2. Be a Mentor.
Did you survive in youth ministry for more than a few years without getting fired or burned out? Then chances are you had a good mentor somewhere along the way. Whether you leave youth ministry to enter the marketplace or begin serving in a different pastoral role, you have an important qualification that most people don’t. You know what it’s actually like to be a youth pastor.
Only a youth pastor can understand some things about that role. So use your experience to mentor a youth pastor through the joys and pains of ministry.
3. Never Say Goodbye.
Knowing how to leave a church or youth ministry doesn’t mean you need to actually leave youth ministry. Just because you’re no longer a youth pastor doesn’t mean you can’t keep investing in teenagers’ lives. Lead a small group. Coach a high school soccer team. Volunteer for your church’s junior high all-nighter. (After all, you’ll remember how difficult it is to find willing adults for that event.)
You likely became a youth pastor in the first place because you love being with and serving teenagers. So keep doing what you love! You might even discover that youth ministry is perhaps a little more fun when you’re not in charge.
