Leadership Is Lonely

Alone.

That's how many youth workers feel these days. Many of us are the only youth worker doing what we do in our little section of God's Kingdom. We may have others who volunteer their time, talent and treasure into the ministry we are involved. Yet we still have this sense of feeling alone.

When we sit in our office, at local place that hase free wifi so we don't have to go into the office, or even when we are at home relaxing. Leadership is lonely and I've experienced it and I've heard it over and over again. The problem I have with this is that we have bought another lie that we should not believe.

Now wait a minute, you might say. Leadership is lonely, just look into the Bible for the many examples of a leader who was lonely. Be honest, you could list at least 5 or more leaders from the Bible who were lonely right!?! These many leaders had some lonely moments but that they were not lonely, every single minute of their leadership journey.

Yet for those of us in youth ministry leadership we believe that at our core we are alone in what we do. We find ourselves in our own silo from the other ministries and staff. You might even think that youth ministry is not understood at it's basic form it is only tolerated within your organization. You have a good volunteer team but in the day to day realities of youth ministry you feel alone. I understand that loneliness, I've experienced that loneliness and I've tried to hide that loneliness too many times. One of the most important realities about youth ministry loneliness is that it is my fault if I felt lonely.

So now back to you.

Loneliness is your own fault. You have bought into the lie that leadership is lonely. Now I want to confirm that you will have lonely moments but if you feel alone in youth ministry "ALL THE TIME" it is you're own fault or there might be something deeper that you need to explore. But at it's basic form, we were not designed to be lonely, we wer designed for community by the God of all creation.

Here are my top 5 Ways to Always Feel Alone in Youth Ministry:

5) Don't connect with any other staff and volunteers in your organization professionally and socially.

4) Don't coordinate a prayer team for yourself from within your faith community or your family and friends.

3) Don't belong to a small group from within your community of faith.

2) Never be mentored by someone older and more experienced than you in life and ministry.

1) Don't belong to a peer network of other youth workers from other denominations.