Here are 10 ways to live a life of joy. Both for yourself and your teens!

1. Define and Communicate Responsibilities that Challenge. Communicate the big picture and how people fit into it. It is much easier to put a jigsaw puzzle together if you can see the completed picture on the puzzle box. It is important for people to have a clear picture of the goals and objectives and how they fit into the plan.

Next, communicate specific responsibilities to the team members. What do you expect from them? Provide a clear ministry description and allow their input. A good ministry description states specific responsibilities, how much authority the team members have, and to whom they are accountable, what benefits they have, and the length of time they are to serve. Help them take ownership of the goals, tasks, and responsibilities. Encourage their input and provide the opportunity for them to set their own goals as part of the total plan

2. Give Authority Equal to the Responsibility. One of the most frequent complaints of team members is that they are given responsibility without corresponding authority. Leaders need to be willing to trust those they ask to do a job by giving them the authority necessary to do the job. How much authority should be given? Enough to get the job done. This authority should be communicated to those with whom the leaders work.

Increase authority when performance earns it and responsibility requires it. As people increase in skills and effectiveness, increase their authority. This will raise morale and increase the effectiveness of the team.

3. Establish Standards for Excellence. Every team should have a set of realistic operating standards. Some specific standards that will increase team effectiveness might include these: “We honor our commitments. We believe in being people of character and integrity. We are faithful to our responsibilities. We are wise stewards of our time, talents, and resources. We work together as a team. We agree to disagree, but not disagreeably. We are committed to ongoing training and development. We are committed to excellence. We are committed to results, not just performance.” As a leader, you must set the example. The standards will become team standards only when they see you maintaining them.

Your Partners in Youth Ministry,

Paul & Al

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New Bible Lesson :: 2 Timothy... http://tinyurl.com/2z8btu Includes, PowerPoint, lesson outline, discussion guide and class handout (as usual). :-)

The Lost Horse  - This story is a good reminder that not everything is as bad (or as good) as it sometimes seems.

Why Did She Say That?  - To help students understand the serious effects of gossip.

Youth Ministry Tip of the Week

Do Not Try To Be A Super Person  - If you want to stay in youth ministry for the long haul and maintain a portion of your sanity, you will really want to involve volunteers from your church family.

Trunk or Treat - This is a great event for your youth ministry to help the children of your community.
 

Handling Conflict - To help students understand that conflict will hinder spiritual growth.
 

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