Get free weekly resources from us!
Got it! Would you also like offers and promos from Group?
Thanks, you're all set!
Read in
1 min

Keys To Longevity #5: BLEED IT, BUT DON’T BLEED TO DEATH

Posted by Kurt Johnston

This is the 5th in a little series about some of the things that have helped me last for almost 25 years. There is no silver bullet here, just a little insight about things that have seemed to make a difference in my journey as a youth worker.

BLEED IT, BUT DON’T BLEED TO DEATH!

Every now and then, a young youth worker will say something like this, “Youth ministry is my life!”. To which I always reply internally, and upon occasion even blurt out, “Really? That’s too bad.”

I think youth ministry, or any ministry endeavor for that matter, deserves some extra effort. Youth ministry isn’t for folks who are clock-watchers, who only want to do the minimum job requirements. I actually think it deserves to be led by men and women who aren’t afraid to “bleed” it a little bit. But we should NEVER bleed to death!

– When you consistently sacrifice your family for the sake of your youth ministry…you are bleeding to death.
– When your friendships suffer because you spend too much time at youth ministry events…you are bleeding to death.
– When you have no outside hobbies because you spend your free time with teenagers or planning events for teenagers…you are bleeding to death.
– When you fail to take your day off, or you skimp on vacation time due to the demands of youth ministry…you are bleeding to death.
– When you spend time in the word out of the need to prepare lessons rather than out of a love for the Father…you are bleeding to death.

I like to think I bleed junior high ministry. But because it isn’t my life, and because I want to last for the long haul I refuse to let it bleed me to death.

2 thoughts on “Keys To Longevity #5: BLEED IT, BUT DON’T BLEED TO DEATH

  1. This is a great post, and something that I’ve only started learning the past couple of years. After being in student ministry for 13 years now I can finally say the ministry isn’t bleeding me to death!

  2. Great thought Kurt thx for sharing – One of the things that I use to help from bleeding to death is to protect days off. There are times where I can’t have days off but even when that happens I find ways to make up those lost days off. I look at days off as I look at the pay check I get and the perks I’m offered – something that has to happen.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Keys To Longevity #5: BLEED IT, BUT D...

Get free weekly resources from us!
Get free weekly resources from us!
Got it! Would you also like offers and promos from Group?
Thanks, you're all set!