U2 is arguably the greatest rock band in the world. In my opinion, no band in history has been able to stay at the cutting edge of rock music as long as they have. The key to their success? There are a number of factors, but the reason their music has stayed consistently relevant and popular is they have been able to reinvent themselves when necessary. After the worldwide success of The Joshua Tree, the band’s next album went in a completely different direction.

Many die-hard fans (myself included) didn’t quite know what was going on. We were comfortable with the sound we were used to, but the band couldn’t keep doing the same thing they always had done and expect to get the same results. The longer we stay in youth ministry, the more the same rule applies to us. From time to time, we have to be willing to reinvent our ministry model and ourselves as leaders.

As I mentioned in my last column, after seven years of doing ministry one way, our ministry was stagnating. I decided to revamp our Sunday evening program, including moving weekly small groups off weeknights and onto Sundays. Some students were skeptical. It disrupted what I had been used to for seven years, as well. Three years later, I safely can say it was the right decision. In order to stick around in youth ministry, you may need not only to reinvent yourself, but also make drastic changes for the sake of the ministry. Here are a number of other suggestions to help you stay in it for the long haul:

Delegate. Give away the tasks that are burning you out before they burn you out. You’ll be surprised how many people are willing to help you if you ask them. It may feel easier to do it yourself, but in the long run, it will pay off.

Develop a thick skin for criticism. Receive what God might be teaching you through the critique, and ignore the rest. If you feel bitter toward the critical individual, pray for God’s heart for the person, and find a trusted confidante who can help you process your frustrations.

Prune activities that cause you or other volunteers unreasonable fatigue. There are certain activities that will burn you out. For years, our winter retreat was a four-day, three-night event. For my own wellbeing and that of the ministry’s, I decided to change it to a three-day, two-night retreat. Now I look forward to it, and the volunteers and I leave energized rather than exhausted. Don’t be afraid to adjust or eliminate events that do more harm than good.

Make time for the ministry activities that bring you life. For me, that’s meeting with students who either are actively seeking God or those who have a lot of questions. In the midst of a growing ministry, I make sure there are a handful of students I personally pursue, and it nourishes me spiritually as much as it does them.

Don’t forget your first love. It is easy to get so caught up serving God that you forget to pursue Him. Nothing will dry up your heart and make you long for something else than to try to do ministry out of your own energy. Aggressively protect your time with God.

Here’s to your efforts, and mine, to do everything in our power to stick around for a while.