How To Start Cultivating Leadership Within The Young Church

Every so often, I get a request that asks, “Chris, is there any way my teen to help at the parish? They need service hours for school.” I used to hate this request because it meant helping a reluctant teenager check something off the list. I would hem and haw about helping until a good friend challenged me to look at it as an opportunity. That’s when things began to change.

The teens in your community want to make a difference, and we need to allow them to do that. While we give them opportunities to serve, it doesn’t go beyond that moment. But, if we started looking at service as a path in a young person’s discipleship, we would then find it impacts our ministry in several ways. To start, we’ll create young and future church leaders, as well a more substantial commitment from young people to the local and universal church.

If you want to cultivate young leaders, then you need to start by:

INTRODUCING THEM TO OTHER LEADERS

While you might be a great example of a leader, not every teen is going to connect with you. You need to show teens in your parish different models of leadership. Fortunately, there are men and women in your church that can do that. It might be people on your parish council or the person who heads up liturgical volunteers. You may have business owners who are devout to their faith and can meet with young people.

Don’t be afraid to invite the leaders in your parish to visit your programs and sit down with your young people.  Encourage parish leadership to invite teens to join them in their realm and field.  The more you can show teens who are a leader, the higher the chances they’ll connect further with the church body.

GIVING THEM A BIGGER PICTURE

Teenagers will get involved in ministry because they need service hours, for social reasons, or they want to learn more about the church. While there are many reasons they’ll start serving, the way you keep them serving is by painting the vision of how serving impacts their life.

We have to remember that serving is a way of helping our relationship with God and others grow. There are Scripture and Church teachings that emphasize how our hearts grow stronger, our relationships deepen, and our approach to life expands. Remind students and teach them as they get involved.

CELEBRATING THEIR SUCCESSES

Serving others is about sharing God’s transformative love, which brings along life change. Help teens identify the impact they are having on the Kingdom by:

• Writing them a note that highlights what they are doing
• Call up their parents and brag about the way their teen is having an impact
• Honor them in front of their peers
• Throw a party next time a milestone or goal is met

Don’t forget that serving others is more than hard work. It’s growing disciples and spreading the Gospel.

CHALLENGING THEIR THINKING

Leaders are learners; therefore, you must give your students an opportunity to grow. Investing in leadership conferences and workshops matters. If the budget is tight, then introduce them to leadership tools you use and walk through them with the teens. Talk about the characteristics of leadership, help them understand what skills and habits are necessary to grow.

Student leadership is an investment; however, the results will transform your parish. You’ll not only create a stronger group of future leaders but awaken the ones currently in your church. We need teens serving because it will remind us of the joy that comes from growing disciples who are growing other disciples.

In what ways are you cultivating student leadership in your parish?

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