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Supporting paid Ycf workers
Why did I conduct this survey?
Having worked in youth, children and families’ (YCF) ministry for over 30 years, I often hear from YCF workers (YCFWs) who talk about being poorly supported. They often end up leaving their posts. At the same time, I am regularly approached by senior pastors asking if I know anyone who could fill their YCF vacancy. I fear the two might be linked.
I asked paid YCF workers to complete an online anonymous survey on the support they receive or used to when they were in ministry. I hope that these comments might improve the way YCFWs are led and managed, so they stay in ministry for the long haul, using their gifts well and achieving everything that God is calling them to. It’s worth noting that, generally, the comments were constructive and very few were bitter. Also, people tended to write at length! They wanted to tell their stories and give their ideas. When asked how they felt about the survey, one replied: “Fine. It’s usually what I talk about with other children's workers.”
This survey was completed in the summer of 2023. I am really grateful for the honesty of the nearly 100 existing and previous church-based youth, children and families’ (YCF) workers who took part. For those who took part, I’m sorry that I haven’t had time to put together the results earlier. I’m a full-time church youth worker, doing this in my spare time. All of the quotes are exact, except where details have been changed to allow workers to remain anonymous.
If there are multiple answers, they are laid out under block titles, from most mentioned to least mentioned.
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Dave Thornton, author of Raising the Bar: Nearly Everything You Need to Know about Christian Youth Ministry
You can jump to different questions or just scroll past and read through
YOU'RE HERE BUT HAVE NO TIME? SKIP TO THE CONCLUSION
Please come back later to read the full survey results, and hear what YCF workers are saying.
Q1: How many years have you been/were you in paid youth, children or families' ministry?
The first encouragement: people are staying in youth ministry a long time. However, these results may be skewed by my connections, as a person in youth ministry for over 30 years.
Q2: If you are currently a youth, children or families' worker, on a scale of 0 to 10, how valued do you currently feel?
7/10
This is good news! Out of the 66 existing youth and children’s people who answered the question, “How valued do you currently feel?” (with 10 being very valued and 0 not at all) the average (mean) answer was 7. That hides a few 3, 4 and 5s, and indeed one zero. It may also be skewed as many of my contacts are longer serving, which could mean they have been better supported. But somewhere, probably in the UK, is a YCF worker who, when asked, felt totally unvalued. It doesn’t of course include the 32 people who used to be in YCF ministry and are no longer.
Q.3 What are some of the things that a vicar/minister/pastor can do to help youth, children and families’ workers thrive in their ministry post longer?
Here’s a great big take away for senior pastors. If I’d have asked you the question, I wonder if you would say it’s all about pay. Instead, from the responses, it is first and foremost about the need to:
value your ycf worker
"Actively care about my personal life and family."
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Invest in YCF workers: encouraging training and development, conferences and camps (for free); reading with them and allowing the time for thinking, prayer, study and networking.
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Value the individual YCFW beyond the work: including spiritually, but also just inviting them around for a meal.
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Adequate payment and holidays: having their pay reviewed regularly and working conditions. Quotes included: “Proactively offer salary progression” and “Pay us a competitive wage that can potentially support a family.”
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Trust: Allow freedom and autonomy, ‘not micro-managing’. This also included taking YCFW seriously, involving them in key decisions, including culture formation for the wider church. One wrote: “Listen to their expertise on the work.”
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Other comments in this area included praying for them, using their gifts in the wider church, protecting them from non-YCF tasks and not telling them they’re too old to do the work (this one wasn’t me by the way, but I was told this by a Vicar after an interview before I was 35. That was before any of the youth I'm serving now were born.)
publicly support ycf ministry
"Take an interest in YCF work, don't just pass responsibility over to the worker."
Next came the support of senior pastors in public. They wanted senior pastors to explain the importance of YCF to the congregation, championing the ministry, praying in services for the ministry and occasionally to ‘have your back’.
One respondent said:
“Making kids and families a visible part of the ministry of church not somewhere for the kids to go where they won’t annoy the grown-ups."
