Been learning quite a bit lately about youth ministry in the trenches here at Saddleback – here are 3 lessons I’ve known for a while but seem be be hitting me hard these days:

Never be OK with OK.
When you are coasting you are slowing down, just not admitting it. I’m not by any means encouraging you to give up margin or a day off — I guess I’m admitting coming off a season marked by a little apathy in my heart. Which means I was OK with OK. Which isn’t OK.

Fix it or kill it.
If a program is limping along you have to fix it or put it down. God has gifted you as a leader with discernment, so use it and take time to evaluate where you’re at. Be decisive. With a few adjustments you can probably turn it around, and if there’s no hope be a strong enough leader to admit failure.

If everything is working perfectly, it won’t be for long.
This is the harsh reality of youth ministry — it will never be fully dialed in. Just when you think you’ve got it all together, it comes crashing down. It seems like health comes in cycles and when it starts to turn downward you have to re-up the commitment to your church and gear up for another tour of duty.

Would love to know what you’re learning about youth ministry right now – leave them in the comments!

JG