During a recent organizational assessment I did through Arbor Research Group, I asked one of the ministry’s leaders how critical it was for his staff to recruit and equip adult leaders. In response, he said, “When they get their job description,...
The Yaconelli name is a familiar one to those in youth ministry. Mike Yaconelli was one of the founders of Youth Specialties and a legend in the youth ministry world. His son, Mark, is also a recognized figure in the youth ministry world.
One of...
Today, I'm linking up with Kate Motaung's Five Minute Friday. The rules: Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
This week's prompt: Rest.
I woke up with a migraine yesterday, the worst I've had in a long...
Recently, we talked about 11 signs you might be burning out.
Unfortunately, as you know, it's not enough to simply recognize you're burning out. Instead, you have to proactively deal with burnout both while you're at work and when you're at home....
Last week, we talked about 11 signs you might be burning out.
Unfortunately, it's not enough to simply recognize you're burning out. Instead, you have to proactively deal with burnout. Next week, we'll explore strategies for coping with burnout...
There are a few times a year when I hit a ministry slump: January / February and then again in August.
In both cases, exhaustion contributes to my slump. I enter January exhausted from the holidays only to then go full-throttle into two of my...
Last night, I mentioned to my husband in passing, "Tomorrow's the first day in weeks I feel like I have some breathing room in my schedule."
For me, January is always a sprint - one of the busiest months of my ministry year. To make matters...
In a recent meeting, my senior pastor reminded our staff that the church is supposed to be countercultural. One way we can be countercultural is by helping people slow down and linger.
One way to do that, in turn, especially in a youth ministry...
I snapped at my boss yesterday.
I realized it a few hours later and sent him an apology in which I also said, “I’m operating out of a place of depletion and stress right now.”
That’s not an excuse. It’s more a confession of my current reality.
At...
My first year in ministry, I lost track of how often I heard someone say, “I can’t believe you don’t burnout.”
At the time, I wore these words as a badge of honor. I heard in them affirmation for all I was doing and for the fullness of our...