Leading Alone: Navigating Student Ministry When You're the Last Staff

What if I told you I went from being one of three full-time pastors on staff to being the only full-time pastor in just eight weeks? Would you believe me? I hope you will because it's true! It was hard to watch my senior pastor leave as he followed God’s call elsewhere. I knew there would be more on my and the other pastor's plate, but we could manage with two left standing. But then, he had to retire due to medical reasons, so here I am, the last man standing. Seminary never taught a course on this! How do I still make sure that I give the student ministry the same attention, enthusiasm, and energy while I tend to other duties? Maybe you are in a similar situation as me (if so, email me, and we will walk through this together). Here are some of the things I have learned so far in this journey that I hope will encourage you when this reality comes knocking on your front door.

I Am Still A Student Pastor

One of the best pieces of advice that I received was also one of the most simple: “Do your job.” That's simple enough, right? I needed to hear that because, at the end of the day, I accepted the call to be the student pastor at my church, not the associate pastor of everything. Are there more responsibilities that I have taken on? Sure, but not at the expense of my job.

Schedule Out My Week

Now that there are more responsibilities, I need to be responsible for how I manage my time with the student ministry, getting top priority. For example, on Monday mornings, I call the people on the prayer list to check in on them, and then on Monday afternoons, I sermon prep for Wednesday nights. Tuesday mornings are staff meetings and social media scheduling, and Tuesday afternoons are filled with more sermon prep. The full day on Wednesday goes to student ministry; after all, that is our biggest day of the week. Thursdays are when I go on visits, and I try to do a little long-range planning. I also help out at our food pantry twice a month, so I will go home a little early on Thursdays so I can see my family, which leads me to the next point.

Don’t Forget My Family

Adrian Rogers once said, “The church is Jesus’s bride, not mine.” Fellow student minister, let that marinate in your soul. Never sacrifice your family on the altar of ministry, no matter how busy and crazy it may get. To be transparent with you, I’ve had to learn this lesson the hard way. My first responsibility is to my God, my second is to my family, and then comes the church. Some of your members may not like that, but can I just say, “Who cares?” You can always find another church; you can’t find another wife. You will have to get creative, just like I have had to make sure that I am still all I can be at home. God won’t bless priorities that are out of whack. So even if all the support staff quits and I have to be the admin assistant, custodian, and kids minister, I will still be all I can be at home.

Those are some of the things that I have learned being the lone ranger pastor. It hasn’t been THAT bad so far. I do miss having a senior pastor who took the bullets that were aimed at me, I will say. But in all seriousness, this has been a great time of learning and growing. You can’t grow when you are comfortable.

Share your thoughts with others in our YM360 community:

1. How do you manage multiple responsibilities despite having the title of student minister?
2. How well do you prioritize your family?

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