Josh GriffinMore PostsPOLL: Do you like your children’s ministry leader?


I was watching a children’s ministry podcast this past week and heard a great question – as a youth worker, do you like your children’s pastor/leader? Thought it was an interesting question, watch their podcast for lots more on the subject but first vote in today’s poll!

JG

TagsComments 2 View Comments January 21, 2013

Josh GriffinMore PostsMinistry Just Isn’t Fair

You may be in a season of ministry when you just can’t help but compare your ministry to other ministries within the church – I find myself in times like this from time to time – and you see yourself getting the short end of the stick every time:

  • The children’s ministry gets priority when using church facilities. You have a hard time reserving the janitor’s closet.
  • The budget leans in everyone else’s direction. But yours.
  • You always get blamed for the condition of the church van. OK, this one is typically your fault.
  • Your stuff never makes it in the church bulletin. And sometimes you get it in before the deadline even.
  • The pastor never mentions your wins. Frustrating.
  • The elder board seems to always mention your losses. Even more frustrating.
  • A part-time person to help you out? Hahahhahahah.
  • It is against church policy when you want to do it. Suddenly it is OK for someone else.
  • Your ideas get shot down, but the golden child always gets his/her way
  • They work 40 hours a week, and are commended for their balance and margin. You’re expected to work 1800 hours this week.
  • Someone leaks how much someone else gets paid. It’s official, you make 40% of the senior pastor’s salary.

Life isn’t fair. Ministry isn’t fair. YOU aren’t even fair yourself. A wise man once said, “When you compare, you lose. Every time.” So get over it. Be above it. Expect it, without playing the martyr. Give what you have away. Rise above the politics. Stop the sick little game. Drop it.

Thoughts?

JG

TagsComments 3 View Comments January 7, 2013

Josh GriffinMore PostsChurch Politics and Youth Ministry

Matt and Doug always deliver god youth ministry content – their Youth Ministry Daily (free) email is loaded with great insight and challenges. This week they’ve been tackling church politics, and it is not to be missed. Couple things: 1) read this sample of their stuff (full article here) and 2) go subscribe – it’ll take 3 simple clicks and worth it.

//FOCUS ON A NEW DEFINITION
Politics can be redefined as “one’s ability to gain support.” When you redefine politics in a positive light, it can become something that builds up the body rather than breaking it apart. The Church is a body, and each part needs one another. Work to gain the support of other people in your church for the ministry where God has called you.

//SPEAK UP
Let people know what’s going on in your ministry. Communicate vision, events, and milestones worthy of notice and celebration. You don’t need to hire a public relations firm and blitzkrieg your church with all that’s happening within your youth ministry. But, you can work to keep your ministry in the minds (and hearts) of your church without overwhelming them. You can’t gain the support from people if they’re in the dark about the happenings of your ministry.

//SPEAK OUT RARELY
A wise leader knows how to pick his/her battles. If you’re always fighting, your ability to gather support will diminish. You can’t win every battle. If you think you can, you act like a bull in a china shop, instead of a human in a china shop (where there’s a lot less breakage).

JG

TagsComments Add Comment October 22, 2010

Josh GriffinMore Posts3 Ways to Fight the Urge to Quit Youth Ministry

You don’t have to be a youth worker very long before you feel the urge to quit. The challenges of ministry swirl together to create a daunting vortex of difficulty – church politics, ineffective leadership, slashed or non-existent budgets, elders, “the way it has always been”, conflicting visions, personality clashes, relational pain and so much more. I realize I’m not painting a beautiful picture of youth ministry right now, so hang with me.

I would say for most it hits somewhere around the end of your first year – for me it was a couple years in. The honeymoon was over and I got my first taste of church ugliness. You start to think about quitting. You’re just not sure you’re cut out for it. You wonder if the elders on the church board are even Christians.

I’ve quit many times before – only to be brought back to life by 1) realizing the problem could be overcome, 2) the words or encouragement from a close friend, or 3) realizing that ministry isn’t pretty or easy, but I’m called to it. If you’re feeling pretty low, I hope these point you in the right direction today:

Fight through it
Get behind the feelings of failure or frustration – are you ready to quit over a problem you created, a person you loathe or a situation that seems beyond repair? Throwing in the towel is an impulsive decision that has been thought about for a long time. [I realize that sentence doesn't make sense, but I really like it]. One final person, comment or failure pushes you off the cliff – the only choice you have left is to call it quits. But don’t settle for simply giving into the barrage of emotion. Is it really the end of the world as we know it? Is there really no hope? Is God truly done with you where you’re at? Be careful to test your emotions and motives when the going gets tough – you might be surprised what you find a little deeper under the surface. It probably is about half as bad as you think it is. Still bad, but worth fighting through.

Surround yourself with people you love
The biggest rescuer of my urges to quit are the teammates that I love. Surrounding yourself with great co-laborers is absolutely key. My spouse is number one – when I’m down she knows what to say, when not to say anything and what to ask to get me out of my funk. My team is a close second – people that I serve with every day in the trenches of youth ministry. Some of the people that share my passion, hopes, dreams and frustrations of ministry pick me up. Do you have some key people on your volunteer team that you love being around? Do you have a safe place to vent or talk through a situation? Our family loved having dinner with an amazing couple and their daughters this past week. Absolutely life-giving.

Remember your calling
I have a moment … that whenever I feel like quitting I hold on to. I was sitting in the Dean of Men’s office at the college I was attending, he simply said, “Josh, you would make a great youth pastor. Why are you going into business?” That conversation led me on a journey to what would eventually be a divine calling into youth ministry. That key mentor in my life pointed me to an opportunity, we prayed, God answered. I’ve served in 2 churches since then (one in Michigan, the other here at Saddleback) and have both had incredible highs and lows – and I remember my calling vividly when things get tough. Why did you get into youth ministry in the first place? Hopefully there is a memory or spiritual moment where you recall God calling you to serve His children. Maybe at first you just volunteered, and God did something in your heart. Maybe you’re still volunteering, but you know you’ve been chosen for this work.

