Battling the Fall Doldrums (Part 1)

Julie is a 10-year youth ministry vet. That means she’s sailed her ministry ship into the fall doldrums over and over.

The doldrums, as it turns out, is a real thing. It’s the name sailors have given to the Intertropical Convergence Zone, where the northeast and southeast trade winds converge into a stifling calm. If a sailing ship enters the doldrums, it won’t exit it for a long time.

In ministry terms, the fall doldrums refer to the short season after the end of summer and back-to-school season and before the Christmas holiday ramp-up.

This year, Julie decided to maximize the relative calm of this fall doldrum season to conquer some training goals. She signed up for Group’s half-day Youth Ministry Local Training experience. Then, she used her leftover vacation time to attend a small luncheon for youth leaders facilitated by Jeff Henderson, a North Point campus pastor.

Henderson is a former Chick-Fil-A executive who’s also led the Next Generation ministry at North Point. His book titled Know What You’re FOR helps ministry leaders focus on what they are FOR—rather than what they’re against. To do that, he says, leaders must pay attention to…

1. What they see,
2. What they celebrate,
3. What they talk about, and
4. Who they meet with.

Post-Training Reflection

When she returned from the luncheon, Julie started the “translation” process by writing these notes to herself on her office whiteboard:

• What am I seeing?
• What has Jesus been doing in our student ministry, especially in and through our summer events? I see many of our teenagers are experiencing a remarkable renewal in their relationship with Him, and I can help fuel that new momentum right now.
• Why haven’t I seen this more clearly? It’s clear I need more time and space for reflection and rest. As Jeff said, when I know what I’m FOR I can help my ministry leaders know and live out their purpose in life and ministry more fully.

Reader Reflection Questions

Like Julie did, take some time and reflect on your ministry.

1. When is the last time you stopped and reflected on what Jesus has been doing in your ministry?
2. What are some things Jesus is doing that you’ve neglected to thank him for?
3. How are you using the ministry doldrums to refresh your soul?

 Photo by Carolina Heza on Unsplash

(This is part 1 of a two-part series on the fall doldrums. Find part 2 here.) If you need some training ideas for your fall doldrums season, consider Group U online certificates and training programs.