Boundaries are one of the most complicated aspects of ministry life by far. It does not help that they are an ever moving and changing target, nor does it help that everyone has a different idea of what your boundaries should look like (congregation, supervisor, spouse, family, youth, parents, community, ethical considerations, legal considerations etc). There are several different types or aspects of boundaries of course, including boundaries of what one should say or do (appropriateness), boundaries with youth, parents and congregation members in terms of relationships and child protection, there are boundaries related to safety and various other things. In this instance, I am talking about boundaries related to time and schedule. For many youth workers, these tend to be the most difficult boundaries to think through and apply. Whether one is a young single youth worker who is tempted to work all of the time and spend every hour hanging out with youth or a married veteran youth worker who spends too much time traveling with the various retreats, mission trips and other ministry opportunities they have built over the years. It is hard to guard and honor ones schedule. Whether it is the idea that you must work a tremendous number of hours, or even the sense of obligation to move the ministry forward, the motives for lack of personal boundaries around time are often times pure and holy, but not necessarily healthy or Biblical. Certainly, one cannot be a good youth worker if one is a terrible husband and/or father. One cannot give what one does not have, so making sure that you have time with the God of the universe is critical. Ministry must flow out of who God is, not out of what we can do. Congregation members will expect you to be around when it works for them. Youth will expect you to be available 24/7. Parents will want your schedule to mesh with their. It is important to consider what is realistic and what is healthy and to stick with it. Even in the varying schedule of youth ministry, one can find a way to develop a routine and regular schedule that when honored (and when accounting for those special events) can not only allow for great boundaries and personal health, but a Godly example in our overly stressed, overly busy, overly committed world.’
What are some of your boundaries and how do you maintain them?