Office Hours

It's been a while since we've posted a blog here. Ok, you're right, it's been much longer than a while. It seems like it's been forever. Today I wanted to to focus on one of the aspects of student ministry that differs in nearly every church setting: Office Hours. Some churches require their staff members to put in a full 40 hours each week, other churches just want to make sure that you are there most of the week and putting in good work time, and then there are churches who really don't care about office hours as long as you show up on Wednesday and Sunday.

I have no idea what your office hour situation is. But, I do know that nearly all of us have those slower office days. Days where no one else is around and things are quiet. They are often frustrating and can drive you stir crazy. I want to point out a few tips for using our time effectively during office down time.

1. PRAY
I can't stress enough how important it is to pray for our ministries. I often overlook this during the busy seasons of student ministry and I often regret it as well. When you have a a few minutes of down time in the office try praying for your students, volunteers, and their families instead of scrolling through your Facebook news feed again. If it's a week day, pray for students while they're st school. They need it; they are all on the front lines facing temptation and trying to live for Jesus in this crazy world. Pray for your volunteers. They are just like you, trying their best to minister to students in today's culture. You know how hard that is and how you covet the prayers of others yourself. Don't forget to pray for your own family as well. Ministry is demanding and they need to know you are first and foremost concerned with ministering to them. Anyway you look at it, prayer always trumps wasting time.

2.PREPARE
So you've already got the mid-week worship service planned? Your volunteers are ready to teach on Sunday morning? This month's large group activity is nailed down? Don't stop there. Don't be afraid to look at your calendar and sketch out what you're plans are for then next 3 months or even for the entire year. Just because you have everything at hand prepared doesn't mean you can't continue. Not only will it keep you from wasting your time away but it will also provide you with a framework for executing your ministry goals over a long period of time. You might find doing this will reap more benefits than you could ever imagine because honestly, you can never be too prepared.

3.PURSUE
This last point is the most tangible of the 3. If you've got the time, get outside of the church walls and pursue those you minister to. When students are in school, drive around the campus and pray for then. If your school system allows, eat lunch with them a few times a month. If you can't get to your students then don't give up. Meet a volunteer or a student's parents for coffee. Go eat lunch with a deacon or elder and ask them for advice. Basically, let your people know you care by pursuing them. Also, it's great to get out of the office with other staff members. Strengthen your relationship with the rest of your church staff so that you can minister to your people better.

These are just a few ideas to keep us from wasting time. What about you? How do you effectively use any down time you might have in the office?