Have you ever stopped to consider that something may actually be undermining your ministry?

What if I told you that they were things you could fix?

Being a Youth Worker can be crazy at times…well, most of the time.  You can definitely be pulled in a thousand different directions.  You want to do your best.  You want a ministry of influence.

The hard truth is that you can do so many things right.  You can work SO hard.  You can spend countless hours investing in your students…and still lose your ministry.  Or, at the very least be ineffective.  Here are two things that may be undermining your ministry, and two resources to help:

1. You are not managing your budget well

It is almost unfair really.  You may have gone to a Bible College or Seminary to train for ministry.  You may have a great vision for what you want to accomplish in your ministry.  You may not though have been really equipped to manage the funds that have now been entrusted to your care.

Bible College and Seminary do a great job at preparing you to teach and preach the Word.  They do a great job deepening your understanding of the Bible and of theology.  They just don’t always help prepare you for the assumed demands that will be placed on you day one in your ministry.

The scary part is that you can really be extremely effective in all respects of your ministry, fail to manage the money you have been entrusted with, and lose your job.  Being above reproach when it comes to managing a Youth Ministry budget is really important.  Knowing exactly where you are at all times, how much you have spent, and how much is remaining can increase your effectiveness by an indescribable amount.

If you are not currently tracking your budget you should start ASAP.  To help you get started here is a spreadsheet that I have used for years.  It is somewhat simplified from what I use, so feel free to add or delete as needed.

Budget Tracking Spreadsheet

2. You are not managing your time well

There always seems like there is more to do than hours in the day.  Being a Youth Worker is busy work with many demands on your time.  If you cannot learn to manage your time well, you will always be limited in your effectiveness.  Youth Workers who are serious about having an effective ministry have to learn to manage their time well.

It is highly likely that you are even unaware of how much time you could save while accomplishing even more than you currently do.  How do you say no to those who need your help?  How can you save time on things you do over and over and over?  The truth is, if you cannot manage your time well, you will eventually burn out.   It happens every day, but it does not have to happen.

My friend @aaronhelman over at SmarterYM.com has launched an Essential Time Management course specifically aimed at helping Youth Workers with their time management.  Regardless of how long you have been in ministry, this course will save you so much time each day.  In fact, the first session alone will save you several hours a week.

To be honest, there is a lot of really bad Youth Ministry stuff out there.  This one is worth your time for sure.  What would you do with 2 more hours a week?  Here is my affiliate link for his course.

The Essential Time Management Course

I have seen so many Youth Pastors throw away good ministry.  A failure to manage your budget and your time may be undermining your ministry.  It does not have to be that way.

How well do you do at managing your budget and your time?  What are your biggest struggles?

Leave a comment and share below.  Also, check out the spreadsheet and the course and let me know if you find it helpful!

Photo credit: JD Hancock / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)