Youth Pastors and Money

My friend Adam McLane just finished a GREAT series on youth ministry and money. You HAVE to check it out.

When I started this youth ministry gig 15 years ago I was fresh out of college and had no idea really what to ask for in regards to money. Just out of college, newly married, my sweet wife was pregnant, and I landed my first middle school ministry job for 14K a year. That was in 1998. Having to put grocery bills on credit cards, I had to ask for not one raise, not two, but THREE in that first year.

Now, part of that blame goes to the church. They should have done a better job taking care of me. But most of the blame goes with me. I was worried, get this, that if I asked for more money people might think I was doing jr. high ministry for the money. Yeah....right. I should have had a realistic idea of what we needed and the church was gracious to give me a raise every time I asked for one.

Nevertheless, I was living paycheck to paycheck. And we were living beyond our means. I could have really used the tips Adam gives in this four part series. And even though I'm not a rookie anymore, some of his stuff was a good reminder for me now.

Make sure to check them out. Here is Part 1 (Intro), Part 2 (Debt and Savings), Part 3 (Cost of Living Adjustments), and Part 4 (Investing).

sidebar: I really appreciated Adam's thoughts in Part 2 about realistic savings plans and I was BLOWN away in Part 3 that there were some people that had no idea about COLA. Wow. Thanks Adam!