Ministry Minefields: 4 Common Dangers and How to Avoid Them

Those who lead in youth ministry have a vital role in the life of the church. The people you lead look to you, depend on you, and are learning from you. As youth leaders, we need to be healthy. We need to be intentional in how we live. We must be aware of the traps in ministry, both around us and within us. We need to recognize the dangers before we fall prey to them.

As a youth pastor, these were four areas I always tried to be mindful of each year. Sure, there were times I probably did it better in certain seasons, but these are four dangers that we can all relate to. The bottom line is that youth ministry is a rewarding calling, but it is also challenging. The path to a successful and healthy ministry is not without pitfalls. Here are four key dangers to be mindful of, along with strategies to avoid them.

DON’T LET PRIDE GET IN THE WAY – BE HUMBLE

It’s not uncommon for pride to subtly creep into our minds and hearts. Especially if you’re in a season of ministry where everything seems to be going great, you know this – pride can make you believe a lie about yourself or your ministry that is false. It can quickly lead you to assume that you are the primary agent of change in your ministry, overshadowing God’s role in your work.

Pride expresses itself in a few different ways. All of these ways really are the consequences of pride. My experience is that when I was prideful, I often felt myself drawn to isolation. I would remove myself from others because I was prideful. I became less open to feedback, conversations, and considerations because I was determined in my mind that everything I was doing was fine. I would feel entitled. If things didn’t go right in my season of pride, I felt a sense of betrayal from God or from others. Pride brought a sense of entitlement that has no place in the heart of a follower of Jesus. It made me believe the lie that I was bringing about great results in my ministry, and if those results changed, I didn’t understand it because I thought it was up to me. In my pride, I also experienced spiritual decline. When I would take my focus, trust, and confidence off of God and onto myself, my relationship with Him was distanced. Instead of turning to Him, I would turn to myself.

A proven way to combat pride is to be humble. Humility is the key to combating pride in your life and ministry. As you live with humility, you will acknowledge God’s role in your ministry. Living with humility and regularly reminding yourself that all successes are by God’s grace. Period. Secondly, be humble enough to receive feedback. Feedback is a sign of humility that you are seeking out others to speak into your life and ministry. It’s an internal posture that you are open to what others have to say and that you aren’t doing everything your way.

So, don’t let pride get in the way. Practice humility. Live your ministry with gratitude and stay grounded in the work that God is doing in and through your ministry.

DON’T FALL INTO THE COMPARISON TRAP – TRUST GOD WITH WHAT HE GIVES YOU

In the age of social media highlight reels and being constantly connected to youth leaders and ministries all over the country, it’s easy to compare your ministry to others. The result of this brings a heartache that you cannot fill. The comparison trap can lead to feelings of inadequacy or envy, ultimately distracting you from the ministry plan that God has set before you.

The dangers of comparison are real. The dangers can hurt you and your ministry. One experience I had in the comparison trap was a loss of identity. As I measured myself or the success of my ministry up against others, I felt that I was losing sight of who God had called me to be. God has only called one of you to be you. You don’t need to be like the other pastor or leader down the road. Be yourself. Be genuine. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. Be secure in who God has called you to be. Another danger of comparison is that it led me to discouragement. Look, there will always be another ministry that has more, looks better, can do more, etc. But that’s not the measure of your success. When you compare yourself to others, you will find yourself either discouraged because you’re not “that” or a sense of entitlement will creep in that you’re better than them because you have “this or that.” As you give in to comparison, you can also find yourself drifting from your mission. Again, why bother being like someone else when you can be yourself? Trying to mimic and copy what other ministries are doing can cause you to lose focus on your mission.

The way to combat the comparison trap is to trust God with what He gives you. Be secure in your identity. Trust Him with your ministry. God has called and appointed you for this season and in that church. Embrace it. As a youth leader, focus on faithfulness. Instead of comparing results, focus on being faithful to the people God has placed in your scope of responsibility. Trust that He will bring an increase in His time. One of my favorite ways to combat comparison is to network with others. It’s a lot harder to compare yourself to others if you spend time getting to know people and learning from them instead of trying to be like them.

DON’T DO MINISTRY IN A SILO – EMBRACE A TEAM

Ministry is hard. It’s even harder when you try to shoulder it all by yourself. In my experience, when I tried to shoulder the ministry on my own, it lacked or defeated me. It wore me out. There is a natural temptation to carry the load alone, but it will shortchange you and your ministry. It robbed me of the run and reward of ministry because I felt like “if I didn’t do it, it didn’t happen.”

The danger of doing ministry in a silo or by yourself can quickly lead to burnout. Without a support system or a team to lean on, encourage each other, or do life together, ministry can become too heavy to bear. You need other people around you for greater ministry and to save yourself from trying to be the hero. A ministry without a team or added voices can also lead to a limited perspective. Working by yourself is setting yourself up for several blind spots, areas you’ll neglect, and not having any other ideas or opinions at the table. Staying in a silo can also lead you to miss out on other opportunities. As you bring people together, new ideas are formed, and new opportunities arise, which can help the overall health of your ministry.

As you combat a ministry silo, be strategic and intentional in embracing a team mindset. It will take work, but build a team. Surround yourself with others who care for students the way you do and who have some margin in their lives to invest in them. As you build that team, value their input so that they have an active role in the ministry at your church. Celebrate together, work together, and dream together. Embrace being on a team.

DON’T GET CAUGHT UP IN CHURCH BUSYNESS – FIND REST

Ministry is 365. It never stops. It’s demanding. It’s a grind. There is beauty in that. Right now, on your calendar, you probably have meetings, events, school programs, parents, receipts, message prep, and a family matter to navigate. As you work through the grind of ministry, it’s easy to be so consumed by church activity and miss out on the rest God has created you to have.

The dangers of busyness are real. They can lead to real physical exhaustion. I’ve been there. You’re in an unhealthy place mentally and physically if you’re doing too much. It can hinder everything. It can remove how present you are if you feel like you are constantly sprinting. Being too busy can lead to spiritual dryness. Again, I’ve been there. When we get too busy, one of the first things to go is our time with the Lord. If you’re too busy doing, you’re not resting. You’re not being fed. It’s dangerous. Busyness can also lead to relational neglect. If you’re too consumed with church busyness, it can strain relationships with family, friends, God, and those you are called to Shepherd.

As you combat busyness, you must be intentional in when and how you rest. You 100% must schedule downtime. If you’re not scheduling downtime, please start now. Intentionally set rhythms weekly, monthly, and yearly so that you can find rest. You are better for it. If you’re too busy, consider task evaluation. Are there things you can delegate? Are there things volunteers can do? Are there things you can let go of? Trust others with responsibilities so that you can focus on yourself from time to time. Lastly, combat busyness with feeding your soul. Your soul is hardwired to be with its Creator. Feed your soul with prayer, worship, community, and God’s Word.

Youth ministry is a journey filled with highs and lows. I want the best for you. I want you to make it. I don’t want you to fall victim to some of the dangers in youth ministry. Be aware of these. Evaluate your life. Remember, before God called you into ministry, He first called you to follow Him. Your calling is not just about what you do but who you are in Christ!

Share your thoughts with others in our YM360 community:

1. Which of the four dangers do you need to evaluate and reflect on? Why?
2. Who is someone you can talk to about these dangers? Who is someone you can encourage to avoid these four dangers?

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