As we slowly creep towards relaunch in Alberta and around the world it is easy to dream of returning to what we used to know. The fact is that the chances of our churches looking anything like they did in mid-February is extremely low. And while that can be seen as a kick in the gut, I personally believe that adapting to this new world could actually prove more impactful for the church than our previous methods allowed us to be. That being said, it is still a difficult and uncomfortable learning curve. So what do you do as a youth or young adult pastor to maximize effectiveness in the midst of what is perhaps the most uncomfortable stage of ministry we could ever see?

As long as I can remember we have heard the importance of engaging volunteer leaders in the actual work of ministry. The fact is, your volunteers are your money in the bank during this season, more than ever. Leaders that learn to empower and rely on their leaders will see success in their ministry. Here are 3 things you can do to effectively utilize your volunteers during the COVID-19 relaunch.

Recognize the Need to Spread the Weight 

Have you ever had to lay sod in a backyard? Roll after roll of heavy dirt and grass. It is exhausting and by yourself, could take a whole day. But you have a few friends over, make a few burgers and watch the workload fade away as the group works more efficiently than you ever could alone. You are facing a challenge that cannot be measured in kilograms or cubic feet. But nonetheless, in the same way, you need support. If you try and take the weight of this task by yourself and refuse to engage volunteers and mentor them through this process you will eventually burn out. 

Don’t Become a Martyr         

I know I have had moments during Covid-19 where I have pushed forward with a “me against the world” mentality (that’s what happens when the world seems to literally turn against itself). But that is not a healthy attitude to lead from for very long at all. The danger in that way of leading is while you may be very motivated you eventually realize you are running a team race by yourself. It’s like playing a game of basketball but you only have one player on the floor. If you watched “The Last Dance” you saw that while Michael Jordan was by far the greatest player to play the game, he still won a couple of his championships by passing the ball to open teammates in key moments. The temptation for a next gen leader is to make it about them right now. The pastor is in all the Tik Tok videos, The video sermons, the Zoom calls. You need to delegate. Get leaders to run these things, you still need to be engaged as you release these things, but you need to make sure you are not going to war by yourself, you are not a martyr, you are a leader

Don’t Forget to Mentor/pastor your Leaders

When was the last time you had a volunteer meeting? Was it before COVID-19? Has it been recently? What about a Zoom or phone call to check in on how your leaders are feeling? How is their spiritual health? I don’t ask this to shame anybody that has missed this, I am asking because I know I could see myself sprinting past this as well. So, here is my challenge to you. If you have been neglecting the discipleship and leadership development of your leaders during the mad rush of the last couple of months, just go and schedule a short zoom call with all your leaders. Share your vision, your hopes and some of your concerns moving forward. Ask your leaders what they see, if they have any ideas they would like to run. Maybe your leader wants to run a twitch channel, another one wants to take some kids on socially distanced bike rides? You can’t take every kid in your group on a bike ride, but if you mobilize your leaders, they can take every kid on a ride within a week. 

God has given you a team to invest in and to support you in this time. Utilize them, that’s how you lead through the chaos your job is not to be the hero, your job is to make heroes around you.

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