How To Start Building Real Student Leadership

As we closed out the live stream, one of our student leaders messaged me. She was observing the Mass from home due to the inclement weather but had a series of notes. This student was showing ownership over a ministry that has had a huge impact on our parish. Whenever a young person takes responsibility, it means they are engaged, and if we want to kill apathy amongst the youth, we need to get them involved.

When we think about student leaders, many of us think about peer ministry or youth-based mission trips. While there is nothing wrong with either of these aspects, to limit student leadership to these two areas is shortchanging your ministry. A healthy ministry for the young church empowers them to discover God’s true vocation for their life through the local parish. If you are interested in helping the young church become the leadership that the local church needs, then you need to:

START EARLY 

Student leadership does not start in high school, and it should not wait until middle school. The time to start investing in young leaders is in elementary school. While they might not be able to handle all the available tasks to their older peers, you can start incorporating acts of service through their families or opportunities like Vacation Bible School.

Whether you are the pastor or director of religious education, it is critical to find kids’ opportunities to serve alongside their parents. Start with something simple like greeting at the door or helping with cleaning between Mass times. Start showing the children in your parish that they serve a purpose, and there is more than sitting quietly in their pews. Make sure they know it’s okay to be seen and heard. When you start inviting kids to get involved, you start laying the roots for more robust and smarter missionary disciples during their adolescent years.

EMBRACE A MODEL OF APPRENTICESHIP AND INTERNSHIPS

Young people serving should not be limited to large events and seasonal projects. If you want to raise a generation of disciples, it’s critical to form them through:

APPRENTICESHIPS: This is where you find a young person to mentor under a more experienced ministry leader. The mentee observes and learns from the person they are modeling. This can be done through the usher ministry, children’s ministry, liturgy, etc. Apprenticeships develop a relationship that incorporates trust and affirmation. Serving becomes more personal because at the center of it is a relationship.

INTERNSHIPS: A parish internship is mutually beneficial. This is where a young person learns the intricate details of working for a parish while building up their resume. At the same time, the parish creates a testing ground for future employees. Instead of continuous external searches, the church can hire someone who understands the parish’s vision and charisms.

One of the major benefits to both of these models is connecting the young church with the old. Intergenerational relationships will form, and both parties will receive the connection their heart’s desire.

RECRUIT AND BUILD THROUGH VISION AND STORIES

People will be reluctant to incorporate young people into ministry because it isn’t always reliable, and teens make mistakes. But, young people also provide inspiration and hope. It is a sign that the church has a future and will continue to live out God’s mission. Most people don’t get on board because they have misperceptions of what student leadership looks like.

This is where it is critical that those who shepherd the youth cast a vision of what happens when the keys to leadership are passed on to a younger generation. At the same time, stories of success need to be shared with the congregation. Not only will these stories soften the hearts of the resisting parties, but encourage young people (and their families) to get involved.

To capture these stories, ask people to share their experiences through written mediums (e.g., emails) and video. Share these with your leaders and parishioners. Let the power of the story awaken the faithful and reach the lost.

Teens need to serve beyond the youth group. They need more than a youth Mass to live out the purpose of the church. If parishes are going to continue to grow and impact their mission field, they need the minds and hearts of young people. And it starts with one person leading the charge, and who knows, maybe God has called you to be that person.

How do you involve teens and kids in ministry and leadership positions within your parish?