How To Be A Professional Youth Minister

Each new school year when our programs start again, I think about what it means to be a professional youth minister. The term professional in this context is simply a designation for those paid to serve rather than those who are volunteers heading up a youth group. Professional youth ministers face a unique set of expectations.

Years ago in our first network meeting of the year, I shared with two dozen full time youth ministers some thoughts on what it means to be professional.  It’s so much more than just being paid to serve.  The expectations with it means living up to what others view as the hallmarks of professionalism.  Sadly, many youth ministers struggle to be professional in some respects.  The result is at times the end of a job.  So, to help prevent job loss and encourage longevity in positions, I share these again.  To clarify though, so that some don’t think I am dissing the profession or anyone in particular, I must say up front that I struggle with some of these and I fully recognize that full time youth ministers tend to be creative and relational type folks who don’t excel in administration and details.

Be responsible.  Let me define that creatively.  Be response-able. Return calls as quickly as you are able.  Reply to text messages promptly.  Respond to email in a timely fashion.  These are areas that if done right make relationships a whole lot easier.  Nothing irritates folks more than not hearing back on a question, comment, or concern. What we communicate when we fail to respond or reply is that the person or their concern is not important to us.  We quickly kill trust when we fail to reply, return, or respond.

Be proactive. Plan ahead. Take the time to map out longer range plans, leaving space for flexibility of course.  Then communicate your plans to everyone affected by them. Communicate what is going on and why it is happening.  Let people see your vision for ministry. Your strategy should be transparent.  I tend to think of that communication in the order of: pastor/rector, church staff, parents, students, congregation. Often times much of our communication should be simultaneous. Then communicate it again.  Students and parents in particular need regular reminding of what is going on and why. There is always that one parent that says “you never told us” after three emails plus announcements in the church bulletin. While that might cause us to question why we should bother with all this communication, it gives us the cover to gently say “I have communicated that multiple times”. Plan, communicate, and then anticipate. Being proactive means anticipating what opposition we will face and what hurdles will need to be overcome. Have a plan for those as well. It’s not enough to simply put it out there and expect everything to go fine.

Be prepared.  Few things are more frustrating than the reality that when students go home from youth group and parents ask what they did, the answer will be “nothing”. If that response is accurate, go find another career! I strongly feel that if a student shows up to youth group and we have nothing for them, we failed and should not be paid for this position. There are times when things don’t go as planned, but there should never be a time when nothing was planned and nothing took place. We kill youth ministries that way and we kill our integrity. We should have a plan entering all situations and a plan for what to do if things fall apart. Be prepared for all meetings, not just youth group.  This includes meeting with people one on one.  Know what you are seeking to accomplish or the time is wasted.  Even if it’s just getting to know someone, have a strategy to do that effectively. Another aspect of preparedness is being on time. I was born late and have struggled to be on time to anything since then.  Even made my wife nervous on our wedding day. Yet I have learned that there are some times when being late is more trouble than it’s worth.  I have to ask myself, if I am late to this particular meeting or appointment, am I  communicating that their time is less important than mine? Being prepared and on time conveys professionalism.

Be grateful. Make a point of thanking people at every turn. Using email is okay for general thanks, but handwritten notes are far more effective. When our job is to serve others, we should be thankful for every bit of help we get. Having this attitude will lead to others being willing to get involved in your ministry. The key is to remember that we serve others, not the other way around.

Professionalism is not an easy task in youth ministry, but it is vital. Youth Pastors often have the reputation of being the church slacker and we cannot afford that. When budgets get crunched, the slacker is going to feel the pinch whereas the professional is going to be supported. The professional comes across as organized, focused, passionate, and a valuable member of the ministry team. Here’s to a new season of ministry and a chance to be the youth minister that you want to be!