Categorized | Youth Ministry

When you feel like quitting the ministry

Posted on 14 January 2008 by Tim Schmoyer | Trackback link

Unfortunately, it’s too often that I hear about youth pastors who are going through bad church situations and have thus decided to pull out of ministry for good. I can completely identify with this feeling — I’ve felt it many times before (see here, here, and here) and I’m sure it’ll come again in the future. But each time there’s been a couple things holding me back, reasons why I’m still in ministry today despite the ministry trash I’ve been through.

1. Confidence in God’s calling on my life.

2. Knowing that the greatest rewards are often on the other side of the greatest trials.

3. What doesn’t kill me only makes me stronger.

4. Working with sinful people is always messy, of which I am the worst.

5. I know the enemy wants me out.

Guest blogger series this week
This week Bill Allison will be featured as a guest blogger sharing a 4-part series called, Leading When You Want to Quit. As the Executive Director for Cadre Ministries — a faith-based missionary team with almost 100 years of combined youth ministry experience — he and his team pour their lives into helping churches equip students and volunteers to do ministry in Ephesians 4:11-12 fashion. He’s worked with hundreds of churches and youth workers all over the world, many of whom are on the brink of quitting the ministry for various reasons. This week Bill is gracious enough to share his wisdom and expertise of how to lead a ministry when you really just want to quit.

Leading When You Want to Quit Series
Leading When You Want to Quit (Part 1 of 4)
Leading When You Want to Quit (Part 2 of 4)
Leading When You Want to Quit (Part 3 of 4)
Leading When You Want to Quit (Part 4 of 4)



4 Comments For This Post

  1. Eric Says:

    Tim -

    “Leading When You Want To Quit” series…think the links are missing for these to download/view….

  2. Tim Schmoyer Says:

    Yeah, I’ll post one part of the series each day during this week and then will come back here to link them to the appropriate post so this page serves as an “index” to the series. The posts will become available throughout the week, so if you’re signed up to get email updates or subscribe to the RSS feed, you’ll get them automatically.

  3. Nikolas Says:

    I believe no. 3 is a quote from Kanye West/Daft Punk :)

  4. Tim Schmoyer Says:

    @ Nikolas: Maybe Kanye West says it, but my wrestling team said that way back when I was in middle school, way before he even came on the scene. He must’ve stolen it from us. :)



2 Trackbacks For This Post

  1. A Case Of The Mundys Says:

    links from Technoratis what got a star in my Google Reader this week. Posts so good they had to be read twice: Death by blogging at Ragamuffin Soul. Crazy Great idea! Mahalo Daily’s 60 second version of Steve Job’s Macworld keynote. Bill Allison’s seriesWhen You Feel Like Quitting The Ministryhad some great insights and encouragements.   It’s written specifically to youth workers, but the principles hold no matter what your ministry is. Joseph Sangl’s Best Utilize Your Tax Refund series had some sound financial advice for the upcoming

  2. A Case Of The Mundys Says:

    links from Technoratis what got a star in my Google Reader this week. Posts so good they had to be read twice: Death by blogging at Ragamuffin Soul. Crazy Great idea! Mahalo Daily’s 60 second version of Steve Job’s Macworld keynote. Bill Allison’s seriesWhen You Feel Like Quitting The Ministryhad some great insights and encouragements.   It’s written specifically to youth workers, but the principles hold no matter what your ministry is. Joseph Sangl’s Best Utilize Your Tax Refund series had some sound financial advice for the upcoming

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About me: I am married to my beautiful wife, Dana, and together we live in Minnesota where I serve as the youth pastor at our local church. The opinions expressed here are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my church.
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