When the topic of a female youth leader or speaker comes up, so do questions. Curious, well-meaning board members, camp directors, youth pastors, and church leaders ask, “How will she relate to the guys?” Maybe you’ve asked this question yourself or have had to answer it.
First though, we should remember. “It’s really not about us. It’s about sharing a very unforgettable and connecting Jesus with others, regardless of our background.” Now here’s my take on having a female youth leader.
Insights About a Female Youth Leader
I understand I’m not a guy. But I really do believe that God has given us what we need, when we need it. And I know that God gave my own male youth pastor an ability to relate to me in a way that ultimately changed the trajectory of my life.
I don’t think he took a special class in seminary. I’m not sure if he even attended seminary.
His impact probably wasn’t the result of having an awesome wife (although he did).
And I don’t think it was because he always kept the door open when we talked. (He was great at that.)
I do think my youth pastor was great at listening. He was passionate about following Jesus.
And he was purposeful about putting me in places where I could experience the hope of Christ.
God has called us to love people. And love doesn’t know gender. When I speak about youth ministry, I encounter new teenagers, new faces, new leaders, and differing ideas of what it means to teach, preach, and share. But I wonder if someone is weighing out my “connect-ability” factor.
When a female youth leader tells me how much her girls love having a female speaker, I’m tempted to think maybe I’m connecting with only half the audience. Or maybe I’m robbing myself of joy? After all, these comments are meant to bless rather than tempt me to question.
But temptation is different from believing. And for me it ends right there. We can cut off temptation in the presence of an audacious belief that God calls us to connect with people in love. He calls us to share his Word and to give up weak desire for strong and crazy amounts of trust.
