The Worst Way For A Youth Pastor To Manage Time
Ministry is busy, ya’ll.
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I’m sure that you operate like I do and are always looking for ways to maximize your time. We operate with a sense of urgency because we know that the need in our community is great and the time is short.
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How can we avoid unnecessary tasks and focus on what is most important?
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There are plenty of opinions for the most effective way to organize your week. I want to look at one of the most dangerous.
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There is a popular teaching that encourages student pastors to divide their week into thirds.
According to this teaching a youth pastor will need to spend a third of his time with students, a third with parents, and a third with volunteer leaders.
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You read that correctly:
- 1/3 of your time with students
- 1/3 of your time with parents
- 1/3 of your time with volunteers
Doesn’t that sound nice and predictable?
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I bet that this method was first outlined in a Precious Moments Bible.
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As you know, ministry is far from predictable. This method is as realistic as reaching Narnia.
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Sure, you need to invest quality time in each area: students, parents, and volunteers. No one will argue this. But ministry is not as simple as investing a third of your time in students, parents, and volunteers.
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This method misses the vast majority of work a student pastor handles.
- What about time for professional development?
- What about time to plan for the upcoming event?
- What about time spent investing in local schools?
- What about time to invest into your staff?
- What about time to prepare for your student worship talk?
- What about time to prepare expense reports?
You get the point.
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Ministering to parents, students, and volunteers is paramount but your time will never be neatly divided.
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How should a youth pastor manage his time?
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I’m glad that you asked! Below are three keys that I have taken to heart as I strategically plan each week.
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If you are a type A personality like myself, you will think that these three keys are too loose and too open-ended.
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Operating within these truths allows you the freedom to structure your time as precisely as you want.
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Three Keys For Managing Your Time
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Develop Weekly Systems
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Stop re-inventing the wheel each week. After being in your current role for a couple months you know what to do. Many youth pastors go into the office on Monday without a clear idea of what they are doing each week. It isn’t that we forget what is important, we fail to develop weekly systems.
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If nothing else gets done, what are the most important tasks that must take place? These items are the “non-negotiables” for your ministry.
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Your list will likely include:
- Contacting leaders
- Preparing talks
- Encouraging parents
- Following up with visitors
Put these items on your calendar as recurring systems.
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Make sure that you are investing in these key areas before being distracting by your other to-dos.
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Recognize Your Current Context
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A weak volunteer team may need more than one-third of your time this week. An open door to be on a local school campus will consume more than one-third of your time.
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Pastors minister to the specific needs of their people – not a hypothetical group. You must recognize the needs in your specific context. How you manage your time will be different from the youth pastor at the church down the street.
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Maximize Your Current Season
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Student ministry looks different in July than it does in September. Each season, holiday, and break allows time for you to shift your focus to maximize your time in a specific area.
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The summer months are a perfect time to catch up on administrative work such as updating volunteer handbooks, recruiting leaders, and outlining sermon series.
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The fall is a great season to reconnect with students and parents as they get back into the routines of the school semester.
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Get to know the rhythms of your church, leadership, and community and start building on the momentum that is already present.
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Now What?
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What are some practices you have used to manage your time?
