Congratulations! You have been called to serve as a youth minister. The questions that you now find yourself asking are “Now what? Where do I begin?” Here are the top 10 things I believe a new youth minister should know:

1. God Called You: God called you to youth ministry because God knows the gifts that you bring to the parish. A colleague of mine once said, “God brings who God wants to bring.” Congratulations! God called you.
2. Pace Yourself: Many parishes will expect you to “hit the ground running” and “pick up where our last youth minister left off.” Establish yourself in your new role first. Plan social gatherings and get to know teens and their families. Building relationships is the most important thing.
3. Set Clear Goals: Take time to define what you envision youth ministry should look like in your parish. What are the immediate needs and what do you envision the needs to be in six months? One year?
4. Don’t be a “Lone Ranger”: Youth ministry is the responsibility of the entire parish. Get help from parents and other adults who have a passion for working with young people. The Director of Youth Ministry in your diocese can also be your greatest resource in getting started.
5. Be Yourself: Young people are hungry for relationships with adults who are genuine. They want you to be just as you are. Be the caring, talented, compassionate, and professional youth minister you are.
6. Maintain Your Balance: Along with youth ministry comes crazy hours and a wacky schedule. It is crucial that you establish “Sabbath days” with your family. Keep these days holy by devoting time to yourself and your family.
7. Advocate for a budget: A youth ministry budget is crucial for purchasing the resources you need to get started and to continue to thrive. Depending on the size of your parish, $500-$1000 could be a number to begin negotiating.
8. Develop a Resource Library: A solid resource library is essential. To get started I recommend Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry, (http://www.usccb.org/laity/youth/rtvintro.shtml); Thriving in Youth Ministry by Bob McCarty (http://www.nacyml.org/members/profession/index.asp); and The Catholic Youth Bible published through Saint Mary’s Press (www.stmaryspress.org). You can also find more resources specific to junior or senior high at www.grouppublishing.com.
9. Be Flexible: You will spend countless hours planning topics for each youth group session only to realize halfway through a gathering that things are not going well. Chances are your group needs something else. Maybe something major happened at school or there is another issue. Be sensitive to the needs of the group and always anticipate the need to shift gears.
10. Be Patient: In general, it takes about three years to establish a strong youth ministry program. Do not let your success be defined by the number of teens in your group. “Large youth groups are successful youth groups” is a myth. There will be times when you feel you are not having any impact on the teens in your group. Rest assured, the impact you are making on young peoples’ lives goes far beyond anything you can imagine.

Rome was not built in a day, so sit back and take each day as it comes. This list is inexhaustible, but at the end of the day you will find you have done well, good and faithful servant.