This isn’t just about words; it has practical implications:
“Churches need to think carefully before YCF workers are employed, that the whole church is aware of the reality of making Children, Young People and Families a priority and an integral part of every aspect of the life of the church."
“Allowing Sunday children's work to run to their own schedule, not to have to fit around adults' time in church."
Other key areas mentioned included considering requests for purchases fairly, senior pastors spending time in groups and at events, offering encouragement. Also generally a higher level of engagement and interest from senior pastor, church board or PCC (Parochial Church Council). Next was seeing YCF as part of the whole – working to integrate YCF and not just having all-age services. Then helping YCFWs recruit volunteers.
Working to understand young people better is important too.
give your ycf worker time
"Highlight things they've done well."
YCF workers want your time.
“Give then time, all other members of the team get time to chat with the vicar. YCF Worker just left to get on with it. Make them feel valued and that their role is important."
Encourage! A high number of answers were in terms of regular encouragement and support.
Manage your worker
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Work/life balance: A large number of respondents asked for help with this, including senior pastors modelling it. That includes sabbath, sabbaticals, work phones and time ‘receiving’. One wrote: “Don't text them on holiday, saying, 'I know you are on holiday, but…'” Others talked about the importance of working only five days rather than six, and having two days off in a row. Others about making sure YCFWs get into services.
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Meeting regularly: with listening, discussion and feedback. “Be a sounding board for ideas, be a listening ear for challenges."
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Vision: YCFW want senior leaders to set culture and provide vision and long-term planning. YCF ministry can then be part of that. One wrote: “Be part of creative discussions around what youth work is/should be, not just leave you to it in splendid isolation."
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Clarity and reality: YCFW want realistic expectations of what can be achieved with the resources and their time. One writes: “I’ve had job descriptions that are literally not achievable without working double the number of hours.” They also want clear guidelines and clear line management, not a committee and not a line manager who could create a conflict of interests. They also want a clear and regular appraisal process.
As a helpful summary, one respondent wrote:
“Commit to regularly giving time, weekly, to asking how the individual is doing, praying with them, hearing from them about the current challenges and joys. Caring about the work being overseen by the YCF worker, giving regular (genuine) encouragement about the ministry that individual is overseeing. Treat them like a colleague - learn alongside one another: read a book together for mutual growth and encouragement (for example). Invest in them - their growth, development and personal encouragement. Don't micro-manage them but don't abandon them either. Pay them a decent wage. Give them decent holiday/annual leave. Love them like a brother/sister, care about them, pray for them.”
Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay
Q4: Have you experienced/Did you experience support like this from your senior leadership in your ministry post?
There is thanks to be given here, but also less than 40% of respondents have experienced a level of support that would help them thrive ‘often’ or ‘always’.
Q4A: Please explain your answer
There are lots of positives here. Workers write about a deep understanding of youth ministry and how growth in youth ministry is slow, about the importance of permanent contracts. One writes:
"I've often felt supported in private and appreciated in public. I've been well listened to."
Another:
"My minister is really affirming, caring and knows me. He really cares & I feel valued. Developing his line manager skills - managing my time, challenging my over-enthusiastic dreams, helping deep discernment - would be next level."
A third:
"My new vicar meets with me once a term and is very personable. He has been open to coming into youth when I’ve asked him and is a lot of fun. He wants my opinion on church not just in youth."
The big thing to notice from answers here is that support for paid YCFWs differs dramatically between churches.
Workers write:
"In my previous job I experienced it a lot. My previous pastor used to be a youth pastor and understood the pressures. My current pastor asks me to do lots of things that have nothing to do with youth/children/families."
"Having worked through three ministers, only one knew how to line manage."
"Current job - 110%... First job, which nearly turned me off church youth work forever - Rarely."
"In my second post, increasingly this is so (been here for 10+years). Previous (and first full-time post) not at all really (initial minister understood, then moved post, next one didn't understand, new minister definitely didn't and made things so I had to leave. The stress was intense. It really put me off working for a church ever again."
