Wednesday, August 25, 2010

The Student Leader

Leadership is something that is sought after in all areas of life, workforce, home.   We are constantly trying to develop and bring about leadership in people.  Some have so much potential to impact people in a positive way yet they dont fully take hold of those opportunities, they let life slip away.  Some do not have a lot of potential or may not be wired that way but work at it extremely hard because they UNDERSTAND why leadership in any aspect in life is important!  If we can develop at a young age students heart for leadership no matter how gifted or how much potential they have; then we are developing people who can change the world. 

The student leader is every student ministries pastors best friend.  Without these leaders then we find ourselves looking for ways to motivate, create energy and get students to buy into whats going on in the ministry.  Student Leaders are essential for the vital health of the church as well.  These are the next generation of church leadership, a group that will rise up and take hold of the awesome responsibility of spreading the Gospel. 

Its hard to start from scratch and develop leaders, here are a few tips for starting out...

1. Open your eyes - lots of students have the natural ability, people gravitate towards them, they can be the life of the crowd.  Those students need some coaching but have limitless potential.

2. Solid Trumps Popular - students who are grounded in what they believe will be more committed than the popular student who isnt as focused and isnt dependable.

3. Consistency in Meeting - meet with these students on a regular basis, consistency breeds accountability and allows them to be encouraged consistently.

4. Poll the student body- ask them who they look up to, who do they look to for spiritual matters, who would they follow... they usually get it right!

5.  Challenge - Dont make it easy on them.  Give the student/s something to strive for, something that will stretch them and allow them to fail.  Nothing says learning from experience like having a task and bombing!!  You learn real quick what to do and what not to do!

6.  PRAY like crazy - In order for God to do something huge through these students then you must intercede for them on their behalf. 

My desire is for students to be equipped to change the world.  There is nothing to big that God cannot do...  dream big, live big... impact people for Christ!!

1 comment:

  1. Great post! I think too often leaders are afraid to challenge student leaders because they don't want to scare them off, but often that is what draws them closer. Thanks for the reminder!

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