The Perfect Youth Leader
Well, not perfect. But how about progresssing. Haha. But, you know what I mean.
The 21st Century is a quarter of the way through. Whoa. That is real talk. Walking into another century is something that most of us will never experience again.
Let me give you 5 traits of Youth Leaders who are going to shape this culture during the next decade.
If the Lord tarries, we need a new generation of youth leaders who will leave their impact on Gen Z & Alpha Gen. If you want to be a culture-shaper amongst youth there are many traits you must possess.
Here are 5:
TRAIT #1
Great youth leaders will develop a personal lifestyle of prayer and worship and see those around them transformed by the presence of God.
We used to say that if you want to be a great leader, set yourself on fire and people will watch you burn! There’s so much truth to that. Whether you are a macro influencer or a micro influencer, your life is the content.
Healthy youth leaders build healthy youth ministries that build healthy teenagers.
You may be able to out-program me, out-plan me, and out-promote me. Out-footprint me on the socials, out-preach me, and out-look me with your fit. But, when I am done and lay it down, nobody will be able to say that they out-played me, out-praised me, and out-prayed me.
Everybody is trying many things to build a Youth Ministry or to influence youth. But, not everybody is trying spiritual maturity, personal discipleship, and the presence of God upon their own life as a spiritual leader.
Great Next Gen leaders are not Superman or Wonder Woman. Be yourself. Teens can smell fake. The example we are trying to model young people is not perfection. It is progress.
Trait #2
Great youth leaders love young people.
I’ve said this for many years, but I want to lay it down at the end of my life and say that nobody loves teenagers more than I did. Nobody will be able to say that they out-loved me.
Everybody is trying many things to build a Youth Ministry or to influence youth. But, not everybody is trying the most powerful trait when it comes to young people. If you love a teenager, they will do anything for you.
Much of the world loves teenagers conditionally. They have to behave before they belong. They have to perform before they play. They have to study to get the grade. But a youth ministry that loves teenagers unconditionally will draw a generation to its ministry.
What does that look like?
1. Listening to them
2. Crying with them
3. Going to their events
4. Time with them
5. Challenging them
6. Teaching them
What I have found is that young people want to be challenged and not coddled or treated like children - they can handle empathetic and consistent tough love. I’ve said for many years that God will send young people to the youth ministry who loves teenagers.
Healthy youth leaders build healthy youth ministries that build healthy teenagers.
TRAIT #3
Great youth leaders find someone they are afraid of who will help keep them accountable in their life.
Healthy youth leaders build healthy youth ministries that build healthy teenagers. Mentoring is the key to removing ceilings from your leadership. Unless you give a person freedom in your life to tell you the truth, you will never reach your potential.
Three important questions I ask myself through the years:
Who am I following?
Who is walking with me?
Who is following me?
Do not do leadership life alone. Bring an editor with you. Get a rabbi. Find a coach. You need a professional in your life who has been there and done where you want to go and what you want to do. Someone who knows you, is more mature than you, has been where you want to go, and who is not afraid to speak straight to you.
If you don’t get someone to remove the ceiling and tear down the fences, chances are that you’ll never do it yourself.
TRAIT #4
Great youth leaders do not underestimate the significance of Natural Leadership.
Like we said in the first point, spiritual leadership is critical. But it is not simply spiritual leaders who make an impact upon youth. We must have skill-sets and competency in certain things also. Communication, relational, or administrative traits will supplement our spiritual life and make room for us and place you in the King’s palace. (Proverbs 18).
Are you working on your preaching? Are you working on your communication? Are you working on your administration and organization? Are you working on your social skills?
Again, these things do not have to be perfect, but we should be progressing!
Trait #5
Great next GEN leaders develop the team.
I’m sure you’ve heard it said before: If you want to go fast go alone. But if you want to go far, you need a friend or friends.
Did anyone prove this more than Christ? He had the power to change the world all by Himself. But He chose to work with a handful of ruffians and people the world probably would never have chosen.
Arguably, the greatest miracle Jesus ever did was the feeding of the 5,000. In Mark, the miracle begins with Jesus seating the people "...in companies of 50...." Without the leadership gift of organization maybe we never see this happen. But then He also gave each of the leaders a basket told them to do the work. And this incredible miracle took place. Because of teamwork.
One of my favorite leadership sayings is, “the book doesn’t stop here, the book starts here.“
That just means that I do not want to be the place or the person that everybody comes to. I want to give everybody the authority to spend the buck. Spiritual growth will happen if we are faithful and not merely leaders who lead from emotion or hype.
We need all kinds of people to lead all kinds of people. It is going to take leaders who are artisans, leaders who are alternatives, leaders who are academics, and leaders who are athletic. It takes many Chiefs to build many tribes.
Healthy youth leaders build healthy youth ministries that build healthy teenagers.
Finally
I am believing for the greatest youth movement in America that the church has ever seen in the coming years. And this will require great spiritual leadership. Not perfect spiritual leadership, but, but progressing spiritual leadership.
And if you are in any type of youth work these characteristic traits must be increasing in your life. If you fail to plan, you’re actually planning to fail. So what is your plan?
Healthy youth leaders build healthy youth ministries that build healthy teenagers.