What’s next?

I believe that the Youth Ministry position is the most challenging position on a church staff.

I have said this for years during our orientation at camp where there are Youth Ministers and sponsors in the room. Often there are Pastors and other staff members present. Rarely has anyone challenged me.

There are several things that make the Youth Ministry position challenging. The short list is teens, parents, and supervisors. But none of these are the BIG ONE.

The BIG ONE is that the Youth Minister on church staff is the only staff member who has to ask the question, What’s next?

Every other person on staff can do what they are doing until they retire. A Youth Minister will most likely do something else.

So in the midst of all of the other things that a Youth Minister has to deal with, there is eventually this nagging question of, What’s next?

Once this question enters your headspace, it doesn't go away. I’ve learned this from those that have heard this speech.

It is not a reason to be discouraged or to give up. It is a reason to begin to dream of a transition where you will continue to be fulfilled in your God given call.

In the meantime, keep crushing it. There are great days ahead!

When is the best time to recalibrate?

Let me speculate here. Most of us don’t intentionally recalibrate in order to maintain optimum health, whether physically or organizationally. We tend to recalibrate when something breaks.

A well timed calibration can help you evaluate on schedule and can become an effective system in your organization.

My default on deep work includes these three things:

• People–do I want someone or others to be a part of the recalibration process? This is a good leadership process when you develop a rhythm that systematically evaluates your ministry.

• Place–where can you go to eliminate distractions and do deep work? If you don’t have a default location, then be creative and find a stimulating place. Experiment and keep a list of good places.

• Process–how will you evaluate? The most reliable measure is your vision. How is your vision becoming a reality? What steps or programs are getting traction and bearing fruit? Don’t be guilty of only evaluating attendance. This is important, but try to determine the narrative of the number. There is always a story behind the numbers. Pay attention to the story.

Remember that there is a natural pull away from the pursuit of vision. Our rhythm moves from week to week and if we are not careful we drift off course. Taking time to periodically recalibrate will strengthen your process.