By Karen Wilk
(First appeared in the October 2004 issue of The Banner.)
It’s a strange experience seeing those who were once teens – teens that kept you up all night, who were in bands like Crash’n Burn, and who questioned everything — now leading their own churches, ministries, youth groups, peers…
It’s a humbling experience seeing those who are teens sharing their faith with their peers, teaching small groups of younger teens, leading the whole congregation in worship…
It’s an incredibly gratifying experience to realize that you have been used by God in such a way as to be able to testify to the above, marveling with those young people at God working in and through them! And it all begins when more mature believers recognize and intentionally nurture younger (and/or newer) believers, communicating in word and action that they have the potential, gifts and calling to be leaders in God’s Kingdom.
You can spot ‘natural’ leaders at a very young age. They’re the toddlers in the nursery telling the other infants what to do, Let’s build a fort! They’re the preschoolers in Sunday school, explaining to their classmates why they should listen to the teacher. They are also those less obvious ‘as needed’ and potential leaders. They are the quieter teens who not only follow instructions well but are able to explain them and assist others with accomplishing the task at hand. They are the youth who shyly volunteer to do a job and do it well! Leaders of all ages come in different shapes and sizes —personalities and gift mixes but their potential is evident in their relationships with others and their responses in various situations.
As we cultivate our ‘spotting’ skills, we need to be praying for God to raise up young leaders and for the eyes to see them. What specifically are we looking for? The most popular kid may not be the one qualified for effective leadership. In the early years of my youth ministry, we would have a vote in June as to who should be the group’s teen leaders for the season ahead. Inevitably we held a popularity contest, recruiting cool dudes with mediocre or weak leadership. It was time for a different approach. Before ‘election time’, we spent several meetings studying the descriptions of leaders in the Bible (such as 1 Tim.3:1-6, Titus 6-9, Eph.4:11-16, Acts 20:28-32, Heb.13:17, 1 Peter 5:1-4). We listed the Biblical characteristics of a leader on the wall, talked about why they were important and what they would look like in a young Christian leader today. Then, when it came to the selection of leaders, we prayed and then distributed a list of the names of every participant in youth group. We asked everyone to circle the names of those whom they believed best exhibited these characteristics. Those people who were circled numerous times were then contacted by an adult leader who would talk about the role and responsibility the young person was being asked to commit to much like a conversation with someone who has been nominated as an Elder or Deacon.
What a different leadership team we developed that year and from that year forward! Our new young leaders took their calling seriously and were excited about the affirmation they had received from their peers. These leaders exhibited healthy spiritual lives. They were living what they believed, growing through consistent participation in worship and personal devotions. They were willing and able to take responsibility and to learn, to accept risks and new challenges. They were also mature enough not to worry about what others might think as they knew their security and identity was in Christ.
Of course in order to ‘see’ such potential, we have to be in viewing distance. The adults who took those ‘votes’ knew the youth well enough to affirm those who had received the affirmation of the peers. They had seen them in ministry, with their friends. They knew their families and school lives. Identifying young leaders won’t happen unless more mature leaders are getting to know them and ministering along side them. But how do we get kids (anyone for that matter) to be involved-- to be more than passive participants or pew sitters --to come alongside and journey with more mature and experienced leaders? In my experience, I have found four essential ingredients that mobilize and empower young leadership.
#1- First, we sign them up for a course called Reality 101. Several years ago we did a series on abortion and pro-life issues with the youth group. Participants were mildly to negatively engaged in the discussions and activities, until the week we invited a guest to share her story. A young woman with tears streaming down her face, explained how she had dealt with an unplanned pregnancy, having an abortion and her pain and guilt. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. Suddenly the issue was not an issue but a real person’s real suffering. The youth responded not only with words of comfort and prayer but with action. A week later, we stood with candles in front of the nearby abortion clinic and prayed. The teens had been motivated by Reality 101. So expose them to the personal needs of the world - go downtown and handout lunches to the homeless, visit a children’s hospital, invite missionaries, single parents to your group... enable them to experience the real needs of real people and they will respond and leaders will arise.
#2- We involve them in service and ministry alongside others. Don’t just expose them, involve them! Youth can (and should) be a part of all of the ministries of the church. Take young people along on diaconal and pastoral visits. Make the next youth group service project or mission trip an intergenerational one. Plan events and programs where youth and adults minister together whether it’s serving soup, teaching Sunday school, cleaning the church or leading worship. Not only does this provide opportunity for youth to feel like they are making a contribution but it allows for modeling and mentoring by those with whom the youth are serving. Researchers have found that ‘family service’ is one of 3 critical factors in helping children and youth grow deeper in faith (Roehlkepartain, Jolene L. Nurturing Faith in Families Abingdon 2003 p.59) Furthermore, as youth try out different ministries, they and others clarify their interests and gifts which leads us to the third motivational principle.
#3- We empower them to discover their gifts, talents and calling. How? Besides taking a course like Discover Your Gifts (Faith Alive Resources), young people will learn primarily by doing. As adult leaders share their lives (1 Thess.2:8) by inviting young people to walk alongside them in ministry, they will watch and learn. (They’ll even be watching when we aren’t sure we want them to be!) Then, more mature leaders can start handing over more and more responsibilities until the young leaders are entrusted to the whole task or ministry. This ‘on the job’ training is enhanced by the powers of anticipation and reflection. God designed us that way. The people of God nurture faith by anticipating His coming again and reflecting on what God has done in the past (e.g. the sacraments). In developing leaders, we anticipate what effective leadership will look like, what will be required, what might happen and how we will respond. Then we take time together to reflect on how it went, what we could do better, where we would make changes next time, what we learned about ourselves. We do this anticipating and reflecting together as a leadership team whether one adult and one youth or as an intergenerational worship team, serve team or education committee. The more we create and nurture leadership partnerships, the more leaders will be developed, trained and empowered to do the work of ministry and equip others to do the same.
#4- Finally, we need to encourage and affirm developing leaders. Youth need to be exposed to people who believe in them. According to leadership guru, John Maxwell, 85% of leaders became leaders because someone encouraged them. According to a number of studies, having just one significant adult involved in a young person’s life will keep them from negative and antisocial behavior. In following, as young leaders take the risk of leading, they need our support, encouragement and prayers. They need to know that we are with them and that we believe in them. We need to communicate that personally and publicly, acknowledging their gifts and responsibilities and being their advocates.
Teen leaders will grow and bear fruit as they feel more and more a part of the team; as they experience being fellow journeyers following the same Leader and Guide, Jesus alongside us and as they realize that this just isn’t any journey, this is God’s journey.
