I love ‘doing’ youth ministry!  It’s so much fun!  There are things I get to do for my ‘job’, that no one else can do!  Going skiing is considered work.  Going to camp is considered work.  Going to a basketball or football game is considered work.  Is that not the best gig ever?  A majority of the time however, I find that I am in my office. That’s some of the hardest work ever.  Especially when disc golf is considered work.

Are you good at working ahead?  I find that I am most productive when deadlines are imminent. It’s hard for me to think way into the future and get stuff done 3 weeks ahead of time, let alone 3 months.

Tip: Set your own deadlines.  I have tried this over and over again.  My problem is that I don’t have consequences when I don’t meet my own deadlines and I have no one holding me accountable.  So, if you NEED to get something done one month ahead of time, set a deadline and have someone consequence you for not getting it done.

Do you work best in the morning, afternoon, or evening?  For me, a vast majority of my work comes in the PM.  I’m not a morning person at all.  My brain doesn’t really start functioning until after lunch.  That’s partially why I take an early lunch, so that I have a majority of my most productive hours ahead of me.
Tip: Figure out what times you are most awake and effective.  Set aside that time for your deep study or for your time to knock off everything on your ‘to do’ list.

Are you easily distracted?  I am often distracted by…you guessed it, the internet.  I don’t know if you’ve seen it yet, but there’s just so much there to learn.  One link leads to another and before you know it, you are watching youtube video on how to clean the spores on a yak.  Bizarre, I know.  Email and Facebook are often calling my name.  I also get distracted by people who come into the office or by myself…going to find people to talk to.

Tip: Get away!  Go to the youth room to read.  Change your surroundings to help yourself get things done.  It’s possible that distractions are the way you live.  You love being around people, so you are distracted by having to sit in your office alone.  So, figure out the times you can be both distracted and productive.

In all things, whether in the morning or at night, whether you are working ahead or playing catch-up, whether you are being distracted or really focused, do all to the glory of God.
“There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil.  This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat of who can have enjoyment?” (Ecclesiastes 2:24-25)

God has give us work to enjoy, but it is impossible to enjoy your work apart from Him.  So do you enjoy your work?  If not, why is that?  Could it be that you are not really doing it with God in mind?  Yes, it is possible to do the work of the ministry and not have God involved in your life.  Let’s keep the right focus today as we come to our day of work!

Matt Reno is a Youth Worker from Mt Pleasent Iowa and has a blog too that you can check out here