It seems that healthy cooking is all the rage right now. (You are asking, “What does this have to do with youth ministry?”) Well, as Americans are beginning to “discover” healthy cooking, ministers are “discovering” that having a healthy ministry is important.

Healthy ministry is more than just knowing the components of comprehensive youth ministry. It is more than offering meetings, activities, or balancing a budget. It is about knowing the recipe that balances the:

• spiciness of a new dimension of your personal faith journey
• nuttiness of the youth
• bitterness of mistakes
• sweet texture of the “aha” moment
• richness of our faith tradition and its teachings
• creaminess of the variety of program offerings
• tanginess of the administration of a ministry (you know, all that paperwork that leaves a lovely taste in your mouth)

The result: a delicious blend of savory flavors that tastes different for each person.

Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord (from the USCCB) encourages lay ministers to develop their character so that they are healthy: mentally, physically, and spiritually.

Mentoring is a great way to help newer youth ministers/directors begin to see the variety of flavors that are available to them. Unfortunately, not all new ministers seek out a mentor. Therefore, more experienced ministers and directors need to seek out them.

A wonderful way to begin a mentoring relationship is to call a new minister and welcome him or her to the ministry. A new minister may be feeling a bit overwhelmed in his or her new role. Think back to when you began in the ministry. What questions did you ask? Did you wonder which resources were best? How to reach youth? How to work in a parish setting?

Remembering your first year in ministry is a wonderful way to offer advice to someone who is just starting or trying to continue their ministry. Never forget the key to mentoring: prayer. Pray with and for the minister you are mentoring. It helps remind the person that they answered a call from God—and God is there—ready, willing, and able to help them in their ministry role. Sharing your experiences, ideas, mistakes, and faith life will not only enrich the new minister’s life but also their ministry—and all those who are touched by it. After all, isn’t touching lives what God asked you to do?

Step out of your kitchen and help someone with their ministry. Take a look at who you might be mentoring. Call your diocesan office and pay attention during your professional meetings. There is someone out there waiting to have you help them “turn up the heat!”