Some speak of challenges with workload and expectations: "Often it was forgotten that I could not do it all. Forgetting at time I was part time. A small budget but expectations were bigger than budget allowed." Others speak of little interest being taken by senior leaders, even when 1/3 of the church were in the youth and children's work. One writes:
It was an 'are you OK?' every now and again. They never visited the youth groups or anything."
Several sadly speak of being bullied by other staff, and of feeling a competition between different groups in the church.
What's a first step?
Here's a simple example of great practice.
American youth minister Christian Shipman posted this note on a youth pastors discussion forum saying:
"I’m eight and a half years into full time ministry and still at my first church. This is the card my pastor gave me as part of a simple gift he gave me today. I am very blessed to serve under him."
A couple of things to note - it's humble and it's incredibly encouraging. Why would Christian want to move anywhere else?
Q.5 What are some of the things that parents/carers can do to help youth, children and families' workers thrive in their ministry post longer?
partnership
"It's not all down to us!"
The biggest thing mentioned under this question was the idea of parents/carers working in partnership with YCF leaders. The two largest asks were
1. Volunteering or recruiting others to YCF teams
2. Investing in their children’s spiritual development
YCFWs said things like:
“Know that they are the most important people. Perfectly positioned by God to care for their child in all circumstances. We are here to support, enable and equip, not replace them when it comes to discipleship.”
“Parents, it's your job to read the Bible with your kids, to pray with them, to talk to them about the culture and how Jesus speaks to it, not the job of the youth and kids leader.”
“Acknowledge that it would take 6,000 youth sessions for the youth worker to have the same impact as their time with their child(ren)."
Other key concerns were parents prioritising church events and bringing their children every week, inviting leaders into their lives, championing the ministry and taking an interest.
care
"Share anything encouraging with us (seriously, anything!)”
One of the key areas of concern for leaders was their need for encouragement and appreciation from parents/carers.:
“Encourage youth workers where possible and true, a lot of youth work is a thankless task that doesn't see fruit regularly so having feedback from parents in a positive manner is crucial."
Others suggested simple gifts for the YCF team. Understanding is important:
"Practically care for them (e.g. it's not easy to get tea if you're running back-to-back clubs)”
communication
"Keep connected."
YCF leaders ask that communication happens. They also ask for feedback, and a response in a timely manner, especially to trips and residentials.
Q6: Have you experienced/Did you experience support like this from parents/carers in your own ministry post?
Again, thanks to be given here, but notice also that while YCFWs experienced a higher level of support from their senior leadership than from parents that would help them thrive ‘often’ or ‘always’, they also experienced a higher level of support from their senior leadership that would help them thrive 'rarely' or 'never'.
Q6a: please explain your answer
Again, there are lots of positives here. One says:
"Parents often say kind words, and are supportive - earlier this year I was sick and off work. Many parents provided meals and visited. They often use kind words and share how the youth programmes help disciple their children. Those who give gifts at Christmas help me to feel really valued - the gift doesn't have to be expensive!"
Others write:
"They were, in general, very invested in the spiritual development of children."
"Most of the parents are thrilled to help out with activities. They appreciate the work we do."
Others speak of finding parental support with children with additional needs, or parents praying for them. One talks of receiving vouchers to take the team out for dinner!
The picture is very mixed though. Workers write:
"It happens so rarely but is so nice when it does :-)"
"Most families are supportive in words and their heart is keen to encourage. But almost none have any involvement in the ministry or take a particularly active interest. Not only is this sad, but it deprives us of their skills, experience and wisdom as parents."
Parents' vision for YCF ministry?
The issue for many seems to be the parents' vision for YCF ministry. Sometimes parents get it, and that's often because of the culture in senior church leadership:
"I think because they were well taught by the leadership the importance of YCF work - and how they could play an active role in it."
One worker writes:
"Sometimes parents have different ambitions for their children and don't model the importance of the church and it's ministry."
"A number of parents help in groups and get what we're trying to do. A larger number just use the groups as a babysitting facility that 'must entertain the kids'!"
"Because of the culture/ demographic and my being paid, some parents consumed church and chose us as a worthy activity… until as children got older something more exciting/ good for said child’s future CV came along. The single biggest thing parents can do to nurture a child’s faith is invest in their own discipleship."
