Spring is in the air. The trees and flowers are beginning to bloom. The air is filled with the growing aroma of middle school boys that comes with the emergence of warmer weather.

Ahh…Youth ministry in the spring.

Youth ministry is always full of challenges and the springtime is no different. In fact, there are five things I’m always having to remind myself comes spring.

Recruit, recruit, recruit.

Recruiting new leaders and volunteers is an ongoing process. I can’t wait until the fall to begin assessing the needs of my ministry and looking for new leaders. Now is the time to begin looking ahead and prepare.

It’s normal to be tired.

Every spring I find my self exhausted and every spring I have to remind myself that this is normal for youth ministry. If I fail to recognize that this is normal, I can begin to get discouraged. Recognizing that it is normal helps me stay at it and not give up.

Find time to get away.

Summers are awesome in youth ministry. The students are out of school, relationships are being built, camps are happening, mission trips are happening—there’s LOTS going on.

But I’m always already tired heading into the summer. If I don’t find time to get away before it starts, I find myself stressed, discouraged, and burned out in the fall.

That’s why we all need to make it a priority to find time to get away. Maybe it’s a day trip. Maybe it’s a weekend trip. Take a hike (just make sure you come back).

Stay in the Word.

Busyness and exhaustion can be a breeding ground for spiritual apathy and neglect. Studying to teach or preach does not count towards your personal walk. In times of busyness, we must take extra care to focus on our personal walks with Jesus. If we fail to do so, we won’t survive long. Focus on your walk and let your ministry come out of the overflow.

Finish well.

Do not give up. The school year is winding down and summer is coming. It’s easy to begin looking ahead and not give right now the attention it needs. Stay focused on the task at hand and finish the year out well. Your students are likely feeling the pressure of finishing the school-year well. They need you to continue to encourage, invest in, and love them. They need you to finish well.

What about you?

What are things you remind yourself of each spring?

 JODY LIVINGSTON is the Youth Pastor at Kennesaw First Baptist Church in Kennesaw, Georgia where he oversees Middle School and High School ministries. He has been married to his lovely life for 14 years, has four kids and drives a pretty sweet 1972 VW Beetle. He blogs at THELONGERHAUL.COM and can be found on twitter @JODYLIVINGSTON.