Retreats help youth workers avoid burnout
Too many youth leaders are on the verge of burning out, says Marcel deRegt, leadership development director for YouthUnlimited.org.
“The average tenure for a youth leader today is only 18 to 24 months," says deRegt. “Youth ministry is more than a 24/7 job. Investing in people's lives is emotionally and spiritually draining, but the reward is phenomenal. For that reason, we say youth pastors need to pause and see where they're at."
The Soul Care youth worker retreats launched last year, with a view to helping both paid youth workers and volunteer leaders strengthen and deepen their personal faith.
Youth Unlimited is running three Soul Cares conferences in Canada this spring. One will be in Radium Hot Springs, February 11-13, geared for those from Alberta and Manitoba; another is February 25-27 at Fair Haven Conference and Retreat Centre in Beaverton, Ontario; and the last at Manning Park Resort, British Columbia. There will also be three conferences in the United States. Spouses are encouraged to attend and scholarships are available.
“I've been in youth ministry for about 15 years," says deRegt. “I've seen the difference that it makes when youth workers get burned out. It damages their ability to build relationships and impact lives.
“If youth workers intentionally invest time into themselves, their own soul care, their own connection to God, so that they are spiritually, physically, emotionally, mentally healthy, they are far better enable to minister to the youth that God has entrusted to them.
“Our youth workers and unpaid volunteers are in the trenches day after day," he adds. “We need to walk alongside them, encourage them and support them in their ministry."
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