One leader said parents might not feel qualified to disciple their own children:
"I think many parents feel poorly equipped to explore and discuss faith at home and tend to ‘outsource’ faith development to YCF workers."
One worker talked about a change in parental support:
"Once we started parenting events and encouraging the family in discipleship alongside us they were more up for it!"
Here's a final thought from one worker:
"A few parents/ carers were always supportive whereas others used us like a child-minding service. It was good to be able to be there for the children with less supportive parents, as they seemed to be lacking in support in many areas of their children's lives which required effort. Others were quite judgemental. The usual mix, I guess. I think a more cohesive approach throughout the whole church might have encouraged greater parental/ carer support."
Q7: Are there things about your ministry that you feel your church’s senior leadership may not fully understand?
Q.8 What are the things about your ministry that you feel that your church's senior leadership may not fully understand?
"it is so, so hard..."
"How exhausting youth work can be and how emotionally and mentally draining it can be too."
The most important thing mentioned here is how hard YCF ministry is, both physically and emotionally:
"There is a lot of setting up, a lot of resources, a lot of planning and setting up a room before the session, doing the session, then clearing down is physically hard work."
Part of that is the difficulty to switch off. One leader answers this question with:
"How many hours we actually work? How difficult it is to switch off our brains/ hearts at night - especially if offering pastoral care in the evenings. That we sacrifice time / presence with our families to serve other people's families. That we would get paid more if we worked in a secular youth work environment."
Another:
"Not being able to fully be with the church family on Sundays or on group nights."
Others say that they can’t do it all, certainly not in the hours they have available. Some mention that they are pastoring leaders and parents, as well as children and young people. Some say that the burden of administration, particularly safeguarding is huge. One writes that senior leadership don’t understand, “The relentlessness of safeguarding.” Others mention the challenge of finding sufficient leaders. One writes "the difficulty of raising a team of volunteer workers and equipping them well". Two leaders pointed out that feedback working with YCF is immediate and honest, and that’s hard. Others said that YCF ministry was the only ministry in the church that took registers and felt their success was measured in numbers, while there are many external factors.
...and it's complex
"Children's workers often have to set up the room, deal with parents, encourage and help the volunteers team, teach the Bible, deal with safeguarding issues. I really don't think senior leaders get it!"
One leader said they had 55 separate tasks to do as part of their role.
it takes time
“It takes nearly as much time for me to prepare a kids' group as it does a sermon, and I have a minimum of three kids' groups per week to run."
There is a lot to do. Relationships take a long time to build. Preparation and particularly creativity take time.
young people generally
"They often underestimated the challenges faced by young people."
Many leaders feel their Senior Leader don’t understand young people’s culture, brain development, exams, diversity, etc. One writes:
"Not enough training for church leaders in engaging with children and young people."
Several leaders mentioned that expectations of senior church leaders are the same as of adults, and yet one wrote leaders don’t understand:
"What it's like to teach a group who may not be listening to you, but are instead completely distracted by a cat passing a window."
Another wrote that young people “can walk away more quickly.”
it's important
“Whether youth ministry goes well will be the future of the church as a whole.”
Twelve different YCF workers mentioned areas around the important of the ministry, many stressing that this is real church, not an optional side of main church, writing:
'This ministry is a part of the whole church family, not something separate like a para-church ministry."
Others wrote:
"They think it's OK for YCF to be under-resourced on Sunday - worst rooms, no worship leaders."
'"The pastoral role of being a YCF worker isn't necessarily fully understood and isn't seen to be on the same level as an adult pastor/leader in the church."
Others mentioned decisions being made that affect YCF but without thought, e.g. service overruns, and making services accessible to YCF.
is it part of the vision?
"The frustration of feeling like an optional side to the 'main church'.
There is a feeling from nearly ten leaders that church vision should be more joined up, allowing each part to flourish. A key part of this is parents discipling children and young people too. Do senior leaders see low numbers at, or negative feedback on YCF events, purely in terms of the content, and not as a reflection on how well we are discipling our parents? Leaders also mentioned helping them understand what the church vision is, and taking YCF leaders’ thoughts into account when deciding the vision.
it's a calling, not a job
"It is a calling, but is paid/treated like a job, unlike senior pastors. We go far above the hours we're meant to work and are often paid very little, no house, no other support, etc.'
