Some days it seems like you’re just beating your head against a wall. You are trying your best, yet nothing ever seems to change. The youth don’t appreciate your advice and continue to run their lives into the garbage heap. The parents of these young people think you should have all the answers to how to fix their kids. The elders at your church feel as though you are not investing your time in appropriate ways — even though you feel you should be at the Friday night football game instead of the Friday morning budget meeting.

Here is a simple solution. Define who you are. This goes beyond a job description and past a mission statement. To be a youth worker means different things in every situation. In the mornings, you are an administrator. In the afternoons, you are a pizza delivery guy. In the evenings, you are a social worker. In the wee hours of the mornings, you are an on-call counselor. Yet when the end of the day comes, you feel as though you have done nothing worthy of adding to your next board report. If you feel this way, it is time to redefine what it means to do your job.

Every week, you spend a good chunk of time just interacting with youth in their world. Think about it and take credit for it: school visits at lunchtime, texting and Facebook. These interactions are critical in building relationship of consistency and trust. Define yourself as a friend maker.

Every week, you seek to invest more in a few teens. You might buy them a meal at McDonald’s or a slushee for the corner store. These interactions are critical in mentoring and show youth that someone cares. Define yourself as mentor.

Every week you try to help young people learn how to interact with others in healthy ways. It could be with their peers, parents, teachers, police and even God. These interactions are critical as teens need someone to serve as a mediator and advocate in the many dramas of their lives. Define yourself as an ambassador.

Every week you work with these teens to create an environment best suited for their growth and development in spiritual things. You can’t make them change. You probably have tried, but it never works. So you prepare the space in lesson planning and prayer. These interactions are important for young people to stop and reflect about their beliefs and convictions instead of simply relying on instinct. Define yourself as a facilitator.

Every week you dream of what your young friends could accomplish if they ever really “got it.” You look for what passions they have and try to show them how their passions combined with the resources God gives can help them accomplish the impossible. These interactions are important because it redirects the passion and risk-taking in youth toward something positive instead of destructive. Define yourself as a coach.

As you redefine what it means to be a youth worker and teach others what it means to fulfill your role, then the board reports are easier to write. The troubled youth is easier to listen to. The impatient parent can be reassured, and your own heart can be at peace knowing you did what you were supposed to do.

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