Before his death in 2003, Youth Specialties and YouthWorker Journal founder Mike Yaconelli was a beloved friend and mentor to many. Here are his words of wisdom to youth workers who are overworked and spiritually under-nourished.

The call of youth ministry is unmistakable, relentless, captivating—and dangerous.

In reality, youth ministry is a job; but once ministry becomes a job, the rules all change and “Youth Ministry the Job” conflicts with “Youth Ministry the Call.”

“Youth Ministry the Job” has job descriptions, performance objectives, mission statements, evaluation forms. It’s about growth, success, results and measuring: How many? How much?

“Youth Ministry the Call,” on the other hand, is a mystery—and (trust me) the mystery of youth ministry is very frustrating for church boards and executive pastors.

• Youth Ministry the Job is about wider. Youth Ministry the Call is about deeper.

• The Job is about more. The Call is about one.

• The Job is about program. The Call is about relationship.

• The Job is about being in your office. The Call is about being wherever young people hang out.

• The Job is about young people’s souls. The Call is about your soul.

“When I Was a Child…”

In my first years of youth ministry, my reckless passion for young people, my burning desire to introduce young people to Jesus, and my ego and arrogance had a kind of momentum.

It never occurred to my church, or to me, that something critical was being ignored— my soul.

Not much has changed. As long as young people are showing up and parents are happy, no one—least of all the youth minister—is inclined to ask, “What price is being paid to keep this program moving at such a fast pace?”

The road I’ve traveled for the last 40 years is lined with the burned-out remains of youth workers who discovered too late the need to care for their own souls.

My experience tells me our souls are especially in danger when we’ve experienced the seduction of youth ministry.

Once you’ve experienced how young people respond to you, listen to you and want to be like you—these things make it very difficult to think about your soul. The instant gratification of relationships with young people drowns out the delayed gratification of a relationship with Jesus.

I wish someone had warned me about the hazards of youth ministry. (Of course, maybe they did, but I was going too fast to hear them.)

I feel obliged to share what I’ve learned from my mistakes and warn youth workers of the obstacles ahead. I was too long in youth ministry before I let myself hear Jesus whispering to me, “I don’t want you to do anything right this minute—I just want to be close to you.”

I might have learned this a lot earlier if someone had told me the three things I want to tell you now.