Several leaders mentioned that they don’t think senior leaders realise that YCF ministry is not a stepping stone.
Additional quotes:
“The relentlessness. As a children’s worker you are never ‘off ‘ when at church . As a preacher you can sit down during worship to take a breather before you preach. Children’s ministry is about doing what you’re doing that minute and also 10 steps ahead. It’s exhausting. Then after a session you chat to parents / families then have to tidy up. Honestly the hours are so long.”
“I am not only ministering to 0-18s (which in itself is a huge range and a big ask!) but also their parents. I’m often also in charge of all-age services and integration. Which means often the whole scope of ages are in my remit and that means I feel I’m wearing lots of hats and trying to please lots of people at once. Also, pastoral care for under 18s is so different to adults - there are loads more hoops to jump through and they are more fickle (in terms of you might put loads of work in but they change one day and walk away quicker than an adult would) so the disappointment is stronger. Plus they’re still developing so are very impressionable - small things I say can make a huge impact on someone who hasn’t developed full criticality or sense of self yet. Basically, it feels like the pressure of any ministry leader, but put under a microscope with very little margin to go wrong.”
Q.9 What things happen in church that you think make it harder for youth, children and families' workers to stay long term?
poor pay and conditions
Top of the answers, with over 1/3 or respondents is not enough pay or housing etc. YCFWs write:
"It isn't affordable long term, especially if you are part time or single."
"The pay is just pap, with no "career" advancement other than becoming a senior pastor! But then again, it's a calling - none of us get into this for the money! It's hard, though, when a church take advantage of that - and don't honour the work or the worker."
"The housing provided is inadequate for non-singles."
"A short-term contract makes it really hard to bring about long-term change."
Of particular concern are differences between staff (Are curates valued more highly than youth workers? Youth workers than children's workers?), fixed term contracts, or contracts that depend on funding. This leads to job insecurity. Others mention Sunday work being seen as a voluntary part of their role.
But perhaps this one should be listened to more than any: “Worked for ten months and was paid for three.”
"Financially this job just won't pay the bills."
not enough support or encouragement
"Not supported by clergy - just left to get on with it."
Sometimes congregations back off with their support after a paid youth worker is employed. Some leaders write that the lack of volunteers and family buy-in lead to ‘an uphill slog’. Other times YCF workers feel they are not supported by senior leaders. One writes:
"Support - I often hear about YCF workers who feel lonely and unsupported. They are left to carry an enormous weight of the ministry with no one providing them with the support and friendship they need."
lack of vision and value
"The ministry is often seeen as second place to the adult ministry."
One worker writes:
"Not valued in the same way 'adult workers' (i.e. clergy) are.”
Another:
"Senior leadership not taking youthwork seriously."
Another talked of poor working conditions and being given no office space.
lack of progression
"The expectation that after four years or so it's good to move on. A cycle of young people is so quick. Four years isn't a long period of time but the whole youth work changes completely in that period."
“No 'career' advancement other than becoming a vicar! But then again, it's a calling - none of us get into this for the money! It's hard, though, when a church take advantage of that - and don't honour the work or the worker."
unrealistic expectations
“Too many, long hard days with no chance to recharge.”
These expectations came from both the Senior Leader and congregation. Workers talked of being split too many ways, and short-termism prevailing. Others talked of an expectation that they were really only babysitting.
"Refusal of the older generation to defer to the needs of the younger generation."
"When work doesn't result in bums on seats, it can be seen as failing."
burnout or spiritual exhaustion
One worker writes:
"Noone telling me to lie down when I was burning out."
other issues
Other issues raised that make it harder to stay are: micro-management and inability to try new things, working too many hours – forcing family life to be sacrificed, including no flexibility around children and holidays, not enough critique, training or development, loneliness (because YCF leaders rarely if ever see other adults, and can even be siloed from other staff), an expectation that YCF workers should be young, not being appreciated and an unrepentant senior leader.
