Some time ago, David Kinnaman and I did a small research project to better understand parents’ perceptions of youth ministers. Most of the respondents were very positive about the experience they were having with their youth pastor. When asked what they liked best, “a heart for youth, a relationship with God, and enthusiasm/energy” were the three most-mentioned in an open ended response.

Overall, we felt the parents surveyed had a good grasp of what youth ministers were doing; but when we asked for their complaints, it was pretty clear that parents felt organizational skills were weak and the most significant area in need of improvement.

That’s not a huge surprise. I doubt few of us in youth ministry would say we couldn’t use some help with organizational and administrative tasks. However, what surprised me most was the way the parents talked about this weakness. It wasn’t that their teens were suffering as much as they were concerned about the health and future of the youth minister and his or her family. In fact, 87 percent of the parents surveyed said that balancing ministry time and family time is a high expectation they have for their youth ministers. Here are some of their responses.

• “He does not have enough time. He is somewhat disorganized. He does not communicate with us as parents as much as we would like. He is pressured from many sides and can have trouble doing everything expected of him. I wish he spent more time with his family.”

• “He tends to push himself toward burnout.”

• “He is spread too thin…he needs help!”

• “He’s a little disorganized. Sometimes sabotages his own effectiveness due to not following through on administrative and organizational details. But then, he was hired as a youth pastor, not an administrator.”

Clearly our organizational abilities can be a huge credibility problem for those of us in youth ministry. One parent said, “When you walk into his office, things usually are scattered everywhere. The youth room and teacher resource rooms are the same way. For a person who needs to find things in a timely manner, that is sometimes a problem. It does not communicate professionalism.”

If we want to ask for more resources, more understanding, and time for family, we must show that we are being diligent in our work. In all honesty, I’m not the most organized person; but in order to function, I have to do things administratively that I’m not really good at doing. There’s no other way. While I agree we should live into our strengths rather than try to improve weak skills, organization is one few successful leaders manage without. Here are some things I have done to improve my organizational skills, and I’m still working on them!

Ask for Help
Every church is filled with people who have had to learn to be organized. (Few are gifted this way naturally). Become their student while you learn to be a better administrator.

Surround Yourself with Willing Assistance
The church is a body, so the youth ministry should function as part of the body. Utilize people with gifts other than yours, and make sure you show them appreciation by being grateful and including them in planning. (Many parents also cited feeling used rather than appreciated and included when volunteering).

Go to School
Well, maybe not literally, but there are many workshops and books available to help you manage time and projects better. (A shameless plug: One resource is Youth Specialties Youth Ministry Management Tools 2.0 by Mike Work and Ginny Olson). For personal management, I recommend Getting Things Done by David Allen—the only management philosophy I have had any success implementing.

Check Capacity
One problem that even the best organization can’t help is when we simply don’t have enough time to do all that is expected of us. There is a reality of only having 24 hours in a day. I run into this problem all the time. When you reach your limit, there’s no way around it: You have to raise your hand and ask for help in managing expectations. Asking, “How much time should I be spending doing this?” and, “What is a reasonable amount of time I should be spending with my family?” and, “How do vacation and rest look?” are all fair questions to ask.

If you have a natural gifting for organization, know that I am jealous. It is one of my greatest challenges as a leader and minister. My observation when I was younger was that the those who thrived in their personal, family and ministry lives had some skill in this area; and most often it was learned. Perhaps it’s time to consider growing in this area, too.