It’s Not Meant to Be Scary!!

by Steve Spence

For some youth pastors, fear slips in quietly. It’s not the kind that jumps out and startles you — it’s the kind that lingers in your thoughts after a long night of ministry. You wonder if what you’re doing really matters, if the students are growing, or if you’re still the right person for this role.

Ministry can stir up those kinds of questions. It’s full of change, emotion, and expectations. But fear was never meant to be part of the job. God called you into this work, and that calling hasn’t faded. Philippians 1:6 reminds us, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” That truth holds steady when your confidence doesn’t.

Most of the fear we carry comes from forgetting who’s responsible for the results. God didn’t ask us to prove ourselves — He asked us to stay faithful. When fear starts shaping how you think or lead, it helps to slow down and remember that your confidence doesn’t come from how the ministry looks. It comes from the God who called you to it.

If you’ve been feeling uncertain or anxious about where you stand, here are a few small but steady ways to find your footing again:

• Talk honestly with God about your fears. Don’t rush through it. Tell Him what feels heavy or unclear. Naming your fears before Him helps them lose their grip.
• Read something that reminds you why you love ministry. Whether it’s a passage of Scripture, a book, or an old journal entry, give yourself a reminder of what God has already done.
• Spend time with people who refresh your faith. Not everyone understands the weight of ministry. A trusted friend, mentor, or another pastor can help you see things more clearly.
• Step away from comparison. Measuring yourself against other ministries only fuels insecurity. Focus on the students and leaders God has placed in front of you.
• Find one moment of joy each week. A conversation with a student, a laugh with your volunteers, or an answered prayer — let those moments remind you that God is at work.
• Rest without guilt. Taking care of your soul isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a way of staying healthy for the long haul.

Fear may still come around from time to time, but it doesn’t have to shape how you lead. The same God who called you will finish what He started — in your students and in you.

You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to stay close to the One who does.

If you’ve been walking through a season of uncertainty and would like to process what God’s doing in your ministry, click here to set up a one-on-one coaching session. You don’t have to lead through fear alone.