Q10: Have you ever seriously considered leaving paid ministry?
Q.11 Why have you seriously considered leaving paid ministry or why did you leave?
the role
"The burden can just feel too heavy sometimes, with too much expected of you and without enough support."
The biggest reason that YCF Workers consider leaving or leave is not pay. It’s the role. Workers talk about stress, feeling always on call, work-life balance, feeling that work was coming before family and feeling they were losing their identity. They talked about the amount of admin, that they felt ineffective and expectations were that they were young and should work long hours. Some talked about having children and not wanting to be ‘out all evenings’. They talked about lack of opportunities for growth, and also of boredom.
Workers wrote:
"Because it's really hard. The stress people put you under is massive."
"I left as my life was no longer mine. Working for a church almost cost me my own faith and I wasn’t willing to lose my faith over a job. I had burnt out in the position once already and I wasn’t willing to let it happen again. "
"Because the pressure became too much. The stress of working in a numbers-orientated, lack-of-communication church had a negative effect on me, my spouse and my children."
"My job takes up 4 evenings every week, and sometimes 5. I work a full day on Sundays as well. And ministry is hard: emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually tiring, often all at once. I have friends who are paid more for less work in easier jobs (their words), and still fully consider themselves to be serving the Lord in those roles (I agree). I also think I’m rubbish at my job and that if I left, someone else would come in and do it better.”
"It can be hard to maintain a balance between work and family life when a lot of your work happens at weekends.”
church relationships
"Elders decide things without speaking to us…"
The key relationship is the relationship between YCF Worker and senior leader or other staff. YCF workers talked about bullying, ridicule and poor management. Others talked about ‘church politics’. One wrote:
"Abuse, bullying, vendettas."
Several felt undervalued and unsupported. They talked of struggling to find volunteers and not having parental support.
Workers wrote:
"The burden can just feel too heavy sometimes, with too much expected of you and without enough support."
"Feeling undervalued and unwanted."
"Not listened to"
"Not heard"
"Not trusted"
Another person talked of feeling unconnected with the church.
funding
"I couldn't afford to stay in it anymore as a single person renting/living."
Fourteen people talked about having difficulty paying bills, not being able to have a family on a church salary, having inadequate housing and feeling taken advantage of.
the cost on my health
Three people talked specifically about their health and particularly their mental health. One wrote a long paragraph about the church not supporting them while they struggled with their mental health, stopping the role and payments, leaving them with no way to pay the bills, then losing their home and no longer feeling they can trust the church, nor work in ministry.
other issues
Theological differences were also mentioned and loneliness.
any positives?
I think the following is worth thinking about, remembering the question was: "Why have you seriously considered leaving paid ministry or why did you leave?"
Only five people mentioned positive reasons! Two mentioned ordination and three mentioned moving to other jobs. Even then one writes:
"I left to work in a job that I felt God wanted me to go to. But it was a relief in some ways to leave."
Q.12 Do you have any final comments about support for you in your role?
“Everyone thought it was someone else’s job. Incredibly lonely.”
Ten people said in answer that getting support elsewhere was vital! Seven talked about getting support from other workers outside their own church. Others talked about home groups and mentors.
I think you’ll find these quotes helpful (my emphasis):
“I think the leadership need to share with the congregation that the role is important regularly so the value comes from the top and there is a knowledge of what you are (and are not) being paid for.”
“One of the key issues is regular support from my minister. I think I have had three or four meetings with my minister in the last 2-3 years, and all of these have been around a complaint of some sort.”
“I feel fed up, yet I think in the scheme of things that I'm one of the well supported ones!”
“If I asked for help I always got it. Some of my colleagues whinged a lot and didn't just ask... It became a badge of honour to be the hard-done-by youth worker for some of them... I know that sounds harsh but there were a few entitled souls that moaned a lot!”
“I feel that experiencing a lack of support in a church setting can cause greater long-term emotional and mental scarring than in other employment settings. This is because, as well as the role being your job, it is also intrinsically linked to an individual's faith and beliefs. I had never thought that a vicar would be less than 100% trustworthy and that someone in that role would always act with integrity. Everyone makes mistakes, but to have been let down and disappointed over a long period of time was shocking.”
