Surviving Youth Ministry With a Young Family

New piece went out yesterday for Simply Youth Ministry's SYM Today email:

"Over the past year and a half, we’ve added two children to our family. One is our adopted 18-month-old son and the other is our newborn daughter, just seven weeks old. It’s been a crazy adjustment, to say the least. We’re working each day to try and figure out life with two small children, plus an entire youth group. We know it takes balance and patience, but in all honesty it’s a struggle to make everything work. There are a lot of days we just want to run away! Here are four things we’re trying to focus on as we enjoy/survive youth ministry and a young family..."

To keep reading, head to http://www.youthministry.com/articles/families/surviving-youth-ministry-young-family

Scheduling With Your Spouse in Mind

Youth ministry schedules can be hard on marriages and families. Not only are there a million youth events and programs to attend, but many youth pastors and their families are also expected to be involved in the everyday life of the church. Youth workers can easily find themselves far too busy and with spouses and children desperate for time and attention.

As with anything else in life, there's no magic fix or specific formula for working out a healthy youth ministry schedule. But here are some general ideas to keep in mind when dealing with your ministry calendar.

To keep reading, head to: http://www.youthministry.com/articles/families/scheduling-your-spouse-mind