible.  Why?  Us young youth pastors think we know it all. We have read the latest and coolest books about the church so we think we have something new to say about the Bible. We only read our Bible when we need to create a sermon.  Very rarely do we just read it for ourselves.   Honestly how many of us actually carry around a physical Bible?  No an Iphone Bible app does not count.

NIV 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

Become too culturally relevant and complacent

I am all about contextualization but our relevance needs boundaries.  It is troubling when youth pastors devote more time, energy, and resources to their image than to their theology.  I am very guilty of this. I think being in the same culture or context is extremely helpful but  can lead to a dangerous place of complacency. It is imperative we realize that the Kingdom of God’s values are counter-cultural. This is why Ignatius the Ultimate Youth Pastor is so brilliant.

Click here to view the embedded video.

At some level all youth pastors do something Ignatius does. 

Don’t study enough

Technology is a beautiful thing, however we live in a wiki world.  If we want to know something, we can find an answer in 15 seconds.  We go right to google.com and believe Wikipedia is a valid and reputable source.  Actually reading a book and going to a library is a foreign concept.  If we need a youth sermon, we google “youth sermon”.  Here is an idea… actually read your Bible, use commentaries, and ask the holy spirit to speak to you.  In many ways, technology has made youth ministry and youth pastors homogeneous.

NIV Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.

NIV Nehemiah 8:8 They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear  and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.

Take ourselves way too seriously…

How many hours in our weeks do we try to  justify our actions, behaviors, decisions, and theology in church land?  Youth pastors are already at a disadvantage position in the church hierarchy.  If a parent complains about us, it takes us 2 weeks to get over it.  There is a real power in laughing it off.  Make fun of yourself and your stupid mistakes.  Talk a lot about your failures and idiotic tendencies.  My point:  We cannot take ourselves too seriously, but it is imperative to take God’s work very seriously.  We have nothing to prove to anyone.  We constantly need to be growing a thicker skin and laugh a lot.  Read More…

NIV Galatians 1:10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

NIV 1 Thessalonians 2:4 On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.

NIV 2 Corinthians 5:13 If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.

NIV Proverbs 14:13 Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief.

© 2010, Jeremy Zach. All rights reserved.

Youth pastors are notorious for sticking their foot in their mouth.  Youth pastors blow it a lot.

09. Mis-budgets youth ministry events

It seems like youth pastors are not very great with money, so we can never make a dime when putting on an event.  Some how if a youth pastor is planning an activity, they will lose money.  If you are youth pastor great at accounting, please contact me.

08.  Don’t take their critics seriously

9 out of 10 times if someone does not like us or our youth ministry strategy, we write them off.  We get very angry at them and say a lot of unChristian stuff about their lazy student and their bad parenting.  You can still say that stuff, but do it in a safe place and give them a call asking them why they don’t like you.  At times this can be really unproductive and regardless what you say/do they will still not like you.    Getting mad is fine, just don’t sin. 

07.  Love students, don’t love God

Students don’t need anymore “friends”.  They actually really don’t want your friendship.  They need more adults passionately following Jesus.  Some times youth pastors reverse the greatest commandment:  Love People, Love God. 

06.  Adores their youth ministry mission and vision statement

Youth pastors love showing off their youth ministry value statement.  Students don’t really care about your fancy-pithy vision statement.   

05.  Neglects the value of church

Many youth pastors alienates their youth ministry from church.  It is really hard working the bigger church.  It is soo much easier doing things by ourselves.  Things get done quicker and more efficient.  However Scriptures clearly commands the youth ministry department to get along with big church.

04.  Underestimates adult leader recruitment

Again, youth pastors like to fly solo.  Why waste so much energy developing leaders? It is difficult hearing NO from someone we know will be a great youth leader.  It seems like the people who want to really help, are only wanting to help for selfish reasons.  My advice:  keep asking and praying God bring you more leaders.  

03.  Doesn’t pursue and cultivate a relationship with senior pastor/senior leadership

Our assumption:  Senior pastors do not have time for youth pastors, so why should youth pastors pursue a relationship?  We are the children, so why should we seek a relationship with our parents?  Well…. because it will drastically help at a personal connection  level with your boss and establish a synergy within the staff.

02.Does not serve the good of the community and school

Youth ministries enjoy staying inhouse.  A youth ministry can become a lot more complacent within it is inward focused.  Give a call up to your local school and ask them what their needs are.  Your students spend more time on the school campus then they do on your church campus.  If your students are spending more time on your church campus, you have bigger problems to worry about.

01. A constant refining of character

Not enough youth pastors take a long and deep look inside their soul.  Many are not feeding their soul.  Some youth pastors jump from job to job wondering why they have the same problems with church?  Honestly youth pastors typically come with  a lot of personal baggage.  Constantly refining and developing your character is the best investment as a youth pastor.  Always ask the question of:  How am I changing–in my theology?  as a husband?  as a church leader? as an individual? Character is everything. As youth pastors we need to take seriously our sanctification process.  Read a lot and take personal retreats…. heck even get a Christian psychologist.  Youth ministry is too damaging for one’s soul, so we need to enroll others to help us navigate the youth ministry trenches and our own issues.  Far too many times, we let our personal issues get in the way of how we do youth ministry and how we do life.  If we don’t value our own sanctification process, youth pastors tend to get more angry, cynical, and bitter at church.  Youth pastors blame their church, when they should be blaming themselves.

© 2010, Jeremy Zach. All rights reserved.

What matters most as a committed–common youth pastor who is employed at an Evangelical church?

After much contemplation, here is my list:

1.  Back Your Church Leadership 100%

Many youth pastors have a difficult time “fitting” in at church.  Youth pastors have the tendency to be cynical, skeptical, question, and disagree with how church does things.  For example… youth pastor have beef with church leadership structure, vision, policies, etc.. I think being a church problem is in the DNA of a good youth pastor.  It is easy to listen to other members of the church complain about the same things you complain about.  But at the end of the day you as the youth pastor back your church leadership.  I don’t care how much you disagree/hate/dislike your church vision/leadership you get their backs. My youth pastor buddy Caleb stated it very well:  You may disagree with your church leadership decisions, but always respect their position of authority. However if your church leadership doesn’t back you as the youth pastor, that is different ball game and you may want to leave ASAP. 

2.  Let  your NO be NO.

In the past, I have had a difficult time saying NO to really demanding people.  Although I have been saying NO and you need to hold tight–a lot lately.  In my personality profile, I am a people pleaser.  I like to win over the crowd. In comparison, youth ministry is one big awkward–tough–difficult conversation.

My tendency is to say YES, but the reality is my family and ministry need  me to say NO.

By saying NO to everyone’s great idea, you are freed to focus in on what God is calling you to do in and through your youth ministry.  If you are too busy implementing everyone’ else ideas, you will lack motivation and your youth ministry will become very misguided.  Focusing on less means the youth pastor needs to say NO more.

3.  Stick To The Basics

We all know the basics, but we forget a lot.  It is funny— we remember what we are suppose to forget, but we forget what we are suppose to remember. So remember this…..

You need a lot of time with Jesus!

Family is everything.  If your family life is a mess, and your ministry is thriving you have a deep theological and personal problem.

Ministry.  Ministry is ministry.  It sucks.  It is hard. But someone has to do the job.  Remember you are called by God to co-labor with Him at your church.  Ministry is the means, not the end.

4.  Prayer

Pray your butt off.  Every day soak in Ephesians 6.  There are too many complexities and difficulties to youth ministry, so really the only thing you can do is pray and keep trying things out.  MC HAMMER said it best:  You have to pray just to make it today.

© 2010, Jeremy Zach. All rights reserved.