The Money Problem

By Doug Franklin March 14, 2011

Youth workers struggle with who gets the resources in a church. The senior pastor never has a problem getting the money for his plans and programs but there is never enough money for the youth ministry. Even though most church experts believe churches grow more due to successful youth ministries than almost anything else. It’s no wonder youth workers are jealous of the resources that senior pastors have and can become bitter. Our problem is not who gets the resources, our problem is our attitude towards money in the church. We think that our value and the value of our ministry is determined by the size of our budget. We could actually do youth ministry without money. When I was a youth pastor I went from a church with a $20K budget to a church with a $4k budget and I found I was just as able to reach students with the $4k as I was with the $20k. I just had to change how I did it. So let’s not put money up as the most important thing to a successful ministry. Let’s also remember the senior pastor is always going to get what he or she needs, it’s just the way things go, so are we going to have a bad relationship with our pastor just because of culture? Change your thinking on money and work to have a good relationship with your senior pastor. For more on this subject check out my new book The Disconnect: bridging the youth pastor, senior pastor gap.