An Impossibly Large List of Youth Ministry Resolutions

“Shoot for the moon, and you just might hit the street light!”

I’m not sure where I first heard it, but that pithy little quote has served me well over the years. I think it’s a  perfect reminder for all of us as we head into a new year of ministry.  A new year brings a new opportunity to set goals, make changes, try new things and shoot for the moon! So in that spirit I offer my impossibly large list of youth ministry resolutions for 2016.

I, Kurt Johnston, resolve to….

• Quit calling students in my youth group “dude!” (guys) and “friend!” (girls) and actually do the tough work of learning names.

• Pay attention to my youth ministry budget. It’s not big, but it deserves being stewarded well.

• Send handwritten notes and birthday cards to my volunteers.

• Quit comparing my youth ministry space to the kid’s ministry space.

• Quit comparing my ministry schedule to the Worship Pastor’s.

• Be a more open listener to criticism.

• Catch people on my team doing something good and acknowledge it in front of others.

• Spend more time at the feet of Jesus.

• Worship during the adult church service instead of being critical of it.

• Spend time with my heroes and mentors.

• Be a more intentional mentor to others.

• Graciously adhere to church policies, especially the ones that make no sense to me.

• Pray for my pastor.

• Offer to help a ministry other than my own.

• Leave every part of the church our youth ministry touches better than we found it.

• Say “yes” to at least one ridiculous request my senior pastor makes that everybody else avoids…take one for the team.

For me, that list feels like a moon shot. Some may wonder why it’s even worth making a list of resolutions I know I’ll never fulfill.

But I think sometimes hitting the street light feels pretty good.

– Kurt