F O R S T A R T E R S

f r o m D o u g F i e l d s

TRENCHE SI N T H E

YOU T H LE ADER T RAINING ON T HE GO

TRAINING on the GO

T RENCHE SI N T H EI N T H E TRENCHE SI N T H E

How easy or diffi cult is it to

admit you have limitations in

youth ministry?

Who knows your ministry

limitations? Or who could you

share them with?

When I fi rst began as a youth ministry volunteer, I felt overwhelmed by the idea that I had to do everything. Soon I became miserable because I’m not a very good administrator. Figuring out details came easy to me, but I had a more diffi cult time pulling them off. I needed to learn the lesson of acknowledging my limitations and humbly asking for help from within the body of Christ.

Once I did this, my life and ministry began to change. I surrounded myself with some volunteers who were very detail-oriented; they picked up my slack and allowed me to focus on my areas of strength.

They hated teaching, and I hated carrying out details. We were a fi t! But it almost never came to “we” until I realized “I” couldn’t do it all. If you have learned this valuable lesson, you are a highly valued volunteer. If you haven’t learned this lesson, my prayer is that you’ll learn it before you burn out by trying to do everything yourself. You have too much to offer your youth ministry to believe that you have to do everything.

A funny thing happened as I sat down to write: I got writer’s block. Th e words, thoughts, and ideas weren’t fl owing; I couldn’t fi gure out what I wanted to write.

Th e irony was that, aft er a few hours, it fi nally occurred to me that I needed to get some help (the theme of this training). So I asked a couple of my youth ministry volunteers for ideas, and they gave me some solid direction—it was so great that I was disappointed I didn’t ask earlier. What follows is inspired by what they shared with me.

Many people go through life trying to be self-suffi cient (what I was doing when I sat down to write this). Th ey love the thought of doing anything they “set their minds to” and don’t really think they need anyone’s help. If that describes you, can I gently point out that you are missing the point of God’s design for the body of Christ? God never intended for you to live life in isolation and do everything by yourself.

It took me a long time, but I fi nally accepted the fact that I am “better together” when my strengths and weaknesses are mixed with others who have gift s and skills that make me more eff ective. I want to become the type of person who has enough humility and wisdom to ask others to compensate for my limitations. What about you?

Some of the fears people struggle with when it comes to asking for help include: Th e credit may go to someone else; the quality of the fi nal product may not be as good; my idea might be misunderstood or reinterpreted; or people are too busy and don’t have time to help me.

Th ose are valid concerns, and I’ve shared them. But none of these fears prevents me from asking for help because the result of asking is that I’m able to spend more time in my gift ed areas. My humility is strengthened when someone does a better job than I could ever do. When this happens, I’m reminded of God’s design that the body of Christ works together and that my personal youth ministry can’t survive on my skills alone. I need others—and so do you.

Don’t be apprehensive about getting help when you need it. It’s foolish to try to handle a situation you don’t understand or aren’t experienced with. For example, you may realize that you are not good at counseling teenagers, teaching a Bible study, or speaking in front of groups. Wherever you experience a limitation, be open to learning from others who may excel in your weaker areas. Th is doesn’t mean you’ll never master those skills. It does mean you can continue learning as you focus on the areas where you’re strong.

A D M I T I T — Y O U H A V E L I M I T A T I O N S

MA K E I T P ER SONA L

CONNECT to God’s Word

Permission to photocopy this handout granted for local church use. Copyright © Doug Fields. Published in Youth Leader Training on the Go by Group Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 481, Loveland, CO 80539. www.youthministry.com and www.simplyyouthministry.com

T O T H E PO IN T

T R Y I T

• Realize you don’t have to do everything alone.

• Others have strengths where you are weak.

• Understand your limitations, and ask for help.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” —Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

• When was the last time you had to ask (or should

have asked) someone else for help with something

you could not do on your own? How did you feel

about asking?

• What does your attitude about asking for help tell

you about how you view yourself?

Write a response and prayer to God here…

A D M I T I T — Y O U H A V E L I M I T A T I O N S

For your next volunteer leader meet-ing or team get-together, suggest that each person bring something that represents a gift or strength.

Depending on how well you know everyone, you might even assign ideas. For instance, have the great cook bring a dessert, and ask the teacher to prepare a short devotion for your time together. Or if someone has the gift of encouragement, have him or her write a personal note to each attendee.

At one point in your meeting, take a moment to highlight how different you all are and how unique each of your strengths is. As individuals we each have limitations, but as a group of people who know their strengths, we can make so much more possible. You are better together.