Leadership is equipping. This
phrase holds true in any facet of life. A teacher does not become a teacher
over night or a preacher becomes a preacher over night. Within every facet of
life, people are trained by others who have been there, done that, and got the
t-shirt. Student ministry is not any different.
Student ministry is very tricky. It
is like no other position in the church. The student leader must relate to the
seventh grader who still picks his nose and plays Halo as well as his mom who
is a doctor and has more brain power than the entire church combined. However,
the great divide between immature student and mature parent can be crossed. The
way it is crossed is by following Ephesians 4:11-13. Leaders must equip the
body of Christ, parents, students, aunts, uncles, etc. A student leader’s job
is to develop relationships with students and reinforce spiritual disciplines
that should be taught at home. Their job does not stop with students. They must
encourage and equip the parents with books, music, workshops, and any other
tool that can aid in assisting the parent in becoming at better spiritual
leader. In other words, a leader’s job is not to be a day care on Sundays and
Wednesdays, but a minister equipping parents and students with tools to aid in
their spiritual journey. Here are some suggestions of some good tools to assist
parents and students:
Parent/ Leader
Resources
Rethink
Your First Two Years of
Youth Ministry
www.whatisorange.org
Student Resources
Why So Many Gods
How to Stay Christian
in College (good gift for high school seniors)
Do Hard Things
In closing, student leaders have a
wonderful privilege to make an impact on a generation that most have written
off as lazy and disrespectful. They also have the privilege of partnering with
parents and equipping them to help their kids. With a lot of patience, love and
perseverance this generation can become hard working and God honoring. The
question now becomes… Are they worth it?
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