“No. Not working currently but I would say that there are obviously a lot of vacancies and not many wanting the jobs. Church leaders need to stop seeing the role as something to pass off the tricky youth to and really consider what it is you want!”
“Vicars need training in how to manage and work with employed staff.”
“The best support can be given when leaders ask how their workers would feel loved and supported and then follow through on it.”
“Now I feel much more supported I am enjoying the role more and can see how it's impacting the children and families in the parish.”
“I think being part of a staff team and working alongside others is SO key - people who get ministry and (to a certain extent YCF ministry). I do think you need to be in a church that is FOR you and FOR your family and sees the support and wellbeing of you all as inseparable from the role that you are seeking to do in the church.”
“I love my current role & am so glad I’ve got support to be back in ministry, but it’s meant I’m now someone who supports lots of others who are struggling in their roles with their senior leaders who really don’t support their workers.”
“I think some churches do this brilliantly but this generally comes from an good understanding of the importance of the role.”
“No but just to say youth and family ministry is essential and I hope each person doing this role knows they ride the crest of the cultural wave for the church in their ministry and it’s an incredible calling. May God bless it!”
Q.13 If you are currently a paid youth, children and families' worker, what keeps you in your ministry post? Please leave blank if you are not currently in a paid role.
calling
"I know this is where God has called me to, and He hasn't said move on or stop yet. This certainty is always what we return to - especially when things are tight financially, and the pressure is there to look elsewhere... and He's never let us down!"
There was a massive range of factors that keep people in ministry, but the biggest one was calling. One wrote:
"Feeling God has called me into this role and he hasn't called me elsewhere."
vision and passion
"A new project and an amazing church family with an exciting vision I want to be part of."
One wrote:
“I want to help young people meet and follow Jesus Christ, and walk with them into increasing maturity - seeing the need for this amongst lonely & lost young people, and rejoicing at seeing God work in young lives, keeps me at it.”
love for young people
"The kids. I know that leaving without a plan would leave a black hole and my team would not be ready to support the kids without a paid worker. Although YP can be annoying at times, watching them grow in faith has been one of the greatest privileges of my life."
One wrote:
“The joy of seeing children and young people meeting with Jesus and forming a relationship with him. Knowing that what I do makes a difference to the whole of their lives.”
good line management
“My minister who cares about me and treats me like an equal.”
Five people mentioned this aspect.
One wrote,
“I have changed church and starting a new role in a different church. But what kept me in it, was realising not all church leaders are narcissistic bullies. Some are actually pastoral.”
As you can see, not all of the five were entirely positive.
good support
Another five mentioned support more widely from staff, families and volunteers. One wrote:
“My church is so brilliant at supporting me - from the beginning their line was 'we want to try to bless you as much as you bless us'. I believe they have continually done their best to do this and have listened and made changes when I have felt unsupported. They also pay me well, support me pastorally and encourage and champion me and my role. They make my job easy and enjoyable. This isn’t true for so many YCFWs I know, and I wish more churches supported their YCF workers properly and saw the role as valuable, non-transient and worth investing in.”
other issues
Others mentioned love for God and their confidence in the gospel. Others talked about the need, Jesus, seeing children grow up, YCF being a church priority, seeing God at work, new challenges and even celebrations keeping them going.
Additional quotes - what keeps you going?
“That there is work to be done. And I do not say that lightly - people often talk about callings and so on, I see a generation of young people who are completely devoid of meaning to life and I feel that I am here to minister to them. My church is supportive of my ventures and does everything in their power to aid me in sharing about Jesus with young people. I love my church, I love the kids and youth we have, and I’ll know when I’m supposed to move on.”
“Christ is King, do it for Him and His kingdom. Any pain we feel in this world is nothing compared to what Jesus went through. No matter how bad things get, the wrath of God we do not have to endure. Bit of a waffle but that’s what keeps me going. People need to know Christ.”
Q.14 What would be your top tip for churches employing youth, children and families' workers to improve recruitment and retention?
