Identify five adults in the congregation for every teenager on your church rolls--people who may have contact with kids during the week as well as on Sundays. Cultivate these "circles of friends" as youth ministry support networks for teenagers. Let them meet each other at least once, and check in with them a few times a year. Remind them of their important role in surrounding this young person with "church"--and Christ's love--all week long.

Communicate with the congregation as a whole in every possible way. Make sure information about your ministry area of responsibility is available in every form (e.g., church website, newsletter, Sunday bulletin, bulletin boards, committee reports, etc.) People do not know what is happening in your ministry area of responsibility unless it is communicated to them. Your goal is to communicate efficiently enough that those who have no contact with your area of ministry are still aware of what is happening in your area of ministry.

If your job description is like most, it is impossible to do everything on it.  So prioritize the various tasks listed in your job description (number them in order of importance, 1-10). Then try to match them with the priorities of the job according to the personnel committee.  Once you and the personnel committee get the same list of priorities, you have permission to let go of #5 this year while you focus on #1-#4--and the staff will back you.  Do this every year; if priority #1-#4 take your time this year, next year you can probably prioritize something else.