How much time are you expected to spend with kids and in the office? - MinistryQuestions.com | Ministry questions, answers, advice, and input from other ministry workers

Resolved Question

Votes

Resolved

How much time are you expected to spend with kids and in the office?

Just wondering what the ratio is for most of you. I'm new here and 1 of the deacons who reports to a "ministry oversight commitee" has asked me to fill out time sheets along with what I do each day. He said that ultimately they want to see me splitting my time 20hrs a week in office and 20hrs with kids. How do you do this, especially when you just moved to the area and you have a family?

6 Answers

In Youth Ministry
- by
- Nathan
325 Views
2 years ago

Question resolved! You can't answer the question

Answers

0 Votes 20 hours of office time does not seem like enough time for me. Who decided 20/20? There are NO expectations placed on me. I am on staff at a wonderful church who love GOD and love their pastors! I would ask them to allow you time to get your feet wet and settle in and see what is going to work best for the season you are in. Seems like summers are hectic and I spend more time out of the office and away at camps, missions trips etc that I am gone weeks at a time. Once you get your feet grounded you will better know what works best for you and the church you are involved in. Pray and seek God's wisdom and be sure and respond to the church leaders with God's grace. by Pastor Joe 2 years ago by Pastor Joe 2 years ago
0 Votes Each of my weeks varies. Like the others I try to keep my nights out a week to just 3. There are some weeks I work less than 40 hours and there are others I have worked over 80 but I usually try to take some comp time. I am trying to meet with students 1 or twice outside of normal meeting times and also getting my adult leaders to do the same. by Soulshaper 2 years ago by Soulshaper 2 years ago
0 Votes Yeah I think it's fair for you to ask how they came up with the 20/20. If you are new and it doesn't make sense to you then someone should shed some light for guidance or allow you some room to create the schedule. Summer is totally whack. During the school year, I try and have lunch/breakfast/coffee with a student/at a school at least 1x week. Now that it's summer time, the students are out and I try to get with them as much as possible. MarkO's Youth Ministry 3.0 was a tremendous influence. This summer is all about personal ministry with the students. Plus, since my wife works 9-5, I do it all before she gets off work! She really loves that aspect too! But I don't have someone "tracking" my hours either though. by Worship... 2 years ago by WorshipCity 2 years ago
0 Votes I spend roughly about 30 hours of office time during the week, and I do not count the hours i spend with the students instead I make a quota of contacts that I have to make by Youth Group. I set a part 1 or 2 afternoons that I take students out for shakes or coffee. This seems to help me. by Brian 2 years ago by Brian 2 years ago
0 Votes my rule of thumb: for every one hour with kids, three hours are usually spend in prep or without kids (with other leaders, meetings, etc). that turns out to be about 15 hours with kids i can spend, max a week without going over 40 hours. although many YPs are cool with working more, i do my best to guard family time as much as possible. going on retreats, random nights or evenings, etc means time away from my family. best thing i ever did was to make that known to everyone when i started, made it clear that i would only be out 3 nights a week and stuck to my guns. it may mean making somebody angry (like the deacons), but an angry deacon is better than an angry wife anyday. by pjwong 2 years ago by pjwong 2 years ago
0 Votes Handful of preliminary thoughts. Are you full time or part time? If you're full time, realize that most full time YP's work more than 40 hours, and tend to family. That shouldn't be a difficulty. However, if you factor in church services, other, activities, etc., that can change things. Is service part of your in office, out of office, or neither? Do you feel like 20 hours leaves you adequate time to develop leader training, do administration, plan, organize, and prepare all your messages? I would want to know how they came up with those numbers (not critically, just to understand). I would map out my responsibilities, and see how they match up. Communication is going to be the key here. Engage in dialogue and find mutual ground by Adam 2 years ago by Adam 2 years ago

Votes

20 hours of office time does not seem like enough time for me. Who decided 20/20?

There are NO expectations placed on me. I am on staff at a wonderful church who love GOD and love their pastors! I would ask them to allow you time to get your feet wet and settle in and see what is going to work best for the season you are in. Seems like summers are hectic and I spend more time out of the office and away at camps, missions trips etc that I am gone weeks at a time.

Once you get your feet grounded you will better know what works best for you and the church you are involved in.

Pray and seek God's wisdom and be sure and respond to the church leaders with God's grace.

Pastor Joe

2 years ago

Votes

Each of my weeks varies. Like the others I try to keep my nights out a week to just 3. There are some weeks I work less than 40 hours and there are others I have worked over 80 but I usually try to take some comp time. I am trying to meet with students 1 or twice outside of normal meeting times and also getting my adult leaders to do the same.

Soulshaper

2 years ago

Votes

Yeah I think it's fair for you to ask how they came up with the 20/20. If you are new and it doesn't make sense to you then someone should shed some light for guidance or allow you some room to create the schedule.
Summer is totally whack. During the school year, I try and have lunch/breakfast/coffee with a student/at a school at least 1x week. Now that it's summer time, the students are out and I try to get with them as much as possible. MarkO's Youth Ministry 3.0 was a tremendous influence. This summer is all about personal ministry with the students. Plus, since my wife works 9-5, I do it all before she gets off work! She really loves that aspect too! But I don't have someone "tracking" my hours either though.

Worship...

2 years ago

Votes

I spend roughly about 30 hours of office time during the week, and I do not count the hours i spend with the students instead I make a quota of contacts that I have to make by Youth Group. I set a part 1 or 2 afternoons that I take students out for shakes or coffee. This seems to help me.

Brian

2 years ago

Votes

my rule of thumb: for every one hour with kids, three hours are usually spend in prep or without kids (with other leaders, meetings, etc).
that turns out to be about 15 hours with kids i can spend, max a week without going over 40 hours.

although many YPs are cool with working more, i do my best to guard family time as much as possible. going on retreats, random nights or evenings, etc means time away from my family.

best thing i ever did was to make that known to everyone when i started, made it clear that i would only be out 3 nights a week and stuck to my guns. it may mean making somebody angry (like the deacons), but an angry deacon is better than an angry wife anyday.

pjwong

2 years ago

Votes

Handful of preliminary thoughts. Are you full time or part time? If you're full time, realize that most full time YP's work more than 40 hours, and tend to family. That shouldn't be a difficulty.

However, if you factor in church services, other, activities, etc., that can change things. Is service part of your in office, out of office, or neither? Do you feel like 20 hours leaves you adequate time to develop leader training, do administration, plan, organize, and prepare all your messages?

I would want to know how they came up with those numbers (not critically, just to understand). I would map out my responsibilities, and see how they match up.

Communication is going to be the key here. Engage in dialogue and find mutual ground

Adam

2 years ago

MinistryQuestions.com

Navigational Links

Unanswered Questions

Categories

Top Tags

Resolved Question

Answers

Miscellaneous Navigational Links