a leader in crisis: I've lost my excitement

Have you ever experience a loss of excitement for youth ministry? For whatever reason, you found it more difficult to be fired-up to drive to youth group. When the night was done, you were glad you showed up because God did great things, but getting there definitely required more emotional effort than it used to. Well, if you can identify, you’re not alone.

We are continuing the series we began last week by looking at a few common issues that tend to send a leader into personal crisis.

Some might say that today's youth ministry nugget is more aimed at the youth ministry veteran. That may be true, but if you can’t currently identify with a slight dip in excitement for ministry, file this away for later when it’s bound to appear.

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TIPS FOR ROOKIES & VETERANS ON LEADING YOUTH MINISTRY SMALL GROUPS
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It's good to get into a groove with your ministry, but it can become dangerous to your leadership when the grove becomes a rut. Week after week, going to the same programs, doing the same things, seeing the same people, singing the same songs, and meeting in the same environment can lead to a "supposed to do" and the routine can drain one’s passion.

How is it possible to get back the ministry equivalent of the "new car smell”?

If you and I were having coffee, and I knew you had lost some of your excitement for youth ministry, I'd simply ask a few trigger questions:
• What is it that you love about being a Christian?
• What is it that excites you about your faith?
• Tell me what's so great about your relationship with Jesus?
It would be fun to hear how God has worked in your life. The next question would be:
• Are you sharing this excitement/love/passion with the teenagers God has entrusted to your care?

The best type of relational ministry to teenagers is one that appears from an overflow of the work of God in our own heart. When a youth worker gets trapped in the routine they forget to share what's important and that’s a recipe that results in apathy.

Consider recharging your passion by making a small change with your personal ministry to students. Perhaps it's time to shift your responsibilities and add something new, or pull back somewhere so you don't hit burn out. Or, maybe it’s time to take a break for a short season. You don't want to quit altogether just because you've lost a little passion, but stepping back could do wonders to restore your excitement for youth ministry.

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TIPS FOR ROOKIES & VETERANS ON LEADING YOUTH MINISTRY SMALL GROUPS
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A recommendation: Ask yourself, "What is God doing in my life during this season of my ministry? How can I learn to trust Him in new ways?" Trusting God is especially important when we're discouraged. If we don't surrender to him, we will rely on our own strength to do ministry. This kind of self-sufficiency will move you from a dependency on Jesus to a dependency on self. When this happens, the molehill of excitement grows into a mountain of pride.

Are you sharing your personal passions with your students?
Is it time to make some kind of a small change?
Where is God working in your life through the lessening of your excitement?