Empowering young leaders is vital for church growth. Teens have unique talents and boundless energy that you can harness for a purpose. By equipping students, youth pastors nurture confidence, faith, and servant leadership.
Let’s look at practical tips to help teens make a difference. Young people can be servant leaders and role models now, not just in the future!
9 Ideas for Empowering Young Leaders
1. Identify talents.
First, know that God gives every young person unique gifts. Empower young leaders by letting them try teaching, music, event planning, public speaking and more. Use spiritual gift assessments to pinpoint God-given abilities.
Then keep affirming kids’ efforts. That boosts confidence and reinforces the value of their contributions. Say things like “Your creativity will impact our whole church.”
2. Create leadership opportunities.
Teens grow when you let them lead. Start small to let their confidence grow. Ask teens to lead music, prayer, and messages during worship. Let them help plan youth events.
Teens can teach Sunday school for younger children. Encourage them to participate in church-wide decisions and projects. In the community, kids can serve to meet real needs.
3. Build confidence.
Next, teens need to believe in their abilities. So encourage risk-tasking to build self-assurance. Teach kids that failure is a natural part of growth. Share stories of leaders who learned through mistakes. Celebrate a willingness to step outside comfort zones.
Also provide positive feedback. Offer tips for improvement that aren’t overly critical. To keep morale high, highlight successes alongside areas for growth. Remind teens to cheer for one another’s efforts.
4. Teach practical skills.
Leaders need the proper tools. So train teens in a variety of tasks. Areas include faith and worship skills, communication, conflict-resolution, time management, and teamwork. Model how to balance responsibilities wisely. Also teach the valuable skills of collaboration and delegation.
5. Provide role models.
Mentors shape and guide young leaders. Find congregants who exemplify servant leadership. Then ask them to partner with your leadership initiatives. Advice and accountability are priceless gifts!