Seems like I’ve been getting more and more emails from youth workers ready to throw in the towel. Maybe God is moving you? Certainly could be. Maybe it is a test of your character and He wants you to stay put? Either way – honored to be in the same profession with you, my friend. Hang in there.

Help someone who’s ready to quit youth ministry with a thought/encouragement in the comments, too.

JG

TagsComments 10 View Comments August 23, 2010

Josh GriffinMore PostsHow Church is Like Survivor

Really enjoyed Stephanie’s post over on Small Church Youth Ministry comparing the Survivor finale to church politics. Couple of things: 1) it isn’t just at small churches, sister! and 2) read with caution, it might sting a bit. Here’s a clip of her observations, head there for the rest:

“Alliances” — As they do in the game, so can alliances quickly change in a church. And the smaller the tribe (church) is, the more impact an alliance can have, positive or negative. SOLUTION: Eliminate your “parking lot conversations”; if its a conversation you don’t want others to hear, than its probably one you shouldn’t be having.

“Tribal Council” — Every church has a leadership board of some kind. The healthy council is one that reserves judgement until they ask questions and hear out the individuals or issues involved. In a church, no one should get voted “off the island,” shunned, rejected. SOLUTION: Scripture tells us to “bear one another’s burdens” and to “say only those things for lifting one another up.” Oh and there’s that “Love One Another” thing, too.

JG

TagsComments Add Comment May 25, 2010

Josh GriffinMore PostsBook Review: The Most Loving Place in Town

Just finished reading Ken Blanchard’s recent book, The Most Loving Place in Town. It is a modern day parable of a church that has lost its first love in programs, hype and busyness. It is a call for the church to be led by servant leaders and a call to action by showing God’s love in community service. The story is pretty straight-forward and fairly interesting, but the real win here are the principles and Scripture that challenge us to love others as the church, not get caught in the traps of programs and politics. A good read, especially if you’re afraid your church has lost its first love.

JG

TagsComments Add Comment December 6, 2009

Josh GriffinMore PostsGUEST POST: What Keeps Volunteers Coming Back For More

Last night our Student Ministry team welcomed twenty new volunteers into the LifeLine family. It was exciting to look around and see the fresh energy and potential. As they drove away I couldn’t help but wonder what God was going to do in each of their lives this year, and how He will use them to intersect the lives and journeys of the students we serve.

As I laid in bed last night trying to fall asleep, my thoughts shifted from the new faces, to the familiar faces. The faces of those volunteers who show up every week, year after year to give of their creativity, time, and energy to love and serve students and other volunteers in the name of Jesus. It made me wonder, with all of the challenges that student ministry brings, what keeps them coming back for more.

As I processed this question, one particular volunteer came to mind. We will call him Scott, mostly because that is his name.

Scott has been around our ministry for eighteen years. In fact, when I began serving as a volunteer nine years ago, Scott single handedly ran the Jr. High ministry as a volunteer. While our ministry has grown and changed over time, Scott has selflessly served, lead and loved Jr. high students and leaders for almost two decades.

So, why does Scott continue to come back to LifeLine year after year?
1. He loves God… and He loves students. It seems so simple, but longevity in student ministry takes constant commitment to maintaining health in your relationship with God and maintaining a passion for students. When one of these is out of place, it’s easy to feel discouraged.
2. He believes that God made him for this. He believes that God has put Him where he is on purpose and trusts God to use him, even when he can’t see growth or change.
3. He believes in what we are doing. He believes that the mission is greater than the politics and keeps the big picture in front of him.
4. He maintains a spirit of humility and grace. If anyone would be entitled to have opinions about “the way things should be done,” it would be Scott. As a staff we realize that our volunteers are our greatest asset, so we work hard to consult their thoughts and opinions on much of what we do. While Scott often has thoughts, ideas, and wisdom to offer, he always brings them with grace and understanding. Additionally, when we make decisions as staff, he always respects them, even if he disagrees, even when we are wrong.
5. He has the support of his family. Scott has an awesome wife and four very cool children. His volunteering certainly comes at their expense from time to time. Over and over again I have seen their encouragement and understanding fuel Scott on.

Jon Grunden is the Jr. High Small Group Minister at Ada Bible Church in Ada, MI. You don’t subscribe to his blog yet?

TagsComments 1 View Comments November 7, 2009

Josh GriffinMore PostsBroken iPods are a Blessing?

I was bummed when my iPod stopped working the other day – I think that my kids game of iBowl resulted in iDrop and iBreak. The Touch was a gift from some friends and it was being used every day in our house – streaming Hillsong United from Pandora in the kitchen (as a replacement for the stolen Nano) and pumping songs into my brain during my nightly walks (yes, related to my recent weight wager).

The last few nights I’ve walked with incredible clarity in total silence. As busy and full of life as California is during the day – at night things come to a complete standstill. So I walk in the quiet. I mull over the day, the week, my life and all of the crazy things we see in youth ministry: the highs, lows, great emails and frustrating emails in the same day, the rewards, the curses, the politics, the lifechange, the baptisms, the moments and the memories. In the quietness of the walk … now with no iPod … well, it just feels good.

Maybe in the hustle of life quiet will do me some good. Who knew? Take a walk tomorrow night and see if it would help you, too.

Be still, and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)

JG

TagsComments 2 View Comments May 27, 2009
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