We need young leaders joining in being world changers! We need young leaders to lead the way right here – leading us to join God in our neighbourhoods & leading our churches in Atlantic Canada!
How do we help young leaders join the adventure of leading in the Church?
These 7 people have some ideas! What are your ideas? Please comment.
Please add your thoughts in the comments!
#1neighbourhood
Thanks
-Renée
In 2004-2007ish there was a group of 6 youth who were heavily involved in camping ministry– none of us knew exactly what was next in life for us. Each had been mentored, invested in (most by CBAC), youth pastors, and the camp director. Of the 6 of us 4 have ended up in Ministry, three as pastors and one as the wife of a pastor (which is a much higher calling!). We journeyed through high school and then through college and through the calling process.
What attracted these young leaders to ministry? STRONG LEADERSHIP/MENTORSHIP and sense of call.
It was the people above us who not only released us and expected much from us as teenagers but also the individual conversations, the years of coffee dates and biblical discussions that happened so that when the call came from God we had people to turn to and discuss it with. Like Samuel hearing God’s voice and being confused… he had Eli to encourage him to respond. All four of us came from different families, different churches, different backgrounds. What was in common was the strong investment we had in people a generations (or two, or three) above us encouraging us as we deciphered the call.
I have lots of other thoughts, but will leave it at what I have seen in the 11 years since I first heard the call (YIKES).
Thanks for sharing Dustin! Yes, we are hearing that over and over – how strong mentorship along the way makes such a huge difference!!! So how do we be more intentional to make sure more young people get this kind of mentoring investment in their lives, especially towards living out their call? Ideas? Hope you are both receiving helpful mentoring in your life and giving out strong mentoring to others.
Being one with each other has been facilitated by modern technology. This is a fine example of that, and I encourage all of you to continue the conversation. I have been asked to join the ministry many times over many years, all of what was said is valid and important to consider. The most salient issue is inter-generational integration. The elders of my youth who demonstrated Christian love and service to me, were an exceptional group. What people were seeing in me was entirely of their influence and mentorship.
There are two types of leadership. One is the stars on the ice, the other is the coach. A pastor needs be a coach, to empower, coordinate, and implement a unity of purpose. I am more like a star on the ice, who perseveres regardless of opposition. I am too autocratic and uncommunicative to be a coach. The inter-generational aspect of my analogy has to do with the front office and retired players. We also need fans, enthusiastic volumes of people who simply love us, and what we are doing.
Thanks so much for this helpful imagery and sharing the discernment in your own life and call.
Thinking about the barriers that young people sometimes face when it comes to responding to their call to ministry, I think it’s really important to consider a broader definition of what "ministry" means and what it means to be "called to ministry". I know that there’s a lot of need for pastors in Atlantic Canada right now, so it makes sense and it’s really good for CBAC to think about how to engage more young leaders in pastoral ministry. But, at the same time, I think that this focus makes it challenging for young leaders who feel called to other types of ministry, whether it’s missionary work, parachurch ministry, chaplaincy or something else. I find that the CBAC is doing a really good job building up resources for young people to serve, to begin discerning their calling, and for responding to a call to pastoral ministry, but there’s a lack of resources for those interested in other types of ministry. Again, I understand why this focus exists, but I think that a broader focus could increase our capacity to develop young leaders and reach our neighbourhoods more effectively.
Thanks Kylah. I agree – ministry IS so much broader, and we need and celebrate people serving God in a wide, beautiful variety of ways. In fact at our event for grade 11 and 12 students, called Potential Impact, we have broadened the discussion so they understand what it means to serve God with whatever vocation you follow. However, we also talk about what it means to serve God in various forms of full-time ministry – pastoring, missionary, non-profits, camps, denominational work… We know that many students haven’t been exposed to that option. I agree, we need to call young people to serve God where HE is calling them. One of the things we see though is as youth and young adults explore options for vocation and even ministry very few consider Pastoral ministry, and specifically Pastoral Ministry in one of our churches here in Atlantic Canada. This would be why you’re seeing more of an emphasis on this these days – we want younger people to consider the adventure of turning around a church here in Atlantic Canada, planting a fresh church here in Atlantic Canada, growing a church here in Atlantic Canada and helping the church here in Atlantic Canada really be on mission in our neighbourhoods.
You’re right – let’s also fan into flame those youth and young adults that want to reach our neighbourhoods more effectively in different and creative ways. We need that!!! That will be SUCH an important part of joining God in our neighbourhoods. BUT, let’s also help these youth and young adults see how they can join this adventure of changing neighourhoods with the Good News THROUGH the local church.