Springtime in college ministry provides a clear glimpse of the future; most if not all of the students who stayed for the free food and endless activities of the Fall have filtered themselves out. The Spring provides opportunity to discern who will lead your ministry next year.
Double down rather than just bet on these emerging leaders: that's my challenge to you.
I've said this one hundred different ways on this blog: in ministry we tend to spread our bets amongst everyone and as a result rarely see exponential growth that aligns with our mission, vision, and values.
Sure you can play it safe and keep building into the people that dramatically stand out, but what about that young leader with tons of ____________(you fill in the blank; energy, passion, conviction) that's rough around the edges. Where could you empower that person in a significant way that would provide them with an invaluable leadership experience?
A few places come to mind:
Let them lead a bible study without the help of an older leader
Have them emcee a weekly meeting
Bring them into the planning of a large event
Take them with you to something that's normally for older students or staff members
I'm continually surprised by the amount of students that want to lead but have yet to find the space in their ministry to do so. We can intentionally create these spaces and catalyze the development of these young emerging leaders.
Thoughts?
photo courtesy of simpson
