For many years, I’ve led children’s ministry. Although I’m no longer doing that, I’m grateful for this opportunity to help others to understand the expectations of that role.
Hopefully, this article will be enough of an eye-opener for readers to realise that coming alongside those who lead children’s ministry is critical to prolonging their time serving for a church.
A 2020 study confirmed earlier research that showed youth workers in church, on average, last for around five years in ministry before leaving. Based on my experience and discussions with other youth ministers, I believe I know the reason.
To engage well with kids, most youth workers need to be enthusiastic and extroverted. Often, we are ‘yes’ people, who go into ministry with a passion for the role and full of energy.
‘Let’s get these kids saved and knowing Jesus!’, we declare. Yet, to do this, we realise that we need a team of volunteers. On some occasions, when some aren’t available to serve, it can be a struggle to find others to step in.
So, the only way to keep on top of the rotas is to appeal constantly for more volunteers. In turn, this means that membership of the kids’ ministry team changes quite a bit too.
This expanded team needs pastoral support, while the parents need assurance that their children’s care and safety is our top priority. We are also responsible for the admin associated with weekly registers and safeguarding, alongside any other needs and support systems.
It is also our duty to manage the annual budget allocation, while either looking for a curriculum that can be tailored to the church or deciding to write our own. That curriculum will need to be circulated again and again, as a reminder, while keeping on top of publishing and advertising.
There are additional tasks like play groups, Bible studies, outreach, assemblies, Christmas, Easter and glow parties. At weekly staff meetings, we report on how the ministry is doing and plans to improve and grow it.
In contrast, while I’m aware that church leadership can be stressful (especially for leaders who are particularly gifted in one ministry, say, evangelism), to manage a large church, staff will be hired to help with admin, pastoral care and youth ministry. There may even be a drive to enlist lay people to join the preaching team. For larger churches, there may be many more additional delegated roles.
I could probably write a whole other piece on my enduring passion for and career in teaching kids. The crucial difference between my role as a youth minister and my role as a teacher in a school is that I’m far better supported in the latter.
For a while, it may be possible to juggle all of the youth ministry tasks single-handedly, but, five years on, most youth workers will burn out.
So, if a choice must be made, then churches must decide whether hiring a youth pastor who is more focused on keeping up with administrative duties than inspiring young people is preferable to one who excels at sharing God’s word with kids and who can be an amazing influence on those kids and grow their church.
Hands up! I am not great at everything. So, I would love churches to come alongside their Children and Families ministers to find ways to re-distribute tasks which aren’t directly ‘child-facing’. In that way, the role can be more focused on getting to know the kids and sharing our passion for Jesus.
In Matthew 19:14, Jesus encouraged: ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them.’ Allowing youth workers to burn out is a hindrance to the very ministry that is aimed at bringing children to Christ.
For that to change, churches need to realise that we need far more support than is currently provided.
