Youth Leadership Traits for a Teen Decade - #4

I am back after a month sabbatical from media. That was not easy. Many life lessons learned from this past month. Let me complete our series on Youth Ministry Traits. 

As we enter the 'Teen Decade', we are all going to spend about 7 years counting down the teens (from 2013 to 2019). I am believing for the greatest youth movement in the church America has seen. In the coming years we will visit this theme periodically. My guess is that a book is coming out of it. Just not sure who is going to write it. To prepare us for this, here is the final leadership trait for youth leaders who want to shape the teen decade.

TRAIT #4

Great youth leaders will develop a personal lifestyle of worship and see those around them transformed by the presence of God

Maybe an odd leadership trait to choose. It goes against the grain of most leadership guru's and their pyramids or templates. Here is why I believe worship is going to transform our youth culture. 

Have you heard this before?  "Young people today can not be led in worship. They don't want to.  They don't know how. They are not spiritual enough. They aren't interested in worship. Just wait until they grow up so they can understand it!"

This, in some way or another, has been spoken into the lives of this generation directly from the church. It is a misconception that is being circulated and believed at the expense of a generation who desperately need to understand one of the most powerful disciplines available to their lives. 

It is not that young people don’t understand worship. To be frank, they probably have a better idea of worship than most people in our culture. Our generation has the ability to worship sports, movie, and rock icons. They even have accomplished the worship of self. Worship is what we do in America. Getting us to worship isn’t the issue. In fact, getting America to worship isn’t difficult because it is what we do.

But, if we do not teach and example biblical worship, we will see this generation raised under an idolatrous worship of this world.
To negate a progressive biblical instruction and expectation of worship to our generation just because we think they are disengaged from worship in the church is to rob them from realizing the original intention of God for their lives!

  

I believe there is a fire burning in the heart of America today.  However, it may not be the fire of God. It could be the fire of sin and idolatry that is raging like an inferno fed by lust, materialism, fame, or even self.  We could find a label for all of these in one word.  IDOLATRY. 

As youth leaders amongst the young people we desire to lead, we must model a heart of worship and a true passion for God. The louder our lives present a true worship of God the clearer the people around us will see Him. There are many ways we can do this:

Seven ways to improve the worship in our lives as leaders:

1. Program worship into the youth setting on a regular basis

2. Develop the fine arts gifts of the young people in your ministry. Whether they play musical instruments, sing, read poetry, or create art, there is no shortage of talent in the youth culture. 

3. Do not limit worship to music. There are many creative ways to inspire worship and to place Christ at the center of our lives.

4. Changing the music we listen to and walking in spiritual     disciplines will increase our intimacy and integrity

5. Worship in private so our public worship isn’t awkward

6. Create nights of worship where a variety of worship arts are allowed to be exercised

7. Correct teaching that encourages worship as a lifestyle will promote young people who 'worship live' and not just at church