It’s the new term! I guess that for a lot of us, the momentum that a summer break or even an inspiring conference may have given us is fading away. All the bits of our roles that bug us, whether as volunteers or paid workers, are creeping back in and making us wonder if this should have been the summer we stopped. I guess very few of us started working with children and young people as a way of feeding our desire to fill in risk assessments. Or because we found the most fiendish versions of Sudoku lacking sufficient challenge and relished the chance to try something harder, like tallying all the slots on a rota with all the weeks people are likely to be away.
So how are we to keep this going for another year? Well here are a few ideas…
Everyone struggles once in a while
First of all, realise it’s OK to have a struggle every once in a while. Nobody gets to absolutely love every aspect of their role all the time. Even those who seem to be hugely driven will have periods of wondering why they bother and wanting to give up. The question is how we respond to these times, not whether they happen.
Don’t get isolated
Find a few fellow workers to hang out with, have team meetings to plan together, go to training events and hang around at the end. Meeting with people who share your experiences will do you good, but it’s often something we stop doing too easily.
Remember why you love it
When I’m out running in warm sunshine through somewhere interesting, I have to remind myself to stop and take a photo, enjoy it and soak it all in. Running isn’t always like that and memories of the great runs help to get me out in the wind and the rain and the cold. Make sure you enjoy and create memories of the good bits of your work, they’ll help you through the tough bits.
Don’t stop doing the bits that energise you
Often the demands of rotas mean that we have to fill in places where we are less comfortable. Sometimes you are more useful to the team if you step back from leading a group and are available to support others. Whenever I hear of someone doing this, I worry as they are in danger of stepping away from the work that energises them for the rest of their role. Of course, we need to help out and fill gaps but we shouldn’t do it so much we no longer get to work with the group that we’ve been meeting with for years. We need them as much as they need us!
At the Diocese, we’re here to help you serve the children and young people in your parish. Get in touch if we can help you and your team with training or advice on how to look differently at your ministry. Let’s keep it going!
Sam Donoghue is Head of Children and Youth Ministry Support for the Diocese of London. He enjoys baking, supporting Everton FC and going out for a spin on his bike.