Leadership Development is Spiritual Formation

By Doug Franklin April 14, 2011

If we want students to own their faith we must allow them to own the ministry. The two go hand in hand. If we press students to own their faith but we don’t allow them to lead their ministry, the ownership of their faith will be fake. It will be like the seed that falls on dry land and is easily scorched by the sun. Their faith will die quickly, for it’s the living out of their faith that will cause it to take root and grow strong. Think of it like a light switch; our job as youth workers is to flip the switch for students from being trained to leading the ministry. Often we don’t flip this switch because it’s hard to give control to students. Too often we like the limelight and we think we can do it better. It’s true we can always lead the ministry cheaper and faster, but long-term it’s better for students to lead. If you want to do the job of spiritual formation give students leadership of the ministry, it’s the only way for the spiritual lesson to stick.