Equipping, Coaching, and Trusting Young Leaders

To reach the next generation, we must trust the next generation to lead and intentionally invest in them as they lead. Read on as we discuss some of the difficulties and issues facing this task.

Why is it so difficult to trust young adult leaders?

It is sometimes difficult to trust young leaders because, well, they are young. With youth comes a lack of experience, possibly a different point of view and most likely an immense amount of energy. These three combined can either be a time bomb waiting to go off or they can be a great tool in the hand of God. That risk is why most people struggle trusting young leaders. We would rather trust people to lead that we have known for awhile and have seen their maturity over multiple seasons - maybe even multiple seasons of life. Essentially, rather than looking to invest in someone to see what God might do in them, we look to reap someone else’s harvest.

What are some of the greatest needs of young adult leaders?

The first and greatest need of a young leader is to be trusted. With trust comes empowerment and permission to move ahead and lead/serve in the name of Christ. Trust is more than ministry permission, though. It is also a quality of ministry relationships. Young adults need to be known by the people they are following. They need investment in them that says, “I will trust you with the things that God has taught me. You are worth my trust and you are worth my investment.”

How are we confused about what authentic community really is? What is it and what is it not?

At times, we get confused about authentic community because we think about programs instead of about relationships. Authentic community is all about relationships - us with God and with each other. It cannot be programatized. It cannot be bottled. It cannot be guaranteed. It can only be experienced. We get confused when we think that we can create a system, structure or strategy that will create community. That is not our role. Our role as leaders is to create the environment in which community will thrive. Instead of thinking about programs, we should think about people and the types of things necessary for them to grow and connect with others. Instead of thinking about curriculum, we should think about experiences that will help people experience and live out what they are learning in their study. The list of “instead of”s could go on and on. Instead of doing that, let me just say it one more time: true authentic community centers on relationships and everything we do to foster it should center on our relationships with God and one another.