Invest in them (37 mentions)
Including offering them permanent contracts and having incentive to stay in the role long term.
Care for them (33 mentions)
Including loving them, valuing and supporting, listening, encouraging, praying for them and their family. Workers said:
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“Basically value them for all they who and for who God says they are. They are a sibling in Christ, precious to God and important in the church so do all you can to treat them like you know this is true and encourage the church family to do the same.”
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“Pray, prayer, praise.”
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“I think honesty and kindness. Don't chuck your workers on an island and expect them to thrive. Back them up and buy in! Pray for them!”
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“Value them greatly. Just them being there is a great sacrifice which should be treated with special honour. It's such hard and valuable work.”
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“Be committed to investing and caring for a person and seeing this as key to recruitment, retention and flourishing in the role you’ve asked them to do.”
Help them to balance their workload (13 mentions)
One writes, “Help them protect their time. Don’t pile too much onto them.”
Encourage the church to value YCF (10 mentions)
Workers talked about making YCF part of the church identity and treating YCF as an essential part of the church.
Involve YCF worker more widely (8 mentions)
One wrote about partnering with the senior pastor for growth. Workers talked about integrating YCF workers into the wider team well and giving them a say on important plans and strategy, treating the role as a leadership position and joined up thinking.
Improve line management (5 mentions)
One wrote, “Train people in line management, line managers should have experience of youth work.”
Other suggestions
Other tips included recruiting carefully, allowing flexibility and autonomy, working out priorities (including being realistic what can be achieved and thinking about culture change necessary in the adult ministry to build YCF), looking for love for young people, communication and thinking about faithfulness not results.
dave's 10 top tips for senior church leaders working with Ycf staff
Click on the link to read about that area some more.
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Give them your time. This means taking their regular line management seriously.
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Pay them a fair salary on permanent contracts, with fair holiday, increasing over time to give them a reason to stay.
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Ask your YCF worker some questions:
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Care for them as people. Ask about them and their families.
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Help them to balance their workload, which might mean looking again to see if job descriptions are realistic.
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Provide them with vision for the whole church and for the YCF ministry and involve them in leadership discussions and decisions.
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Speak highly of YCF ministry regularly from the front of church and visit YCF groups regularly.
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Help the whole church understand their responsibility for YCF ministry – volunteering, parents partnering in discipling their children, understanding its challenges and its value.
final notes
Youth, children and families' workers who filled in the survey:
I hope you feel that you are heard and I have done justice to what you said. If you don't think I have, do please get in touch here. I wanted to say 'sorry' to lots of you too, but the survey was anonymous. Sorry that you've gone through the stuff you've gone through. I can't take away what's happened, but I'm always ready to listen. I am not a trained counsellor, but I can hopefully still encourage you, if you want to get in touch.
Youth, children and families' workers generally:
Here's an idea on how to use this survey - tell your senior leaders that this survey has just been published, ask them to have a look at it and then have an open conversation about it.
Senior leaders:
Thank you for doing what you do. I think most YCF workers understand how difficult your job is. If you don't think we do, by all means, do a survey and we can learn to better support you too. Thank you so much for taking YCF ministry seriously enough to read these results. If you have a YCF worker, why not ask them to have a look at these results and then discuss how you and the wider church could better support them?
By the grace of God, we may continue to grow together by the power of God for the glory of God.
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 3.12-14
HERE'S THE DREAM RESULT...
One worker wrote:
"Now I feel much more supported I am enjoying the role more and can see how it's impacting the children and families in the area."
Perhaps that's what we should be aiming for - good support that leads to kingdom growth.
HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THIS MINISTRY
It's worth saying that I work on this in my spare time. I'm a full-time church youth worker. Find out more about me here.
If you want to support this work, the only resources for which I ask for payment are my book and the Psalm 139 and Christmas Escape Rooms, so please buy the book here and buy the Escape Rooms here.
Sign up to become a member if you want to find out first when new material is added.
If you have ideas that work well and would like to share them more widely, then please get in touch even if you don't think it's exciting or original:
"What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun."
Ecclesiastes 1.9
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