This morning I got a Facebook message from a brand new youth pastor. 2.5 weeks on the job, he asks “What advice can you give me?” Here’s my response:
I just hope you’ve got “My First 2 years in YM.” Seriously, that’ll save your tosh.
Some advice for the newbie.
Just focus on what’s most important and try to limit the rest. (Build relationships with kids, avoid meetings) Don’t be an office rat. Buy lots and lots of kids cokes and ice cream.
Wear a cup when you play paintball. Talk the church into a once per year permission slip. Make friends with the janitor. Tell the pastor you like his sermons.
Find out what you suck at and find a volunteer to do that for you. Get to know the parents. Order one large pizza for every 5 kids. Only do fundraisers that return 100% profit or more.
Keep your hobbies. Don’t try to dress like your students. Always say yes when an elder asks you to go to lunch. Use all of your vacation time. You love all types of music.
Get a Netflix account. Create a 12 month teaching cycle to impress your boss with. Always make eye contact. Make an appointment with the high school principal and repeat after me, “I have 4-5 hours per week to volunteer, how can I serve the school?” Ask kids about their walk with Jesus. Let all your calls after 5 PM go to voice mail.
Just focus on what’s most important and try to limit the rest.
Adam
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Try to find other youth pastors in your area to collaborate, share resources, pray, laugh, gripe, eat and hang with.
Nice. Great stuff!!
Good list. I suggest one big and important thing to know is:
Work in teams, and learn how to protect yourself and the church from unfounded allegations.
I wish someone had given me a list like this one when I first started out. Could have saved me a lot of trouble. Of course, the difference is that ‘newbie’ asked and I’m pretty sure I never did. All great advice
remember not to take yourself too seriously. seriously, we do it way more often than we realize. But God never has to go to Plan B. He’s always on Plan A.
(on excursions and in the event of rain – it’s ok for YOU to have a Plan B.)
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